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From 1 Jan 2026, existing Security Agencies (SAs) will receive one unified notification letter to inform them to renew their licence and prepare for the Security Agency Competency Evaluation (SACE) assessment. The Police Regulatory Department (PRD) will send this letter about six months before the SA’s licence expires.

Existing SAs must submit their application to renew their licence via the GoBusiness licensing portal and the SACE assessment will commence only after the SA has submitted the application. New SA-applicants must also prepare for SACE once they apply for a licence.

The SACE assessment will take about four months. Licence grants may be delayed or rejected if the SA does not undergo and/or pass SACE within the required timeframe. SAs are thus advised to prepare for SACE once they apply for a new or renewed licence.

Apart from passing SACE, licence grant is subject to SAs meeting all other licensing requirements. We wish to remind you that it is an offence to operate an SA without a valid licence under the Private Security Industry Act 2007.

From 1 July 2026 onwards, the licence tenures and fees will be revised as follows:

• New Application/Renewal for Dormant SA: one (1) year licence at $355 if SA passed selected Core Competencies
• Renewal – three (3) year licence at $812 if SA passed all Core Competencies
• Renewal – five (5) year licence at $1,270 if SA passed all Core and at least seven Elective Competencies

SAs may apply for and/or renew their licences at GoBusiness portal at (https://licensing.gobusiness.gov.sg/licence-directory/spf/security-agency-licence).

Please note that there will be legislative changes to the Private Security Industry (Private Investigation and Security Agencies) Regulations 2009 with effect from 15 Sep 2025.

The changes include the change in reporting requirements with respect to changes of business names and officers, i.e. directors and partners, of security agencies.  For change of directors/partners and change of business name, licensees should update ACRA directly within 14 days of the change, and there is no longer a requirement to inform PRD if this had already been done. You may refer to the SPF's website for more details.  

Alternatively, you may refer to the amended legislation which is available online.

New

This is for persons who wish to apply for a Security Agency Licence.

You may submit a new Security Agency Licence via GoBusiness portal

Renew

This is for persons who wish to apply to renew an existing Security Agency Licence.

You may submit your renewal of Security Agency Licence via GoBusiness portal

Amend Licence Details

You can amend the following information of your existing Security Agency licence:

1. Business operating address or details of branch office
2. Details of Director / LLP Manager or Partner / Officer Bearer
3. Contact details
4. Employment or termination of licensed Security Officer
5. Security Officer's employment grade
6. Deployment site

Cancellation of Licence

You are permitted to terminate your existing Security Agency licence any time before its expiration.
Please be informed that there will be no refund of licence fees upon cancelling the existing Security Agency licence.

Withdrawal

You can withdraw your application for a Security Agency Licence any time before licence approval.
If licence has been approved and issued, you will have to submit a request to cancel the licence.

Licensing Criteria for Security Agency

To be eligible for a new Security Agency’s licence or a renewal of an existing licence, the business entity must meet the following criteria:

Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) Registration

• A registered business entity with ACRA

Company Directors/Partners

• There must be at least 2 directors/partners
• All directors/partners must be fit and proper persons¹
• The directors/partners of the business entity must fulfill the following requirements:

 Security Agencies Competency Evaluation (SACE)

Unless exempted by the Licensing Officer, applicants must pass the Security Agencies Competency Evaluation (SACE) conducted by the Police Regulatory Department and the Ministry of Manpower, to be eligible for an SA licence.

For first time applicants (“FTAs”)

• FTAs must pass the three (3) stipulated core competencies (C1, C2 and C6) to be eligible for a 1-year licence. FTAs are not eligible to opt for elective competency assessment.

For licence renewals (for existing SAs with licence expiring on or after 1 July 2026)

• Applicants who pass all ten (10) prescribed core competencies are eligible for a 3-year licence; or
• Applicants who pass all ten (10) prescribed core competencies and are assessed to be competent in at least seven (7) elective competencies (with at least one from each of the four categories) shall be eligible for a 5-year licence.
• SAs with any exemptions granted would only be eligible for a 1-year licence renewal

Useful links

More information on SACE

Other Requirements

• An initial paid-up capital⁴ of SGD$500,000
• A physical office
• Certified with bizSAFE Level 2 for new Security Agency's licence, and bizSAFE Level 3⁵ for annual licence renewal.

¹Sections 21(8) and 21(9) of the Private Security Industry Act 2007 states:

In deciding whether a person or an officer^ of a business entity is a fit and proper person, the licensing officer may consider any of the following matters as indicating that the person or officer may not be a fit and proper person:

1. that the person or officer associates with a criminal in a way that indicates involvement in an unlawful activity;
2. that in dealings in which the person or officer has been involved, the person or officer —
   • has shown dishonesty or lack of integrity; or
   • used harassing tactics;
   • that the person or officer is or was suffering from a mental disorder; or
   • that the person or officer is an undischarged bankrupt or has entered into a composition with his debtors.

The above mentioned shall not limit the circumstances in which a person or an officer of a business entity may be considered by the licensing officer not to be a fit and proper person.

^“officer”, in relation to a business entity, means —

1. a director, partner, member of the board of management, chief executive, manager, secretary or other similar officer of a business entity that is a body corporate;
2. a partner of a business entity that is a partnership; or
3. a president, secretary, or any member of the committee of management of a business entity that is an unincorporated association (other than a partnership), or any person holding a position analogous to that of president, secretary or member of a committee, and includes a person who can control or substantially influence the conduct of the affairs of the business entity.

²A director/partner who is not a Singapore Citizen or a Permanent Resident of Singapore shall submit a Certificate of Non-Criminal Conviction (CNCC) from their country of origin.

³Foreign directors who do not hold a work pass issued by MOM and are not based in Singapore may seek approval from the Licensing Officer for exemption from the requisite WSQ certification requirement. The business entity is required to submit the necessary documents, including a letter of undertaking to affirm that their foreign directors are not issued with Singapore work passes (work visas) and not involved in the daily management of the security agency.

⁴The requirement of initial paid-up capital is only applicable to First Time Applicants (FTAs). The requirement is not applicable to existing licensed SAs when they apply to renew their licences.

⁵Existing security agencies must attain a minimum of bizSAFE Level 3 for licence renewal.

Amend Licence Details

You are required to obtain the following documents before amending your existing Security Agency licence.

Cancellation of Licence

No document is required.

Withdrawal

No document is required.

Estimated time to Complete

15 min

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