First Day as a Security Guard in Quebec: What to Bring
BSP licence, uniform, post orders, questions for the supervisor, first pay: the new security guard's guide to starting off right.
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Is your first day as a security guard coming up? Whether you are a new security guard fresh out of training or a beginner changing agencies, good preparation saves you a lot of missteps. Here is what to bring, how arrival at the site goes, which questions to ask the supervisor and how to check your first pay under the Decree.
What should you bring on your first day as a security guard?
The most important item is your BSP agent licence. The Regulation respecting standards of conduct of agent licence holders carrying on a private security activity (s. 2) requires the guard to show the licence when a person asks the guard to identify themselves and to carry any prescribed identification. The Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP), Quebec's private security regulator, says so as well: the public can ask a guard to show their licence. Keep it on you for the whole shift.
Your checklist:
- ☐ your BSP agent licence (or temporary licence)
- ☐ a piece of photo ID
- ☐ a small notebook and two pens, to write down instructions, names and times
- ☐ a flashlight, especially for an evening or night shift
- ☐ clothing suited to the weather (warm layers, spare socks), if part of the post is outdoors
- ☐ comfortable shoes, if the employer does not require safety footwear
- ☐ a meal and snacks, with a bottle of water: many posts have no restaurant nearby
- ☐ your charged cellphone and its charger
- ☐ the exact address of the site, the name of the person to meet and the dispatcher's number.
Does your licence expire in less than a year? See the fees and renewal deadline for the BSP licence.
Who provides a new security guard's uniform?
For agency guards covered by the Decree, it is the employer. Under section 8.02 of the Decree respecting security guards, the employer pays for the uniform and equipment it asks you to wear, except socks, belts and footwear. If it requires safety footwear, it provides it. Each year, it provides at least 4 shirts and 2 pairs of pants and, if the duties call for it, a winter coat with a hood as well as a raincoat and a rain hat.
No deduction from your pay is allowed in connection with this uniform and equipment. At the end of employment, however, you will have to return every item provided. If the agency does not provide you with a uniform, the Decree provides for the P-9 premium of $0.15 an hour. The other premiums are explained in our article on the premiums in the security guards' Decree.
How does on-site training work?
Basic training taught you the trade. The first day is for learning this particular site. In general, an experienced guard or a supervisor goes with you. Expect to:
- Read the post orders: what the client expects, authorized access, the rounds to do, what is forbidden.
- Tour the premises: entrances, emergency exits, alarm panel, fire extinguishers, risk areas, spots where cell reception is poor.
- Review the emergency procedures: fire, evacuation, alarm, injured person, intruder. Find out who to call and in what order.
- Learn to keep the logbook: the book or app where rounds, visitors, keys and events are recorded.
Take notes. If an incident occurs, you will have to describe it factually: our security guard incident report template shows how.
Which questions should you ask your supervisor?
- My schedule: which shifts, which days, and how am I told about changes?
- My breaks and my meal: section 3.12 of the Decree provides for a 30-minute paid meal period for each 5-hour work period, whether or not you are allowed to leave your post. Ask how it is taken at this site.
- Who to call: supervisor, dispatcher, client contact, by night as well as by day.
- The written orders: where are they, and can I keep a copy or reread them at any time?
- The equipment: radio, keys, access cards, and who to hand them to at the end of the shift.
Will you be working nights? Our tips for coping well with night work as a security guard will help.
How do you check your first pay?
Since June 28, 2026, the Decree's minimum rate is $20.60 an hour for Class A and $20.85 for Class B (s. 4.07). The employer can pay more, never less. Applicable premiums are added to this rate.
Section 4.06 of the Decree requires the employer to give you, with your wages, a pay stub that lets you check the calculation. Among other things, it must show:
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Employer's name, your name and your status | The right status (regular A-01, part-time A-02, trial A-03 or casual A-04) |
| Payment date and work period | The period matches your shifts |
| Regular hours and overtime | All your hours are there, with those beyond 40 a week paid at the increased rate |
| Wage rate | At least $20.60 in Class A |
| Nature and amount of premiums | Night, P-9 if no uniform, etc. |
| Gross wages, deductions, net wages | No deduction for the uniform |
| Accumulated annual leave and sick leave percentage | The totals go up from one pay to the next |
Write down your hours yourself every day: it is the best way to spot an error. To estimate what is left after taxes, see a security guard's net pay in 2026. If there is a problem, the Comité paritaire des agents de sécurité (the parity committee that enforces the Decree) receives complaints, confidentially.
Which beginner mistakes should you avoid?
- Arriving exactly on time: allow 15 minutes to find the post and receive the handover.
- Improvising: when in doubt, follow the written order or call the supervisor.
- Forgetting the logbook: what is not written down did not happen.
- Spending the shift on your cellphone: the client notices everything.
- Overstepping your role: the guard must avoid any abuse of authority and must not use more force than necessary (s. 3 of the regulation respecting standards of conduct).
- Leaving your licence at home.
Is there a probation period and a notice of termination?
Yes. The Decree defines the “trial A-03 employee”: an employee who has not completed a trial period of 480 hours actually worked or 150 days (s. 1.01). It also sets the point from which notice applies. Section 3.08 requires the employer to give written notice before ending the employment or laying off for 6 months or more: 1 week with less than one year of continuous service, 2 weeks from 1 to 5 years, 4 weeks from 5 to 10 years and 8 weeks after 10 years. Under section 3.08.1, this notice does not apply to an employee who does not have 3 months of continuous service, nor in the case of a serious fault, a fortuitous event or the end of a fixed-term contract. The details are in our article on the security guards' Decree explained.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I have to show my licence if someone asks for it?
Yes. The regulation respecting standards of conduct requires the guard to show the licence when a person asks the guard to identify themselves.
Can my employer deduct the cost of the uniform from my pay?
No. Section 8.02 of the Decree forbids any deduction from wages in connection with the uniform and equipment provided.
Is my meal break paid?
Yes: 30 paid minutes per 5-hour work period, under section 3.12 of the Decree, even if you cannot leave your post.
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Sources
- LégisQuébec: Decree respecting security guards, sections 1.01, 3.08, 3.08.1, 3.12, 4.06, 4.07 and 8.02
- LégisQuébec: Regulation respecting standards of conduct of agent licence holders carrying on a private security activity, sections 2 and 3
- Bureau de la sécurité privée: foire aux questions
- Comité paritaire des agents de sécurité: salariés et plaintes