Registering security officers: who qualifies, and which grade

Everyone rendering a security service must be registered

Section 20(1)(a) of the Act is short and absolute: no person may in any manner render a security service for remuneration, reward, a fee or benefit unless registered as a security service provider. The only carve out is for the state Security Services contemplated in section 199 of the Constitution.

That means the guard at the gate, the control room operator, the armed response driver and the person who owns the company all need their own registration. An unregistered officer on your site is not an administrative oversight. It is an offence, and it is your problem as much as theirs.

Who qualifies under section 23

A natural person may be registered as a security service provider if they are a fit and proper person and meet every one of these:

• Is a South African citizen, or holds permanent resident status
• Is at least 18 years old
• Has complied with the prescribed training requirements
• Was not found guilty of an offence listed in the Schedule to the Act in the 10 years before applying
• Was not found guilty of improper conduct under the Act in the 5 years before applying
• Submits a clearance certificate if they are a former member of any military, security, police or intelligence force, in South Africa or anywhere else
• Is mentally sound
• Is not employed in the Public Service where that would conflict with the registration
• Has paid the application fee

Separately, section 23(5) bars anyone in the permanent employ of the police service, the Directorate of Special Operations, the National Intelligence Agency, the South African Secret Service, the defence force or Correctional Services from being registered while they hold that job. Moonlighting as a guard is not open to serving members.

PSiRA also has a discretion under section 23(6) to register an applicant on good cause shown, and under section 23(4) to refuse someone who is currently under investigation or being prosecuted for a Schedule offence, or who was convicted of one more than 10 years ago.

The citizenship rule, spelled out

This is the requirement that catches security employers hardest, so it is worth being blunt about it. A foreign national on a work visa cannot be registered as a security officer. Section 23(1)(a) allows only citizens and permanent residents. There is no category of work permit that satisfies it.

That is a materially stricter test than ordinary South African employment law, where a valid work visa is generally enough to employ somebody lawfully. In private security, a person can be perfectly entitled to work in the country and still be prohibited from doing this particular job. If you are used to hiring on the strength of a valid visa, this is the rule that will put unregistered officers on your roster without anyone intending it.

Check status before you make the offer, not after training has been paid for. Our free guard eligibility checker runs a candidate against section 23 in your browser, and the foreign workers guide covers the general right to work position for every other industry.

Grades E to A

PSiRA grades run from E at entry level up to A. Training is done at an accredited provider, and the industry convention maps the grades to roles roughly like this:

The grades are cumulative. To work as a security officer you complete E, D and C. To supervise or run a control room you add B. To hold senior management you add A. Note the practical consequence for anyone starting a company: every director must hold at least Grade B before the business can even apply, which is covered in the business registration guide.

The Act itself only requires that an applicant has complied with "the relevant training requirements prescribed". The role mapping above is how the industry uses the grades in practice rather than a list written into the statute, so treat it as a planning guide and confirm the specific unit standards with your training provider.

From 19 January 2026 PSiRA requires new entrants to complete a pre-registration step before security officer training, so check the current entry process with your provider before paying for a course.

What it costs

Individual fees on PSiRA's 2026/27 schedule, effective 1 April 2026.

Training is charged separately by the accredited provider and is usually the larger cost. The PSiRA fees above are only the registration side.

Checking that an officer is genuinely registered

A registration certificate and a PSiRA ID card can both be forged, and both regularly are. Verify rather than accept the card, particularly for anyone joining from another company or presenting a grade you are relying on.

PSiRA runs the register, and verification requests go to the Authority on 086 133 3850 or [email protected]. Ask for confirmation of the registration number, the grade and whether the registration is current, and keep the reply on file. If an inspector later finds an unregistered officer on your site, a written verification you obtained in good faith is worth considerably more than a photocopy of a card.

Registrations lapse. Certificates renew yearly and ID cards have their own renewal cycle, so a person who was properly registered when you hired them may not be now. Build a renewal date into your staff file the same way you would a contract expiry.

What goes wrong most often

Hiring on a work visa. Covered above, and the most expensive mistake on this page.

Assuming the training provider registered them. Completing Grade C is not the same as being registered with PSiRA. They are two separate steps and the second one is the one that makes the person lawful on your site.

Letting registrations lapse. A guard whose registration expired last month is, on the day of the inspection, an unregistered officer.

Missing the clearance certificate. Former police, military and intelligence members are not disqualified, but they must submit a prescribed clearance certificate. Applications from ex-members without it come back.

Frequently asked questions