The security worker handbook: Ontario

Chapter 01

Your Ontario licence route

Connect training, testing and a valid provincial licence.

Ontario normally requires an applicant to be at least 18, legally entitled to work in Canada and eligible under the criminal-record rules. Prepare the current Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check and the required identity documents.

Complete the mandatory course and test, then apply through ServiceOntario. Carry the issued digital licence or a printed copy at work. Check the birthday-linked expiry; renew a valid licence within the published window. Separate mobility provisions apply to eligible Canadian licence holders.

• Confirm eligibility before paying for training.
• Keep training and testing references secure.
• Set a renewal reminder and verify current application requirements.

Official sources: Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General / ServiceOntarioOntario Ministry of the Solicitor General

Chapter 02

Prepare for the Ontario basic test

Practise knowledge and pacing with independent questions.

The ministry publishes 60 multiple-choice questions and 75 minutes. Its study guide gives a 62% cut score. This practice uses original questions and an authored topic allocation; official item wording, weighting and raw-score rounding are not published here.

The current syllabus includes at least 40 hours with emergency first aid, or 33.5 hours when first aid is separate. Serco says a full accepted first-aid/CPR certificate is needed before booking. Arrange accessibility needs before the test and follow current identity and test-day instructions.

• Review every answer explanation.
• Practise topics you missed before repeating a timed attempt.
• Book the official test through the ministry’s linked provider.

Official sources: Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor GeneralOntario Ministry of the Solicitor GeneralOntario Ministry of the Solicitor GeneralSerco Canada, Ontario test administrator

Chapter 03

Your role and its boundaries

Protect people, prevent incidents and arrange the right help.

Your assignment is shaped by the site, your licence and authorised instructions. Observe risks, assist the public and communicate useful information. An employer instruction must fit the law that applies to the task.

Before accepting a post, identify the responsible supervisor, permitted areas and tasks requiring extra training. Ask for clarification when an instruction exceeds your training or authority.

• Check the assignment and licence validity.
• Know the supervisor and escalation contacts.
• Describe your role clearly to the public.

Official sources: Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General / ServiceOntarioOntario e-Laws

Chapter 04

Access, consent and fair treatment

Apply entry rules calmly and consistently.

Check access against the site’s authorised criteria. Explain a screening request in a way the person can understand. Avoid assumptions based on appearance, ethnicity or background.

A person may decline voluntary screening. Follow the admission procedure and seek assistance. An entry rule does not itself authorise a forced bodily search or automatic detention.

Ontario’s Trespass to Property Act recognises oral or written notice and directions from an occupier or authorised representative. Check the status of the premises and other applicable rights before a direction to leave.

• Explain the reason for a check.
• Respect privacy and accessibility needs.
• Separate refused entry, suspicion and an observed offence.

Official sources: Ontario e-LawsOntario Human Rights CommissionDepartment of Justice CanadaOntario e-Laws

Chapter 05

Citizen’s arrest and safety

Recognise legal thresholds and involve the police.

Section 494 of the Criminal Code sets limited circumstances for arrest by a private person. A guard licence does not give general police powers. Property-owner authority and what was actually observed can matter.

An intervention can cause injury and personal liability. Contact police as soon as possible, follow your training and hand a person lawfully arrested to a peace officer without delay. This chapter contains no restraint techniques.

• Suspicion alone does not establish every legal condition.
• Record observations and reasons for decisions.
• Leave investigative questioning and searches to police.

Official sources: Department of Justice CanadaDepartment of Justice Canada

Chapter 06

Communication and de-escalation

Reduce tension and deliver a useful message.

Effective communication begins with listening. Introduce yourself, explain the issue and offer a realistic next step. Keep a safe distance and preserve a route to leave.

On the radio, use agreed call signs and state the location, situation and assistance needed. Confirm important messages. Keep sensitive details on authorised channels and describe observable behaviour.

• Speak clearly, with one person leading.
• Adapt your pace to the person’s needs.
• Request support before the situation becomes unmanageable.

Official sources: Ontario e-LawsOntario Human Rights Commission

Chapter 07

Notes, reports and evidence care

Build a useful and accurate record.

Record the time, place, people involved, observations and actions promptly. Separate what you saw from what a witness told you. State uncertainty when a detail cannot be verified.

Keep notes and files in authorised systems. Make corrections transparently without hiding the original record. Minimise unnecessary handling of objects and record relevant transfers so their history can be traced.

• Describe observable facts.
• Attribute witness statements clearly.
• Protect records containing personal information.

Official sources: Ontario e-LawsOffice of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Chapter 08

Privacy, cameras and personal information

Use information for an authorised purpose.

Images and records that identify a person require protection. Access only information needed for the assignment. Viewing, copying and disclosure must follow the responsible organisation’s procedure.

Visible surveillance of the public, employee monitoring and covert investigation have different rules. Direct requests for footage to the designated decision-maker and report accidental disclosure promptly.

• Keep workplace footage off personal social accounts.
• Verify the recipient before sending a file.
• Follow approved retention and deletion arrangements.

Official sources: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of CanadaOntario e-Laws

Chapter 09

Emergencies, alarms and first aid

Prepare the first few minutes before an incident happens.

At handover, locate exits, assembly points, alarm controls and first-aid resources. Clarify your place in the site plan, including receiving responders and helping people who need assistance.

When danger arises, protect yourself, call 911 where emergency help is needed and provide the exact location. Use your first-aid training and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Reading alone does not establish practical competence.

• Know the access route for emergency services.
• Keep evacuation routes clear.
• Report missing people without entering an unsafe area.

Official sources: Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills DevelopmentOntario Ministry of the Solicitor General

Chapter 10

Safe work and professional development

Look after your health and maintain your skills.

Security work can involve isolation, prolonged standing and distressing incidents. Check communication arrangements, rest opportunities and post-incident support. Report damaged equipment and hazards.

Keep your hours and pay records. Use the relevant authority for employment standards and unsafe-work procedures. Track licence renewal, first-aid currency and specialist permissions separately.

• Agree welfare checks for isolated work.
• Record training and expiry dates.
• Request a debrief after a difficult incident.

Official sources: Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills DevelopmentOntario e-Laws

Your assessment route

Ontario timed practice

60 original questions, 75 minutes. Topic allocation is our study design; official topic weights were not located in the checked sources.

The ministry publishes 62%. Our practice benchmark uses an exact 62% threshold for this set; official raw-score rounding remains unconfirmed. The displayed result applies only to this practice activity.

Other training and assessment requirements

Mandatory training, first aid and the official test remain necessary for the applicable entry route.

Before your shift

• Check the licence, its conditions and the assignment.
• Read post orders and outstanding handover matters.
• Test the radio and know support contacts.
• Locate exits, emergency access and first-aid resources.
• Confirm lone-work and accessibility arrangements.
• Use authorised systems for reports and information.
• Report hazards, incidents and damaged equipment.
• Give a factual and complete handover.

Words you will use

Security guard

A person carrying out protective duties within their licence and assignment.

Post orders

Site instructions that must fit the applicable law.

Consent

An informed and voluntary agreement in the relevant context, subject to applicable law.

Personal information

Information about an identifiable individual.

Peace officer

A legal category with powers and duties defined by law; a private licence does not itself confer that status.

Continuity of evidence

A documented history of possession and transfer of an item or record.

De-escalation

Actions intended to reduce tension and support a safe outcome.

Accommodation

An adjustment for a protected need, assessed in its legal context.

Official sources

Sources checked: 2026-09-20 · Next source review: 2026-12-20

1. Criminal Code, section 494: arrest by a private person

   Department of Justice Canada · 2026-09-20 · Federal criminal law. Consolidation displayed current to 2026-07-21; section 494 checked on 2026-09-20.

2. What you need to know about making a citizen’s arrest

   Department of Justice Canada · 2026-09-20 · Public guidance on citizen’s arrest, police handover and avoiding questioning/searching a suspect. Use alongside legislation and local legal advice.

3. Overt video surveillance in the private sector

   Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada · 2026-09-20 · Guidance on overt public-area surveillance by private organisations. Employee monitoring and covert investigations require separate analysis.

4. O. Reg. 363/07: Code of Conduct

   Ontario e-Laws · 2026-09-20 · Section 2 covers honesty, lawful conduct, equal treatment, unnecessary force, confidentiality and fitness for duty. Read with the ministry’s current requirements page.

5. Creed discrimination: specific workplace and service examples

   Ontario Human Rights Commission · 2026-09-20 · Accommodation and consistent rules. Examples include security workers; individual accommodation requires assessment.

6. Ontario individual security guard licensing

   Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General / ServiceOntario · 2026-09-20 · Checked public source on 2026-09-20; follow the linked authority for later changes.

7. Testing frequently asked questions

   Serco Canada, Ontario test administrator · 2026-09-20 · Current test-administrator guidance on first-aid completion, booking, identification and examination integrity.

8. Ontario security guard study guide

   Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General · 2026-09-20 · The ministry publishes 60 multiple-choice questions, 75 minutes and a 62% cut score. The checked sources do not publish the official raw-score rounding rule.

9. Ontario security guard training syllabus

   Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General · 2026-09-20 · Current syllabus states that existing rules remain in force while revised curricula are developed. Minimum 40 hours including emergency first aid, or 33.5 hours with first aid completed separately.

10. Ontario security guard and private investigator testing

    Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General · 2026-09-20 · Checked public source on 2026-09-20; follow the linked authority for later changes.

11. Trespass to Property Act, sections 2, 5 and 9

    Ontario e-Laws · 2026-09-20 · Consolidation from 2025-06-05. Sections 2, 5 and 9 address occupier authority, notice and limited arrest provisions; other applicable legal rights continue to apply.

12. Your guide to the Employment Standards Act

    Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development · 2026-09-20 · Pay, hours, rest and employment standards; exemptions and sector-specific provisions require checking.

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