Security guard premiums in the Decree that many guards miss
Night, health care, first aid, customer service: the Decree's premiums, their conditions and how to check your pay so you lose nothing.
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The hourly rate is not the whole pay. The Decree respecting security guards also provides for hourly premiums that are added to the minimum rate of $20.60 (Class A, since June 28, 2026). Under the Decree, more than one premium can apply at the same time. Yet many guards miss out on a premium because a training course has expired, because a certificate was never given to the employer or simply because they do not know the premium exists. Here is the full list, the exact conditions and how to check your pay.
What are all the premiums in the security guards' decree?
The premiums are defined in section 1.01 of the Decree and their amounts are set in the table in section 4.07. These amounts are minimums. They are the same from June 28, 2026 to July 4, 2027 (and, except for P-13, since August 2, 2023).
| Premium | Exact condition under the Decree | Amount per hour |
|---|---|---|
| P-1 | Special firefighting training and member of the fire brigade at the request of the client or the employer | $0.35 |
| P-2 | Duties that involve using a radar, or authorization to issue statements of offence (parking or another law or by-law) | $0.55 |
| P-3 | Work in a health and social services institution, with crisis management training of at least 16 hours, given by an instructor recognized by the Crisis Prevention Institute and taken within the last 2 years (also paid in another sector if the client requires this training) | $2.00 |
| P-4 | 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 | $0.60 |
| P-6 | Work with a weapon | $2.50 |
| P-7 | The guard needs a shelter and must use their own car for that purpose | $3.00 |
| P-8 | Judicial or parajudicial sector (courts, courthouses, guarding detainees, witnesses or jurors), with use of force training of at least 20 hours, given by an instructor recognized by the A.P.A.S. and taken within the last 2 years (also paid elsewhere if the client requires it) | $2.00 |
| P-9 | No uniform supplied to the guard | $0.15 |
| P-10 | The client or the employer requires the ASP Construction certificate | $1.00 |
| P-11 | Hours worked between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. | $1.00 |
| P-12 | Customer service training of at least 4 hours, given by the A.P.A.S. or a school recognized by the Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP), Quebec's private security regulator, and taken within the last 2 years | $0.50 |
| P-13 | Work during a public health emergency declared by the government for the whole territory of Quebec | $2.00 |
Premium P-5 no longer exists: its paragraph is repealed and its row is marked "revoked" in the table. Premium P-13 is inactive as long as no public health emergency is declared.
What is the night premium for a security guard?
Premium P-11 is $1.00 an hour, only for hours worked between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. On a shift from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., four hours qualify. It does not depend on any training. The details (meals, overtime, safety) are in our article on the night security guard.
Which premiums depend on training that is still valid?
Four premiums stop as soon as the training passes its time limit. This is where the most dollars are lost.
- P-3 (crisis management): 16 hours minimum, taken less than 2 years ago
- P-4 (first aid, CPR, AED): 16 hours minimum, taken less than 3 years ago
- P-8 (use of force): 20 hours minimum, taken less than 2 years ago
- P-12 (customer service): 4 hours minimum, taken less than 2 years ago
In each case, the Decree requires a certificate issued by the instructor. Keep a copy and give one to your employer. Note the expiry date too: the day after the time limit, the premium no longer applies. On our site, registered guards get a reminder before their training expires. Create my profile
Premium P-3 and the hospital setting are explained in detail in our article on the hospital security guard.
Can the Decree's premiums be combined?
Yes. A Class A guard who works nights in a hospital, with up-to-date crisis management, first aid and customer service training, earns at least:
| Item | Amount per hour |
|---|---|
| Minimum rate, Class A | $20.60 |
| P-3 (health institution) | $2.00 |
| P-11 (night) | $1.00 |
| P-4 (first aid) | $0.60 |
| P-12 (customer service) | $0.50 |
| Total | $24.70 |
Over a 40-hour week worked entirely at night, the $4.10 in premiums comes to $164 more. If the crisis management training expires, the same guard loses $2.00 an hour, or $80 a week. Other combined profiles are compared in our article on the best-paid security guards.
Are premiums increased for overtime?
Only in part. Under section 3.04, overtime hours are paid with a 50% increase on the wage actually paid, excluding hourly premiums, except premiums P-4 and P-12, which are included in the calculation. The other premiums stay at the same amount, with no increase.
For the guard in the example: (20.60 + 0.60 + 0.50) × 1.5 = $32.55, plus P-3 and P-11 with no increase ($3.00), for $35.55 per overtime hour. The calculation of the regular workweek is presented in our article on the security guards' decree explained.
Who pays for the training that qualifies for a premium?
As a general rule, any training or renewal required by the employer or the client is at the employer's expense (wages as if at work, registration and other reasonable costs). Section 4.07 does provide two exceptions: training that allows the guard to qualify for work that gives the right to a premium, and training used to obtain or renew the agent licence. Training that opens the door to a premium can therefore remain at your expense, even when it is requested. Before you register, ask in writing who pays.
How do you check your premiums on your pay slip?
Section 4.06 requires the employer to give you, with your wages, a pay slip that lets you check the calculation. It must show in particular:
- the work period covered by the payment
- the number of hours paid at the regular rate
- the number of overtime hours and the increase applied
- the nature and amount of the premiums paid
- the wage rate, the gross wages and the net wages
Compare your night hours, your assignments and the dates of your certificates with each premium line. If a premium is missing, talk to your employer first, certificate in hand.
How do you claim an unpaid premium?
The Comité paritaire des agents de sécurité (the parity committee that enforces the Decree) oversees the application of the Decree. An employee can file a complaint with it, including through its online form. Complaints are confidential (section 24 of the Act respecting collective agreement decrees). Keep your pay slips, your schedules and your training certificates: they are your evidence.
Is there an evening or weekend premium?
No. The Decree provides no evening or weekend premium. Only the hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. qualify for the night premium. An employer can offer more, but nothing requires it. The full picture of pay is on our security guard salary page.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a security guard entitled to the P-11 premium?
Yes. In Quebec, a guard employed by a security agency is entitled to the P-11 premium of $1.00 an hour for each hour worked between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., under section 4.07 of the Decree. It does not depend on any training and is added to the base rate and to the other premiums. Hours worked outside that window do not qualify.
What is the P-12 premium for a security guard?
In Quebec, the P-12 premium is $0.50 an hour, under the Decree. It is paid to a guard who has taken, within the last 2 years, customer service training of at least 4 hours, given by the A.P.A.S. or a school recognized by the Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP). Under section 3.04, it is included in the overtime calculation.
Does my first aid premium stop if my training is more than 3 years old?
Yes. Premium P-4 requires training taken within the last 3 years. Once that time limit has passed, you have to renew it to get the $0.60 an hour back.
Can I receive premium P-3 outside a hospital?
Yes, if the client requires the crisis management training. The Decree then provides that the premium is also paid to the guard who works in another sector.
Can my employer pay me more than the Decree's premiums?
Yes. The rate and the premiums in section 4.07 are minimums. The employer cannot pay less, but can pay more.
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