How Much Does it Cost to get your Security Licence? Here's what You Need to Know!
- Andrea
- Apr 23
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 25
If you are considering a career in the security industry in Alberta, the steps include completing your Alberta Basic Security Training (ABST), passing the final ABST exam, and obtaining your security licence by applying through the Government of Alberta. The price to obtain your security license from start to finish will range from approximately $350 to $516, and the entire process will typically take six to eight weeks. This article breaks down the expenses, provides insights into what you can expect when budgeting for your security licence, and explains how long it will take to get your security licence from start to finish.
How Much Does Security Training Cost?
Training and Exam
Depending on where and how you complete your training and exam, the costs can range from approximately $160- $350. At Tip of Spear, we offer both in-person and online training and exams. Here is the basic breakdown of prices for our training and exams:
Training (choose one)
In-Person Training (includes one final in-person exam)- $310.00
Online Training (does not include exam)- $99.00-$124.95
Exam (choose one)
In-person exam- $55.00/per exam
Online exam- $60.00/per exam
You pay for every exam re-write
In-person ABST training at Tip of Spear is five days long, including your final exam. We have an ABST in-person session once a month. If you choose the online learning option, you start anytime and work at your own pace. It is designed to be a 40-hour course, and we recommend you take your time to learn the material thoroughly! Learn more about our training options here: https://www.tipofspearsecuritytraining.ca/alberta-basic-security-training-abst.
Licence Application
Once you have completed your training, passed your exam, and received your training certificate from the Government of Alberta, you can start putting your security licence application package together. For this you will require a few things that cost extra money:
You will need to request a Criminal Record Check with the following three searches from your local jurisdiction: CPIC, Vulnerable Sector, and Local Database. This will cost approximately $76.00.Â
You will need a new or recent (within 90 days) date-stamped passport-style photo, which on average costs close to $20.00. Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs, Costco, UPS Store, and Walmart are some of the options you can choose from to get your photo taken.
You will need to pay for the licence application fee, which is $100.00. You can attain a money order from the post office, or a bank draft from your financial institution, in this amount. Both options will charge an extra fee, and we recommend a money order from the post office, as bank fees are often more expensive. The fees can range, estimated, from $15.00-$30.00. It should be ‘made payable’ to the Government of Alberta. You may also pay online through the Government of Alberta website, which does not charge extra fees- or if you are a Permanent Resident or Canadian Citizen, directly at an approved registry if you take your application package to them. The registry will charge an extra fee of approximately $10.00.
In short, after your training and exam costs, you should budget for an amount in the range of $200.00-$230.00. We have included a chart showing the typical range of basic costs associated with attaining your licence:Â
Processing Times for the Criminal Record Check and Licence
It is important to note that both the Criminal Record Check and Licence processing times can vary depending on the situation.
If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, it typically takes 12-14 business days to process your Criminal Record Check. You will also have the option to take your application package to an approved registry in your region. If you have all the correct documents, ensured you have filled out your application form properly, and there are no other issues, the registry agent will take your $100.00 payment plus their $10.00 fee and issue you a temporary licence immediately. The Government will mail you your actual license shortly afterward. You can find the list of approved registries here: https://www.alberta.ca/security-licences-registries. If you mail your package in or drop it off at the John E. Brownlee building in Edmonton, rather than taking it to an approved registry, the processing time can range from two to four weeks.
If you are in Canada on a work or study permit, the record check can take anywhere from two to four weeks to process. Additionally, you will have to either mail your application to the Security Programs office, or if you are in Edmonton, you can drop it off on the 9th floor of the John E Brownlee building downtown. Once your package is received, it may take three to four weeks to process.
For applicants who are on work/study permits, and anyone else who drops their package off or mails it in, take extra care to ensure that all your forms are filled out correctly and legibly, that you have included all required documents, and that you follow the instructions on the licence application form. If there are issues with your application, the Government will mail your package back to you with notes on what is missing/what needs changing, delaying the issuing of your licence.
Be sure to visit the ‘Apply for Licence’ page https://www.tipofspearsecuritytraining.ca/security-guard-licence-application on our website for more detailed information on the licence application process. Tip of Spear also provides you with instructions for this step, sent by email with your exam grade, after you write and pass the exam through us.
Once you are at the stage of submitting your application package, if you are a Tip of Spear student, and you need help to ensure all your licence application package meets the requirements, you may visit us at our office and we will double-check it with you.
Licence Renewal
If you are a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident, your security licence is valid for two years.Â
If you are on a work or study permit, it will expire when your work/study permit expires. If you receive a renewal notice as a result of a work permit expiry, be sure to follow the relevant instructions. From the Government of Canada website: ‘If you have a work permit that’s about to expire or that you need to change, you must apply to extend it or change the conditions on it. You should apply to extend your work permit at least 30 days before your current permit expires.’ Please visit the Government of Canada website here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/permit/temporary/extend.html for more information regarding extending your work permit. The fees for extending your work permit start at $155.00.Â
Everyone with a security licence receives a renewal notice via email four months prior to expiry. It is your responsibility to renew your licence before it expires and be sure to do so as you cannot work with an expired licence! If your licence is more than 90 days beyond expiry, you will have to apply for a ‘new’ licence, using the same form as your first time applying. The cost and process of renewing your licence is basically the same as when applying for a new licence. You will need to submit a new Criminal Record Check and passport-style photo, as well. Visit this article on our website to learn more about renewing your licence:
It is important to note that lost or stolen licences must be reported to Security Programs within 24 hours.
If you have lost your training certificate and are past the 90-day expiry date, you will likely need to re-take your training and repeat the whole process. It is always a great idea to keep extra copies of your training, exam, and licence documentation with your other government documents to prevent extra time and expenses further down the road!
Contact Government of Alberta Security Programs:
Hours: 8:15 am - 4:30 pm (Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone:Â 1-877-462-0791
Email:Â ssia.registrar@gov.ab.ca
Security Programs
P.O. Box 1023 Station Main
Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 2M1