Victoria Police Licensed & Verified
Licensed security guards in Melbourne are the only legal option for protecting your site, and the only officers your insurer or head contractor will recognise if something goes wrong. Metro Guards has supplied Victoria Police licensed, ISO and CM3-certified security officers across Melbourne for 17+ years, with every licence verified before each booking — part of our full range of Security Guard Services.
Under the Private Security Act 2004 (Vic), anyone carrying out security guard duties must hold a current individual operator licence. Since 19 June 2025, all private security activities sit under this licensed framework, and engaging an unlicensed operator leaves your business directly exposed, from a failed insurance claim to liability with no one to point to.
You can verify any operator yourself through Victoria Police's public Register of Licence, Registration and Permit Holders. Here's what licensing actually covers, how to check it, and what to ask before you hire.
Why You Should Only Hire Licensed Security Officers
An unlicensed guard on your site is a compliance gap and a direct risk to your business.
It's against the law
Under Victoria's Private Security Act 2004, performing security guard duties without a current licence is illegal for the individual and creates legal exposure for the business that engaged them.
Insurance problems can arise
Many businesses and event organisers are required by their own insurance, lease, venue, or contractor rules to use properly licensed security providers. An unlicensed person involved in an incident can create serious problems during a claim or investigation.
There's no accountability
Licensed officers are listed on Victoria Police's public register, and every deployment is tracked by a Duty Manager, giving you a clear, checkable record of who was on site and what they were authorised to do.
Training isn't guaranteed
Licensing requires completed training through an approved provider, covering conflict de-escalation and the legal limits of a guard's authority. Unlicensed individuals may have none of this.
What Licensing Means in Victoria
Victoria is currently in the middle of a major licensing overhaul, and it's worth understanding because it affects who you can legally hire right now.
Every security guard must hold a Private Security Individual Operator Licence issued by Victoria Police. To get one, an applicant must pass a national police check, provide a full set of fingerprints, and complete approved training through a Registered Training Organisation.
Older “registration” holders are being phased out. Anyone who previously worked under the old registration system must transition to the full Individual Operator Licence by 19 June 2026. Current registration holders must submit their transition application by 19 June 2026 if they want to keep working under their current security activities.
During the transition, some registrations may remain valid past 19 June 2026 while applications are finalised, so the safest check is still the Victoria Police public register. After that date, registration alone won't be enough to legally work as a security guard in Victoria.
This matters for your hiring decision today. A security company still relying on guards under the old registration system, rather than the new licence, may be working against a closing deadline rather than a settled compliance position.
How to Check a Security Guard Licence
You don't need to take a security company's word for it. Victoria Police maintains a public Register of Licence, Registration and Permit Holders that anyone can search by name.
Before booking, you can ask a provider for:
- The individual licence number of any guard assigned to your site
- The company's labour hire licence number, if they operate as a labour hire business
- Confirmation of which licensed activities a guard is endorsed for, since not every licence covers crowd control, armed work, or K9 handling
- Proof of current public liability insurance
A legitimate provider will hand this over without hesitation. If a company is vague, slow, or defensive about confirming licence numbers, that's a signal worth taking seriously.
Metro Guards’ Compliance and Accreditation
Metro Guards has operated under full Victorian compliance for 17+ years, not just since the recent regulatory changes. Industry-accredited and independently audited, our officers are licensed, screened, and professionally trained before they're ever assigned to a site.
| Credential | Detail |
|---|---|
| Guard licensing | Victoria Police individual operator licence, verified before every deployment |
| Business licence | Victorian labour hire licence VICLHL01373 |
| Quality management | ISO 9001 certified |
| Environmental management | ISO 14001 certified |
| Contractor compliance | CM3 certified |
| Industry membership | ASIAL member |
| Insurance | Public liability insurance covering Melbourne and Victoria operations |
We re-check licence status on an ongoing basis through our Security Operations Centre, rather than only at the point of hiring. See the full set of certificates and registrations on our Compliance & Accreditation page.
Protective Security Services for Businesses, Events, Schools, and Sites
Different sites carry different licensing requirements, and Metro Guards matches guards to roles based on their specific licence endorsements.
Construction sites
Need guards licensed for static guarding and, depending on the site, access control duties tied to WHS obligations.
Events and venues
Generally require crowd controller endorsement, which is a distinct licensed activity from standard guarding.
Schools
Need guards who are not just licensed but experienced working around minors and school protocols.
Retail and shopping centres
Need appropriately licensed guards for public-facing security, customer safety, access control, and incident response in high-traffic areas.
Healthcare and aged care facilities
Require a calmer, more specialised approach, with guards experienced in de-escalation around vulnerable people.
Property managers and government-linked sites
Often require CM3 certification before they'll engage a contractor at all, which is one reason we maintain it as standard rather than on request.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Licensed Security Company
A short conversation before you book can save real trouble later. Worth asking:
- Can you provide the licence number for the guard assigned to my site?
- What happens if that guard is unavailable on the day? Do you have a licensed backup?
- Are your guards insured under your company's public liability policy or their own?
- What licensed activity is this guard endorsed for, and does it match what my site needs?
- How do you confirm a guard's licence is still active before each shift?
- Is a site risk assessment included before officers are deployed?
- What SLA governs response time if my assigned officer is unavailable?
If a provider answers these clearly and quickly, that's a good early sign. If they can't, it's worth looking elsewhere.
Hire Licensed Security Personnel in Melbourne
Metro Guards has supplied properly licensed, insured and compliant security officers across Melbourne for more than 17 years, backed by ISO, CM3 and ASIAL accreditation. Every guard we deploy is checked against Victoria Police's current licensing register before they're sent to your site.
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