Event security guard in Quebec: festivals, shows and sports

An outdoor festival, a show in an arena, a game on a Saturday night: every large gathering needs people at the entrance and in the crowd. Working as an event security guard attracts many students and people looking for shifts outside office hours. Before accepting a contract, though, you need to know what the law requires, which licence to hold and which pay rules apply. Here are the essentials, checked in the official texts.

What does a security guard do at an event?

The tasks vary with the site and the client, but the same main blocks almost always come up:

• Access control: checking tickets, wristbands or accreditations, guarding restricted areas (stage, backstage, dressing rooms, technical area) and directing people to the right gate.
• Bag checks: looking at the contents of bags at the entrance to spot items prohibited by the organizer.
• Crowd management: watching the density in front of the stage, keeping aisles and exits clear, spotting a crush before it gets out of hand.
• Prohibited items: applying the organizer's list (glass containers, alcohol brought in, dangerous objects, etc.) and calmly explaining the refusal.
• Intoxicated people or people in distress: spotting someone who is not doing well, directing them to first aid and calling emergency services if needed.
• Evacuation: knowing the exits, following the site's emergency plan and guiding the public if the event has to be interrupted (thunderstorm, alert, fire).

Within the meaning of the Decree respecting security guards, all these tasks fall under "security work": watching or protecting persons, property or premises, searching, directing traffic, preventing theft, fire and vandalism (section 1.01, paragraph 20).

Bag searches: only with consent

A security guard has no general power to search. At the entrance to an event, bag checks rest on consent: it is a condition of entry set by the organizer. The person can refuse. The guard can then refuse them access, but cannot search by force. We explain the limits of your powers (arrest, search, force) in our article on citizen's arrest and the powers of a security guard.

Do you need a BSP licence, even for a one-night contract?

Yes. The Private Security Act covers "security guarding", meaning watching or protecting persons, property or premises, mainly to prevent crime and maintain order (section 1). Any person who carries on that activity must hold an agent licence of the right class (section 16). The Act provides no exception for a short contract: a single night of paid security work requires a licence, issued by the Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP), Quebec's private security regulator.

Only people who carry on these activities as volunteers are excluded from the Act (section 2, paragraph 8). A volunteer who helps greet people at a festival is therefore not covered. A paid guard is.

To get the regular licence, you must, among other things, be at least 18, have taken the training required by regulation, be of good moral character and have no criminal record related to the activity, unless pardoned (section 19). The regular licence is valid for five years (section 21). All the steps are detailed on our page how to get the BSP security guard licence.

The temporary licence for a special event

The Act also allows the BSP to issue a temporary licence for a maximum term of 120 days (section 22). The BSP specifies that it can be used, among other things, to supply temporary labour during a special event, such as sports or cultural activities. This licence comes with obligations: remaining under the responsibility of the employer for which it was issued, working under the supervision of a regular licence holder of the same class, and not using it for other purposes. The employer organizes this type of application. A guard who wants to make a career of it is better off getting the regular licence.

Does a bar doorman do private security within the meaning of the Act?

Watching the entrance of a bar and maintaining order there matches the definition of security guarding. Everything then depends on who employs you:

• Doorman supplied by a security agency: the doorman carries on a private security activity and must hold a security guarding agent licence, like any other guard (section 16).
• Doorman hired directly by the bar: the Act provides a special rule. When a person works exclusively for an employer whose business is not to offer security, the person must hold a licence only if security is their main activity (section 16, second paragraph).

The BSP illustrates this rule with a store that employs its own loss prevention officers: the store does not need an agency licence, but its officers must have a licence because their main task is security. By analogy, a doorman whose work consists mostly of watching the entrance and maintaining order should hold a licence, even if the bar pays them. A server who occasionally checks ID at the door is in a different situation. If in doubt, ask the BSP directly.

For a doorman hired directly by a bar, the security guards' Decree does not apply: it excludes employees who do security work exclusively for the needs of their own employer (section 2.03, paragraph 5). The general labour standards then apply.

Which rules of the Decree apply to event work?

If you work for a security agency, the Decree respecting security guards applies everywhere in Quebec (sections 2.01 and 2.02). Our guide to the security guards' Decree explained presents all the rules. Here are the ones that matter most for event work.

Most event guards are on call: the agency offers you shifts according to its clients' calendar. The 4-hour rule then applies: if you are called in for a game and sent home after two hours, you are entitled to 4 paid hours. Write down your arrival and departure times at every shift.

The Decree also provides premiums, including the P-4 premium for first aid training. The amounts are detailed in our article on the Decree's premiums.

What are the schedules like in event security?

Events take place when the public is free: evenings, nights, weekends and statutory holidays. Summer concentrates a large share of the outdoor festivals, while sports and indoor shows are spread over the whole year. A few realities to expect:

• Irregular shifts: setup before opening, late closing, crowd exit after the last show.
• Outdoor work: heat, rain, long hours on your feet. Stay hydrated and plan for suitable clothing.
• Reports: every incident (injury, removal, item seized) is documented. Our incident report template will help you write a clear report.

What training is useful for festival and event security?

The basic training required for the licence remains the way in. Beyond that, the most useful training in event work is first aid: people feeling unwell, heat, intoxication and minor injuries are part of daily life on a large site. The Decree recognizes first aid, CPR and AED training of at least 16 hours, given by an organization recognized by the CNESST (Quebec's labour standards and workplace safety board) and taken within the last 3 years, for the P-4 premium (section 1.01).

How do you find event security contracts?

To work legally at a festival or an arena, you generally have to go through an agency that holds a security guarding agency licence: the Act requires every business that offers private security to hold one (section 4). A few leads:

• check that an agency holds a valid licence in the BSP's public register before you sign
• say clearly that you are available for on-call shifts, in the evening and on weekends
• highlight your licence, your first aid and your customer service experience in your security guard resume
• see our tips for finding a security guard job in Quebec.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work a single night as a security guard without a licence?

No, if you are paid. The Act requires an agent licence for any person who does security guarding, with no exception for short contracts. Only volunteers are excluded.

Can a guard search my bag at the entrance to a festival?

Only with your consent. If you refuse, the guard can refuse you entry, but cannot search your bag by force.

Does a bar doorman need a BSP licence?

Yes if the doorman is supplied by an agency. If hired directly by the bar, the doorman needs one when security is their main activity, which is generally the case for a doorman.

If my shift is cancelled when I arrive, am I paid?

If you work for an agency subject to the Decree and you reported at its request, you are entitled to an indemnity of 4 hours of wages (section 3.07).

Sources

• LégisQuébec: Private Security Act, sections 1, 2, 4, 16, 19, 21 and 22
• LégisQuébec: Decree respecting security guards, sections 1.01, 2.01 to 2.03 and 3.07
• Bureau de la sécurité privée: obtenir un permis temporaire d'agent
• Bureau de la sécurité privée: foire aux questions
• Justice Canada: Code criminel, section 494