Before you hire a security provider in NSW, there are two separate things to check: the company must hold a current Master Licence, and every individual guard must hold their own operative licence. The Master Licence authorises a business to supply security staff; the individual licence authorises a person to do the work. Where alcohol is served, guards also need their RSA. Both licence types are administered by NSW Police through the Security Licensing and Enforcement Directorate (SLED).
Getting this right protects your venue, your patrons and your liquor licence. Here is what each licence means and what to confirm before you sign.
What is a Master Licence?
A Master Licence is held by the security business, not the individual. It authorises the company to provide security operatives to carry on security activities in NSW.
Master Licences come in subclasses that reflect how many operatives a business may supply - from a self-employed individual through to an unlimited number. The key point for you as a buyer is simpler: the provider you hire must hold a current, unrestricted Master Licence to supply staff to your site legally.
For reference, BDYTEK Security holds NSW Master Licence 000105322. You can confirm any provider’s licence status directly with NSW Police SLED.
What is an individual security operative licence?
While the Master Licence sits with the business, every guard on your floor must hold their own individual security operative licence. This is what authorises a person to legally carry out security work in NSW.
These individual licences are organised into classes and subclasses by the activity they cover. The two classes you will hear about are:
- Class 1 - operative roles such as guarding and crowd control (the hands-on work)
- Class 2 - advisory, training and seller roles (consulting, instructing and selling security services or equipment)
Most guards working your venue or event will hold a Class 1 licence.
Which Class 1 subclass covers guards and crowd controllers?
The Class 1 subclass a venue or event manager will encounter most often is Class 1A - Security Officer.
The Class 1A subclass authorises the holder to patrol, protect or guard property while unarmed - whether static or mobile - and to act as a crowd controller or in a similar capacity. In other words, the unarmed guarding role and the crowd control role sit together under Class 1A.
Other Class 1 subclasses exist for more specialised work - for example bodyguard, guard dog, armed or firearms roles, cash-in-transit and alarm monitoring. The exact subclass letters and their scope are set by NSW Police and have changed over time, so rather than list codes that may be out of date, we recommend confirming the current, complete list directly on the NSW Police SLED website. If you ever need to verify exactly what a particular guard is licensed to do, that is the authoritative source.
If you want the practical difference between the two main roles you will hire, our guide on crowd controller vs security guard breaks it down in plain terms.
Do guards need an RSA for licensed-venue work?
Yes. Where alcohol is sold or served, security staff working that environment need their Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) competency in addition to their security licence.
This matters because crowd control at a licensed venue is closely tied to alcohol service - monitoring intoxication, supporting refusal of service, and managing entry and exit. A guard who understands RSA works with your bar team rather than against them, which is exactly the kind of calm, coordinated floor that keeps a licence safe. If you are weighing up who does what around alcohol, RSA marshal vs crowd controller is a useful read.
What should you check before you hire a security company in NSW?
Use this short checklist before you engage any provider. It takes a few minutes and removes the biggest risks.
- Master Licence is current and unrestricted. Confirm the company holds a valid Master Licence with no restrictions, and check its status with NSW Police SLED.
- Every guard holds a current individual licence. Each operative on site should hold their own current Class 1 (or relevant) licence - ask to see them.
- RSA where alcohol is served. For licensed-venue and event work involving alcohol, confirm guards hold current RSA competency.
- The provider can document this. A professional operator will give you licence details readily and without fuss.
A provider who handles these questions calmly and clearly is showing you how they will run your site. Security is operational risk management, not bouncer culture - and licensing is the first, non-negotiable layer of that. Calm holds the room, and licensed, well-supervised people are what make that calm dependable.
How to choose the right provider
Licensing tells you a provider is legal to operate. It does not, on its own, tell you they are the right fit for your venue or event. For that, weigh experience, supervision, planning and how well they understand your specific risk.
Our guide on how to choose a security company in NSW walks through the full decision. You can also explore our services, including venue security, event security, static guarding and mobile patrol.
When you are ready, the best first step is a free site visit. Through our CONTROL Method we assess your risk and prepare a written operational plan before anything else - so you know exactly who is on your site and why. Request a free site visit and we will start with the plan.