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A Class 1 licence, also known as a security operative licence, is the most common security licence in NSW.

It allows you to work in a wide variety of security roles across the state, including as an armed or unarmed guard, patrolling or guarding property with a guard dog, working as a bodyguard or a crowd controller and monitoring security alarm activations for the purpose of property protection.

Class 1 Licence Subclasses

There are six Class 1 licence subclasses, and you can hold more than one subclass at a time.

• Class 1A Security Officer – patrol, protect or guard any property while unarmed whether static or mobile and to act as a crowd controller or in a similar capacity
• Class 1B Bodyguard – work as a bodyguard or in a similar capacity
• Class 1C Cash-in-Transit Guard – patrol, protect or guard cash-in-transit
• Class 1D Guard Dog Handler– patrol, protect or guard any property with a dog
• Class 1E Monitoring Centre Operator – monitor security alarm activations for the purpose of property protection
• Class 1F Armed Guard – protect, patrol or guard approved classes of property while armed (you must have a licence or a permit to possess a firearm, see Firearms Act 1996. Contact the NSW Firearms Registry for all firearms-related enquiries: 1300 362 562.)

Note: to carry on armed cash-in-transit activities you must hold both the Class 1C Cash-in-Transit Guard and 1F Armed Guard licence subclasses.

Am I Eligible for a Class 1 Licence?

There are a few requirements you need to meet to be eligible for a Class 1 licence.

• You need to be at least 18 years old
• You need to be:
  • an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or
  • a permanent Australian resident, or
  • hold a visa sponsored by a Master licence holder, or
  • hold a visa for a skilled occupation that corresponds to the licence subclass for which you’re applying.

  If you have a criminal record, it could affect your eligibility. You’re not eligible for a NSW security licence if you have been:

  • Convicted of a prescribed criminal offence in the past 10 years
  • Found guilty of a prescribed criminal offence in the past five years, with no conviction recorded (click here for more information about prescribed criminal offences)
  • Declared a registrable person or corresponding registrable person within the meaning of the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act 2000 with reporting obligations under that Act
  • Had a civil penalty imposed on you in the past five years
  • Been removed or dismissed from the NSW Police Force, or any other police force in Australia or overseas.

  SLED may also refuse your application if:

  • You have provided false or misleading information to SLED
  • You didn't provide all the required documentation with your application
  • Granting your application would not be in the public interest, for example, if SLED believes the licence will be improperly used, or that improper conduct is likely to occur if the licence is approved
  • You are linked to past or current criminal activity or criminal investigations
  • You are not considered to be a fit and proper person to hold a security licence. Your personal and criminal history is taken into account when making this decision.

  What Training do I Need for a Class 1 Licence?

  All Class 1 licence applicants, except those applying for a 1E licence, are required to complete the NSW Security Licence Course via a NSW Approved Organisation.

  SLED has a list of Approved Organisations that run this course in NSW. You can view the list here.

  All Class 1 licence applicants, except 1E, must complete:

  • The SLED Pre-Enrolment Assessment - including a language, literacy and numeracy test (LLN)
  • First Aid certificate – HLTAID011 or HLTAID014 issued within the past three years by a Registered Training Organisation (as per the Australian Skills Quality Authority, SLED will only accept the superseded HLTAID003 and HLTAID006 qualifications for licensing purposes if they were completed before 30 June 2022). You must make sure you keep your First Aid certificate current and renew it every three years while you hold a NSW security licence.
    • HLTAID011 (Apply First Aid) - Class 1A or 1C licences
    • HLTAID014 (Provide Advanced First Aid) - Class 1B, 1D or 1F licences

    You can find the current mandatory units required for each Class 1 licence subclass in the NSW Security Licence Course Structure Fact Sheet.

    If you are applying for a specialist licence – 1B, 1C, 1D, or 1F – you need to complete additional units specific to your Class 1 licence subclass.

    If you are an existing Class 1 licensee and want to apply to add the 1B, 1C, 1D or 1F subclass to your licence, you must include in your application your training qualifications showing you have successfully completed:

    • HLTAID014 (Provide Advanced First Aid) within the previous three years
    • the NSW Security Licence Course required for the licence subclass you are applying for via a SLED Approved Organisation.

    For a 1B Bodyguard subclass you must complete units from CPP31418 Certificate III in Close Protection and HLTAID014 Provide advanced first aid.

    For a 1C Cash-in-Transit Guard subclass you must complete the Cash-in-Transit Guard units:

    • CPPSEC3118 Inspect and test cash-in-transit security equipment
    • CPPSEC3119 Implement cash-in-transit security procedures
    • CPPSEC3120 Load and unload cash-in-transit in secured and unsecured environment

    For a 1D Dog Handler subclass you must complete units from CPP31318 Certificate III in Security Operations.

    For a 1F Armed Guard subclass you must complete units from CPP31318 Certificate III in Security Operations.

    For more training information, click here to visit the Security Training page, or click here for the SLED NSW Security Licence Course Conditions of Approval.

    How Do I Add 1C Cash-in-Transit Guard to my Licence?

    If you held the former Class 1A (Unarmed Guard) subclass on 31 May 2023 and carried on unarmed cash-in-transit (CIT) activities under the authority of that licence, you can continue to do so until 1 December 2023 while holding the new Class 1A (Security Officer) subclass.

    To continue carrying on unarmed CIT activities after that date you must:

    • successfully complete the NSW Class 1C Cash-in-Transit Guard Licence Course, and
    • lodge with SLEDno later than 1 December 2023a P1230 Class 1C (Cash-in-Transit Guard) Transition Application form with a copy of your statement of attainment or certificate showing you have satisfied the Class 1C training requirements outlined above.

    The Class 1C subclass will be added to your licence for free if you satisfy these requirements and a new portrait style security licence card issued. Late applications will not be accepted.

    Details of organisations approved to deliver the NSW Class 1C (Cash-in-Transit Guard) Licence Course is available here.

    Other licensees who want to add the new 1C subclass to their security licence must complete the required training and lodge a P645 Amend, Vary or Replace an Existing Class 1 and/or Class 2 Licence application form available here. An $80 licence variation application fee is payable.

    Find more information here.

    How Do I Apply?

    Apply online via Service NSW and attach all necessary documentation when requested.

    Once you application is submitted.

    If SLED needs to contact you to get further information or to chase up missing documents, your application will be delayed.

    Important: make sure your name, address and contact details are correct on all documentation submitted with your application. Also make sure that Service NSW and Transport for NSW have your current address and contact details on file. If your contact details are incorrect or out of date you may miss important information sent to you during the application process.

    SLED uses SMS and emails to communicate with applicants throughout the application process. We recommend you regularly check your spam folder and add SLED (sled@police.nsw.gov.au) to your contacts to ensure you don’t miss out on important information.

    If you are unable to apply online, click here for SLED’s application forms. Please be aware, postal timeframes and manual data entry can result in applications lodged via mail being delayed by several weeks.

    What Conditions will My Licence Have?

    All NSW security licences have certain conditions attached to them. These conditions ensure licences are being used appropriately and help SLED to regulate the industry safely and fairly.

    Class 1 licence conditions:

    • You must display your licence at all times when carrying on security activities. Licences must be clearly visible and worn on the front or side of your body at or above the waist on the outside of your clothing.
    • You must be employed or provided by a master licence holder.
    • You must fill out sign-on registers before and after each shift.
    • You must notify SLED within 14 days of any change of particulars including your address, email address and phone number.
    • You must notify SLED within seven days if your licence is lost, destroyed or stolen. You have 14 days to lodge an application for a replacement licence.
    • You must produce your licence for inspection on demand by a police officer or any other member of the NSW Police Force, or any person with whom you have dealings while carrying on any security activity.
    • After you renew your licence, you have 60 days to attend a Service NSW centre to have a new photograph taken.

    Class 1F licence holders have additional conditions on their licence:

    • You must wear a recognisable security uniform while carrying on security activities unless you have, and are carrying, a written exemption from the Commissioner of Police.
    • You must comply with all requirements as specified under the Firearms Act 1996.

    Penalties may apply, including fines and the suspension or revocation of your licence, if you breach any of your licence conditions.

    Class 1 Licence Fines

    All NSW security licences have certain conditions attached to them. These conditions ensure licences are being used appropriately and help SLED to regulate the industry safely and fairly.

    You may receive a fine if you breach any of your licence conditions. Your licence could also be suspended or revoked.

    If a fine is unsuccessfully challenged in court, the court may impose greater financial penalties than those listed below.

    Breach of licence conditions	Maximum fine
    Failing to tell Police Assistance Line (131 444) within seven days after a security licence is lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged.	$1,100
    Delegating your security duties to people who don't hold a security licences.	$4,400
    Using, or attempting to use, suggest or imply you can use, your licence for any purpose other than your authorised security activity.	$5,500
    Providing false or misleading information to SLED at any time, including in applications and any other information, records or details you are asked to provide.	$5,500
    Failing to produce your licence for inspection on demand by a police officer or any other members of the NSW Police Force, or any person you have dealings with while carrying out any security activity.	$5,500
    Failing to wear your security licence on the front of your outer clothing, above the waist, at all times while carrying out security activity. This does not apply if you have special permission from SLED to operate without displaying your licence.	$5,500
    Carrying out a security activity without a Class 1 or Class 2 security licence. This does not include master licence holders who provide licensed security operators.	$5,500
    Failing to immediately surrender a suspended or revoked licence.	$11,000*
    Advertising security services without a master licence.	$11,000*
    Using false, misleading or deceptive statements, representations or promises or deliberately hiding facts to induce any person to enter into an agreement or contract related to carrying out any security activity.	$11,000*
    Selling, renting or hiring out a security licence, or allowing another person to use someone else's security licence.	$11,000*

    • * $11,000 fine and/or six months jail

    Please note: SLED may impose additional conditions on licensees as required. Breaching these conditions may result in a fine of up to $22,000 for a corporation or $11,000 and up to six months imprisonment for an individual.

    Licence Suspensions and Revocations

    There are certain circumstances in which SLED is required to suspend or revoke a security licence.

    Reasons for licence suspension include:

    • If SLED believes you have engaged, or may engage, in improper conduct
    • If you are charged with a serious offence
    • If you breach the Security Industry Act 1997 legislation or regulations
    • If you are found liable to a prescribed civil penalty.

    Reasons for licence revocation include:

    • If you are convicted of an indictable offence, including assault, theft, fraud, drug offences and murder
    • If you are linked to criminal intelligence or a criminal investigation
    • If you provide false or misleading information to SLED in your licence application or renewal
    • If you breach the Security Industry Act 1997 legislation or regulations
    • If there is criminal intelligence that suggests you are likely to engage in improper conduct if you continue to hold a security licence
    • Any other reason prescribed under the Act or the regulations.

    Fees

    When you apply for a security licence, or renew your existing licence, you can choose to have a one year or a five year licence.

    There are also fees associated with other aspects of security licensing, including add or deleting subclasses, replacing your licence or changing your name on your licence card.

    A $120 nonrefundable processing fee is included in the application fee. If you choose to withdraw your application this fee cannot be refunded.

    If your application is refused, a refund of your application payment, minus the processing fee, will be provided once the appeal period is completed. Refunds can take up to six weeks to process from the date of refusal.

    Click here for a full list of SLED licence fees (PDF).

    Application and renewal fees

    Application Type	1 Year Term	5 Year Term
    New application	$160	$640
    On-time renewal	$140	$560
    Late renewal - within 90 days of licence expiry date	$160	$640

    Other licence fees

    Amendments to Licences	Fee
    Variation - add or delete subclasses	$80
    Licence replacement or change or name	$65
    Change of licensee's address, contact details or other personal details	Nil
    Fingerprint and palmprint fee	$40

    Renew a Class 1 Licence

    You can renew your Class 1 licence online from eight weeks before the licence expires.

    Once the expiry date passes, you have up to 90 days to submit your renewal application. Late payment fees apply and must be paid when you submit your application. You are unlicensed until your licence has been renewed.

    You cannot renew your licence once the 90 days have passed. If you want to continue to work in the security industry, you will need to submit a new application, including evidence that you meet the current security licence course training requirements.

    You must present your photograph advice letter in person and have your photograph taken at any Service NSW Centre within 60 days when your licence is first issued and whenever you renew, replace or amend your licence.