A cashier is being attacked in front of an agent. Can the agent rely on section 34 to protect her?
Québec Security Guard (BSP) overview
Québec Security Guard (BSP): The BSP, inspections, complaints and fines
The Bureau de la sécurité privée's mission and board, inspectors' powers, complaints and how they are handled, the public register, and the fines in the Private Security Act, including doubling for repeat offences.
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Study reference: Québec private security law and BSP guidance (Oct 2026), Ch. 4 BSP enforcement — Private Security Act ss. 39–44, 69–75, 114–122; BSP Enquêtes et inspections and Déposer une plainte pages
All 16 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
A cashier is being attacked in front of an agent. Can the agent rely on section 34 to protect her?
- $100 to $1,000
- $10,000 to $20,000
- $500 to $5,000
- $250 to $2,500
A complaint to the BSP suggests a criminal offence. What does the Bureau do?
- Waits for its yearly review to end
- Prosecutes the criminal case itself
- Keeps it secret to protect the agent
- Sends it to the police without delay
An agent fails to update the register after changing employer. What fine applies?
- $250 to $2,500
- $25 to $250
- $5,000 to $10,000
- None; it is not an offence
Who decides the administrative sanction for an agent who breached the standards of conduct?
- The agent's union
- The BSP's legal affairs branch
- The fines and offences bureau
- The client who complained
An agent hides documents from a BSP inspector. What does the Act provide?
- It is a mere fault with no fine
- It is allowed if the agent is off duty
- It is allowed to protect the client
- It is an offence with a $500 to $5,000 fine
How can a member of the public check that an agent holds a valid licence?
- Write to the Ministry of Education
- Ask for the agent's health insurance card
- Check the public register or ask to see the licence
- Call the client who hired the agent
A BSP inspector arrives at a site. What must the inspector do if the agent asks?
- Show only a driver's licence
- Call the client to confirm who they are
- Give their name and show their certificate
- Refuse, since their status is confidential
What is the mission of the Bureau de la sécurité privée?
- Defending security agencies' interests
- Protecting the public
- Setting security agents' wages
- Replacing the police in neighbourhoods
Which body issues security agent licences in Québec?
- The CNESST
- The Sûreté du Québec
- The Ministry of Education and Higher Education
- The Bureau de la sécurité privée
What fine does the Act set for running a security business without an agency licence?
- $250 to $2,500
- $500 to $5,000
- $150 to $1,500
- $50 to $500
A supervisor encourages an agent to work while suspended. What penalty does the supervisor face?
- A penalty cut in half
- Only a verbal reprimand
- None; only the agent is responsible
- The same penalty as for the offence
A citizen believes an agent breached the standards of conduct. What can they do?
- Write to the Ministry of Education
- File a complaint with the BSP
- File a complaint with the CNESST
- Nothing; only clients may complain
How many members sit on the BSP's board of directors?
- 15
- 7
- 5
- 11
What may a BSP inspector do at a place where guarding is carried on?
- Enter at a reasonable hour and require documents
- Seize an agent's wages on site
- Close the client's building for a month
- Arrest an agent on the spot without a warrant or police help
What fine does a person face for guarding without an agent licence?
- $5,000 to $50,000
- $150 to $1,500
- $1,000 to $10,000
- $50 to $500
What happens to the Act's fines for a repeat offence?
- They are replaced by a written warning from the BSP
- Minimums and maximums are doubled
- They are cut in half
- They stay exactly the same
The BSP, inspections, complaints and fines: key rules to remember
Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗
The Bureau
- The Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP) protects the public: applies the Act, issues licences, handles complaints, trains agency representatives.
- Board of 11 members: four appointed by the minister (one from policing), seven by private security associations.
Inspections and complaints
- Inspectors may enter at reasonable hours where private security is carried on, take photographs and require information and documents; they show their certificate on request.
- If a complaint suggests a criminal offence, the BSP sends it to police without delay.
- The investigations and inspections branch handles complaints; penal matters go to the Bureau des infractions et amendes; conduct breaches go to the BSP's legal affairs branch for administrative sanctions.
- The public register shows whether a licence is valid; anyone may file a complaint.
Fines
- Unlicensed agency: $500–$5,000. Working without an agent licence: $150–$1,500 (plus $300–$3,000 if suspended or revoked). Employing an unlicensed agent: $500–$5,000.
- Failing to notify, incompatible employment, not returning the licence, not updating the register: $250–$2,500.
- Obstructing an inspector: $500–$5,000. Helping or inducing an offence: same penalty. Repeat offences: minimums and maximums doubled.
Study the The BSP, inspections, complaints and fines rules as flashcards →
Other topics
- Private Security Act and the agent licenceThe six private security activities, who is exempt, why an agent is never a peace officer, who needs an agent licence (including the immediate supervisor), the conditions (age 18, good character, no related conviction, training), the five-year licence, temporary licences, incompatible jobs, notices to the BSP and the public register.
- Required training and temporary permitsThe 70-hour guarding course and its three modules, school service centres, work-study temporary permits, equivalence reviews, the CNESST first aid requirement, licences from other provinces, and the rules for temporary permit holders.
- Standards of conduct for agentsThe nine standards of the conduct regulation: preserving trust, no offensive or discriminatory language, no alcohol or drugs, showing the licence, no abuse of authority or unlawful detention, cooperating with police and the BSP, competence and honesty about one's powers, no conflicts of interest, confidentiality and careful use of firearms.
- Arrest powers and the rights of arrested personsA citizen's arrest under Criminal Code section 494, the owner's-agent power, delivering the person to police at once, giving the reason, breach of the peace, and the Québec Charter rights of an arrested person: humane treatment, reasons in a language they understand, and calling relatives and a lawyer.
- Use of force and self-defenceCriminal Code sections 25 to 27, 34 and 35 on necessary force, deadly force, excess, preventing offences, defence of person and defence of property, together with the conduct regulation's ban on excessive force, threats and intimidation.
- Québec Charter rights, privacy and discriminationDignity, privacy, property, the home and protection from unreasonable searches under the Québec Charter, which also binds private security; the prohibited grounds of discrimination, harassment and refusing services to the public; and confidentiality.
- Communication, de-escalation and fightsWarning signs of violence, verbal and non-verbal de-escalation, ending a hostile exchange, responding to fights and crowds, reporting incidents, and the respect the conduct regulation requires.
- Emergency procedures and fire extinguishersFire classes A, B, C, D and K, the EVAB (PASS) method, when never to fight a fire, where to stand, extinguisher inspection, evacuation, head counts, the emergency co-ordinator, chain of command and drills.