Armed Security Guard: Who Can Carry a Firearm in Quebec

Under the federal regulation on authorizations to carry (up to date as of October 19, 2026), an armed security guard can carry a handgun at work in only three cases. The only one that concerns private security is the protection of cash or valuables. In Quebec, the armed guard is therefore almost always an armoured transport guard. The job itself is described in our article on armoured transport. Here we cover the three authorizations you need, their conditions, their cost and the decree premium.

This article is for information only and is not legal advice. It describes no shooting or intervention technique.

Can a guarding agent be armed in Quebec?

Not for an ordinary guarding job. Section 20 of the Firearms Act allows a person to be authorized to carry a restricted firearm or a handgun outside the place where it is kept if they need it to protect their life or the life of others, or for use in connection with their lawful profession or occupation.

Section 3 of the Authorizations to Carry Restricted Firearms and Certain Handguns Regulations limits the lawful occupation to three cases:

1. the person's principal activity is handling, transporting or protecting cash, negotiable instruments or other goods of substantial value, and the firearm is required to protect their life or the life of others
2. the person works in a remote wilderness area and the firearm is required to protect their life or the life of others from wild animals
3. the person is a licensed trapper.

A guard who watches a shopping centre, an office tower or an event fits none of these cases. Only the first one matches a private security job, the transport of valuables.

The three authorizations you need

The armed guard holds one provincial authorization and two federal ones.

1. The BSP licence

The Private Security Act makes the transport of valuables a separate activity (section 1, paragraph 5) with its own class of agent licence (section 17). The conditions of section 19 apply to every class. You need the required training, good moral character, to be at least 18 years old and no criminal conviction connected with the activity, unless pardoned.

According to the BSP page on required training, instructors qualified by the École nationale de police du Québec offer this training directly to licensed valuables transport agencies. You therefore ask those agencies. The general steps are on our BSP licence page.

2. The possession and acquisition licence (PAL)

The RCMP requires first-time applicants to pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course before applying for a PAL. For restricted firearms, you must also pass the course specific to them. Each course ends with a written test and a practical test. You find a qualified instructor in your area through the RCMP.

In Quebec, a person who applies for a PAL to acquire a restricted or prohibited firearm includes form SQ-3007 (in-person deposit) from the Sûreté du Québec. An application by an adult aged 18 or over also requires two references.

3. The authorization to carry

Under section 4 of the regulations, the chief firearms officer issues an authorization to carry for the protection of valuables only if they decide that the person has successfully completed training in marksmanship and the use of force suited to the firearm and the circumstances. The firearm must also be suitable for those circumstances.

The conditions attached to the authorization

Section 6 of the regulations sets the conditions of an authorization to carry for a lawful occupation:

• only one firearm carried at a time, even if the authorization covers several
• the firearm carried in a holster
• notice to the chief firearms officer when the person changes employer or stops the activity
• a uniform worn for the protection of valuables.

Section 7 allows the authorization to be revoked if the possession licence expires or is revoked, if the person's physical or mental condition has deteriorated to the point of endangering their safety or the safety of others, or if they stop the activity for which the authorization was issued. A refusal or revocation is given in writing, with reasons (section 8).

How much do the PAL and the authorization to carry cost?

The Firearms Fees Regulations (up to date as of October 19, 2026) set these amounts:

A person who holds a paid occupational authorization to carry of one year or less does not pay for other authorizations they apply for for the same use within the following twelve months (section 17). These fees do not include the price of the safety courses.

The decree premium for armed work

The Decree respecting security guards defines a weapon as a firearm (section 1.01). Its P-6 premium, paid to a guard working with a weapon, is $2.50 an hour (section 4.07). When the decree applies to the job, it is added to the base rate in force since June 28, 2026.

The base rate will rise to $21.10 (class A) and $21.35 (class B) on July 4, 2027. The P-6 adds up with the other premiums, explained in the decree premiums many guards do not claim.

A name that can stay out of the public register

The BSP register is public (section 81 of the Private Security Act). A valuables transport agent licence holder can however ask that their information remain confidential, if they show that disclosing it would likely harm their activities. The register itself is explained in our article on the BSP register.

The use of force, armed or not, remains governed by the Criminal Code. The principles are in our article on the use of force by a security guard.

Frequently asked questions

What is the salary of an armed security guard?

In Quebec, when the decree applies, the armed guard earns at least the base rate plus the P-6 premium of $2.50 an hour. Since June 28, 2026, that means at least $23.10 an hour in class A and $23.35 in class B. Other premiums can be added, such as the night premium.

Is carrying a firearm allowed in Quebec?

Carrying a handgun on your person is allowed only with a federal authorization to carry. It is issued to protect your life or the life of others, under strict conditions, or for one of the three lawful occupations in the regulations. A guarding job is not one of them.

What are the conditions for an authorization to carry?

You first need a possession licence for restricted firearms. For occupational use, you need an activity listed in the regulations, such as protecting valuables. You also need training in marksmanship and the use of force, then a suitable firearm. The authorization then requires a holster, one firearm at a time and a uniform.

How much does an authorization to carry cost in Quebec?

Under the federal fees regulations, an occupational authorization to carry costs $40 for one year or less and $80 for more than one year. A PAL for restricted firearms costs $80. The safety courses are paid separately.

How do you get an authorization to carry?

You pass the Canadian safety courses, apply to the RCMP for a PAL (with form SQ-3007 in Quebec), then apply to the chief firearms officer for the authorization to carry. For an armed guard job, the training required by the BSP goes through the valuables transport agencies.

How do you become a security guard?

For guarding, you pass the 70-hour training and then get the BSP licence. The full path is on our become a security guard page. Armed work also requires the valuables transport licence and the federal authorizations.

Sources

• Authorizations to Carry Restricted Firearms and Certain Handguns Regulations (SOR/98-207), sections 2 to 8, Justice Canada (up to date as of October 19, 2026).
• Firearms Act (S.C. 1995, c. 39), section 20, Justice Canada (up to date as of October 19, 2026).
• Firearms Fees Regulations (SOR/98-204), section 17 and schedules 1 and 3, Justice Canada (up to date as of October 19, 2026).
• Safety courses, Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
• Apply for a firearms licence, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (modified January 15, 2026).
• Private Security Act (CQLR, c. S-3.5), sections 1, 17, 19 and 81, LégisQuébec (up to date as of October 15, 2026).
• Formations requises (required training), Bureau de la sécurité privée (in French).
• Decree respecting security guards (CQLR, c. D-2, r. 1), sections 1.01 and 4.07, LégisQuébec (up to date as of July 1, 2026).