Most people know electricians and nurses need a licence. Fewer know that a locksmith, a deckhand or a cannabis store clerk does too. We built this from the licensing guides on our site: each entry says why it catches people out, who issues the paper, what it costs where that is published, and links to the official source.
| Detail | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Noc | 64410 Security guards and related security service occupations | source |
| Summary | Anyone working as a security guard in BC needs a Security Worker Licence from the Security Programs Division (Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General). The usual route is the 40-hour Basic Security Training (BST) and assessment, then an application with criminal record check and fingerprints. | source |
| Licence required to work | True Licence required for armoured car guard, locksmith, private investigator, security alarm service, security consultant, security guard and body armour salesperson. | source |
| Issuing body · Url | Official page | source |
| Issuing body · Credential | Security Worker Licence (category: security guard) | source |
| Requirements · Minimum age | 19 to apply for the licence; BST can be completed before 19 Per JIBC BST FAQ | source |
| Requirements · Education | BST or another accepted route (see routes) | source |
| Requirements · Language | English fluency required | source |
| Requirements · Background check | Criminal record, police information and correctional service information checks (Security Services Regulation s.5); consent form with application | source |
| Requirements · Fingerprints | Required on initial application; renewals through a BC Services Card account do not need new prints, otherwise prints required again | source |
| Requirements · Documents | Criminal record check consent, training proof, proof of citizenship/PR/work permit, passport photo, government photo ID, fingerprint slip, mental health form if applicable | source |
| Requirements · Medical | No general medical required; a mental health condition form only if applicable | source |
| How long it takes | BST 40 hours; assessment within 6 months | source |
| Exams 1 | BST assessment SCRT-1656: 70% pass; write within 6 months of course; max 2 attempts (each rewrite paid), then retake theory course; written at JIBC New Westminster, bring a laptop | source |
| Costs · Training cost | JIBC BST $347.32 domestic tuition + $3.32 learner services fee + $3.06 other fees JIBC program page still shows $343.77 on 2026-11-01 (https://www.jibc.ca/areas-of-study/security/basic-security-training-bst); booking page price used | 2026-11-02 program page: $343.77 + $3.26 learner services fee (both in-person and online) | source |
| Costs · Licence fee | New licence: 90 days $60; 1 year $120; 2 years $180; 3 years $240 (non-refundable) | source |
| Costs · Renewal fee | Up to 1 year $60; 1-2 years $120; 2-3 years $180 (s.16(1)(e)) | source |
| Costs · Fingerprinting | not published Fingerprints required on initial application; fee set by the fingerprinting service, not published (page updated Sep 28, 2026) | source |
| Renewal | Maximum term 3 years (s.6); renew online | source |
| Wages | Annual: 42156; Hourly low: 18.0; Hourly median: 22.75; Hourly high: 32.0; Openings 2025 2035: 3980; Employed: 13345; Full time pct: 47; Basis: 2025 Job Bank wage data via WorkBC | source |
| Funding 1 | WorkBC Centres: free employment services; may fund training if needed to get a job (eligibility assessed by the centre) | source |
| Funding 2 | B.C. Employer Training Grant (employer-applied): 80% of training costs up to $10,000 per participant | source |
| Jobs requiring it 1 | Security guard, armoured car guard, locksmith, private investigator, security alarm service, security consultant, body armour salesperson | source |
| Policy | Licensing process & licence conditions policies | source |
| Verify licensee | Look up a security worker licence by licence number | source |
| Common gotchas 1 | BST assessment: 2 attempts max, each rewrite paid, written within 6 months | source |
| Common gotchas 2 | Licence fees are non-refundable | source |
| Common gotchas 3 | Online BST still needs the assessment in person at New Westminster | source |
| Common gotchas 4 | Licence term max 3 years; renew before expiry | source |
| Common gotchas 5 | JIBC no longer issues BST/AST certificates (since Dec 15, 2025); the transcript is proof, and the Registrar verifies completion with JIBC | source |
A blasting certificate is needed even to direct a blast, not only to set one.
Licensed by: WorkSafeBC · Cost: Not listed on the official page · source
Falling any tree over 6 inches across at work needs certification to the BC Faller Training Standard.
Licensed by: BC Forest Safety Council (WorkSafeBC standard) · Cost: New faller course $27,500 + GST · sources: 1 · 2
No licence, but contract crews need S-100, and BCWS crews must pass a fitness test and boot camp.
Licensed by: BC Wildfire Service · Cost: S-100 for contract crews; set by providers · source
Landscapers and pest control workers using restricted products need a provincial certificate.
Licensed by: BC Ministry of Environment · Cost: $90 per exam · source
You start with an under-supervision licence and work only under a licensed PI.
Licensed by: Registrar of Security Services · Cost: $60–$240 licence · Median pay: $22.75/h (NOC 64410, shared with guards) · sources: 1 · 2
Locksmiths are licensed as security workers, from age 16 under supervision.
Licensed by: Registrar of Security Services · Cost: $60–$240 licence · Median pay: $37.32/h (NOC 72999) · sources: 1 · 2
Body armour salesperson is a licensed security category, and most other people need a provincial permit just to own body armour.
Licensed by: Registrar of Security Services · Cost: Permit $90 new, $45 renewal · sources: 1 · 2
Installing cameras or electronic locks is its own licensed security category.
Licensed by: Registrar of Security Services · Cost: $60–$240 licence · Median pay: $27.88/h (NOC 22311) · sources: 1 · 2
BC notaries are not just stamp-signers: most need a master’s degree in applied legal studies and admission exams.
Licensed by: Society of Notaries Public of BC · Cost: Not listed · source
Even using the title needs a licence and a job with a licensed funeral provider.
Licensed by: Consumer Protection BC · Cost: $275 licence (2026) · Median pay: $33.54/h (NOC 62201) · sources: 1 · 2 · 3
Guiding hunters needs an outfitter licence or an assistant guide authorization.
Licensed by: BC government (Wildlife Act) · Cost: $250 + GST assistant guide exam · Median pay: $25.00/h (NOC 64322) · sources: 1 · 2 · 3
Guiding anglers in fresh water needs its own provincial licence every year.
Licensed by: BC government · Cost: $450 a year (assistant $150) · Median pay: $25.00/h (NOC 64322) · sources: 1 · 2
Anyone 16+ fishing commercially in tidal waters needs a registration card.
Licensed by: Fisheries and Oceans Canada · Cost: $60 a year · source
Running a power boat, even for fun, needs proof of competency such as the PCOC.
Licensed by: Transport Canada · Cost: Set by course providers · source
Armoured car drivers need a PAL, and a PAL is one way blasters can meet their background check.
Licensed by: RCMP Canadian Firearms Program · Cost: $70.38 non-restricted · sources: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4
Since January 2024, workers doing abatement must be trained and certified, and their employers licensed.
Licensed by: WorkSafeBC · Cost: Set by approved trainers · source
Patrollers must hold the patrol’s own Advanced First Aid, renewed every year.
Licensed by: Canadian Ski Patrol · Cost: Not listed · source
Mobile and tower crane operator becomes a compulsory trade on July 5, 2027.
Licensed by: SkilledTradesBC / BC Crane Safety · Cost: Not listed · Median pay: $43.00/h (NOC 72500) · sources: 1 · 2
Every cannabis store worker needs Selling It Right before the first shift.
Licensed by: BC government (Responsible Service BC) · Cost: $35 + tax exam · source
No personal licence, but the studio is a regulated personal service establishment that health inspectors check.
Licensed by: Regional health authorities · Cost: No fee in Fraser Health (2016 package) · Median pay: $22.15/h (NOC 63211, grouped with estheticians) · sources: 1 · 2 · 3
Medians are WorkBC figures by occupation group (NOC), so they can cover more than one job. Where a cost or median is missing, the official page did not publish one.
We could not confirm these on an official page, so we left them out: Exams 2, Costs - Fingerprinting fee, Costs - Dog validation.
Not always. Some jobs need a government licence (locksmith, PI), some a certificate the law requires (faller, blaster), and a few need only the business to be licensed (tattoo studios). Each entry says which.
For security workers, yes: the BC lookup at justice.gov.bc.ca works by licence number. Other regulators have their own registries; see each guide.
This page relies on the official pages below. Rules, fees and processes change, so check the authority before you apply or spend money.
Links checked November 1, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.