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Security guard licensing: Ontario vs BC vs Québec

Use comparable wage periods and keep licensing definitions visible. This comparison has no best-province score: your eligibility, target region, shifts and total costs matter.

· Sources checked:

Choose a provincial pathway ↓How to read these numbers

Compare provincial pathways

Swipe the table sideways to compare. Full provincial guides follow below.

Compare provincial pathways
MeasureOntarioBritish ColumbiaQuébec
Minimum age, ordinary guard route18+19+18+
Standard initial training40 hours40 hours70 hours
Gross hourly medianCAD 20.00CAD 22.75CAD 21.56
Employment outlookLimited (2025-2027)Limited (2025-2027)Limited (2025-2027)
Licensing records136,611 · security-guard-only licensees · 2025-12-31Unavailable50,148 · valid guarding permits · 2025-03-31

Standard first-time routes; exemptions and specialist categories differ. Ontario’s 40 hours include first aid; Québec’s 70 hours include workplace first aid. Gross hourly medians share a 2023-2024 reference period. They are not starting salaries, current offers or adjusted for living costs. Licence records use different dates and units. These totals cannot establish which province has less competition.

Choose a provincial pathway

Ontario →

Compare the Ontario licensing route with official wage and employment evidence before paying for training. Then use free, original practice alongside the ministry study guide.

Gross hourly median
CAD 20.00
2023-2024 data · published 19 Nov 2025 · NOC 64410
Licensing records
136,611
security-guard-only licensees · December 31, 2025
Official source ↗Official source ↗

The year-end CSV excludes expired, suspended and revoked licences. Another 2,377 individuals are in the separate dual guard/investigator category. These are licensing records, not employed guards or vacancies.

  • Ministry test: CA$39.55 per attempt

    CA$35 plus 13% HST. Training, first aid and any record-check charges are separate.

    Official source ↗

  • Individual guard licence: CA$80

    Application or renewal fee for the security guard licence. The first expiry is tied to your second birthday after issue; later renewals are for two years.

    Official source ↗
Start free practice →Official application ↗

British Columbia →

Understand the BC security worker licence, Basic Security Training and the local job outlook. Keep the course, assessment and licence fees separate when planning your budget.

Gross hourly median
CAD 22.75
2023-2024 data · published 19 Nov 2025 · NOC 64410
Licensing records
Unavailable
Current active-holder count not verified
Official source ↗Official source ↗

The official open-data record describes licences issued per year by category. Issuance is a flow and can include renewals; it cannot stand in for the number of currently licensed people. This edition leaves the active-holder total unavailable, not zero.

  • JIBC theory: CA$347.03 as listed

    CA$343.77 tuition plus CA$3.26 learner services fee. Other approved schools set their own charges.

    Official source ↗

  • JIBC assessment: CA$64.14

    Listed separately per assessment attempt; recheck booking terms and any applicable charges before payment.

    Official source ↗

  • New licence: CA$60 / $120 / $180 / $240

    These cover 90 days, one year, two years or three years respectively. Renewal/change fees differ. Fingerprint costs and training are extra.

    Official source ↗
Start free practice →Official application ↗

Québec →

Follow the Québec guarding pathway from recognized training to a BSP agent permit. Compare the permit statistics and Job Bank evidence without treating permits as current jobs.

Gross hourly median
CAD 21.56
2023-2024 data · published 19 Nov 2025 · NOC 64410
Licensing records
50,148
valid guarding permits · March 31, 2025
Official source ↗Official source ↗

BSP report p.14, Gardiennage row: includes regular and temporary permits. It counts permits in this activity, not unique employed people. The 60,789 all-category total also includes investigations, locksmithing and other activities and is not used as the guarding count.

  • New application: CA$188.50 as listed

    CA$69.50 permit fee plus CA$119 security check. Training is additional; do not treat this as an all-in training budget.

    Official source ↗

  • Annual fees: CA$87.50 as listed

    CA$69.50 permit fee plus CA$18 security monitoring. Fees are indexed each 1 January. Annual payment and the five-year renewal are separate obligations.

    Official source ↗
Start free practice →Official application ↗

Amounts are CAD, as published and checked on 25 October 2026. Provider charges, taxes where applicable and individual circumstances can change the total. Confirm before paying.

Compare the same occupation and time period

The three hourly medians use NOC 64410 and the same 2023-2024 reference period. BC has the highest displayed median, but the figures do not adjust for living costs, hours offered, benefits or differences between specific jobs.

Official source ↗

Do not divide job adverts by licence totals

An advertisement can cover several positions or be reposted. Licensed people may not work in the occupation. Ontario’s year-end individual categories and Québec’s March permit stock use different dates and units, while the BC active total is unavailable. Their ratio would not estimate your chance of being hired.

Official source ↗

Check mobility before repeating training

Choose your destination’s guide below and read its out-of-province process. Ontario has a specific application/deemed-certification route; BC still requires its licence; Québec may recognize training but still requires the BSP permit and guarding first-aid evidence.

Official source ↗

Questions before you apply

Which province is easiest for getting a security job?

These data do not establish that. All three province-wide outlooks are Limited for 2025-2027, with different regional conditions. Compare eligibility, actual vacancies, hours and total living and entry costs rather than a single opportunity score.

Official source ↗Official source ↗Official source ↗
Can a free practice score qualify me for work?

No. Our original practice is free, unofficial revision and has not been reviewed by a licensed security professional. Required training, official assessments and licensing are handled by the named authorities and providers. We do not issue licences or guarantee employment.

Official source ↗Official source ↗Official source ↗

Definitions, dates and limits

  • Licensing records measure authorization, not whether a holder works or is seeking work. Ontario counts individuals in separate licence categories; Québec counts permits including temporary permits. Do not rank provinces by these totals.
  • Wages refer to the broad occupational group NOC 64410, security guards and related security service occupations, not exclusively newly licensed guards. The median is gross CAD per hour, using the 2023-2024 reference period; the release date is 19 November 2025. It is not a current offer, minimum wage or take-home salary.
  • Employment outlooks are Job Bank assessments for 2025-2027, released 10 December 2025. Limited does not mean no jobs; regional assessments can differ. We do not turn them into a personal hiring probability.
  • No live posting total or provincial vacancy estimate is stored here. External Job Bank listings cover that service, not every opening. Statistics Canada vacancy estimates are a separate quarterly survey measure. Missing or suppressed data are unavailable, not zero.
Official source ↗

Official references

The reference period describes the data; the checked date describes our editorial review. A page update is not a new statistical observation.