What BC's security-licensing rules mean for your business

Security is one of the few services where the people you hire are licensed by the province, and for good reason. In British Columbia, both security businesses and the individual officers they employ operate under the Security Services Act. If you're buying security, understanding the basics protects you from a surprisingly common problem: providers who cut corners on licensing.

What licensing actually covers

At a high level, BC licensing means two things. First, the company holding the contract is licensed to provide security services. Second, the individual officers on your site hold their own valid security worker licences and have passed the required background checks. Both matter, a licensed company can still place an unlicensed or unvetted person on your property if it's careless.

Why it matters to you

• Liability: unlicensed security can expose you, not just the provider, if something goes wrong.
• Conduct: licensed officers are trained and accountable to a provincial standard.
• Trust: clients, tenants, and insurers increasingly expect proof of proper licensing.

Questions worth asking any provider

• Is your business currently licensed under the BC Security Services Act?
• Are the specific officers assigned to my site individually licensed and background-checked?
• Can you show proof of insurance and bonding?
• Who is my named point of contact, and are they local?

A reputable provider will answer all of these without hesitation. If you get vague answers, treat that as the answer. At Sequoia, our officers are licensed and vetted before they ever set foot on a site, and we're happy to show our credentials.