Alberta Security Guard Study Guide (ABST) 2026

Getting a security licence in Alberta

Security guards in Alberta are licensed under the Security Services and Investigators Act. Licences are issued by Security Programs, which is part of Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services. You need a licence before you do security work, and you must work for a licensed security business or employer.

Who can apply

You must be at least 18 and eligible to work in Canada.
You must speak and write English at Canadian Language Benchmark level 5.
You must have no criminal record, no outstanding charges, and not be under criminal investigation.
You must pass an approved basic course and the provincial exam, or hold a valid security licence from another Canadian province or territory.

Steps to your licence

Take the Alberta Basic Security Training (ABST) course, or an accredited version, through an approved training provider.
Write the provincial exam and score 80% or higher. Your training certificate is emailed after Security Programs gets your results.
Get three police checks: a criminal record check, a vulnerable sector search and a local police database search. Ask for the employment type "security services". The documents expire 90 days after they are issued.
Get a passport-size colour photo, date-stamped by the photographer.
Apply at a registry agent that offers Security Programs services, or by mail. You cannot apply by email.
Carry your original licence card whenever you work, and give your employer a photocopy.

Licence	How long it lasts	Key points
Security service worker licence	2 years	Stays valid if you change employers or work for more than one
Temporary licence	60 days after approval	Available for in-person and mail applications
Training licence	30 days	Employer applies; not portable; you must be supervised

The licence fee is $100 for two years, and registry agents add a service charge. A security service worker cannot also hold a locksmith or automotive lock bypass worker licence.

The ABST course and the provincial exam

Every approved basic course must include the province's required content and end with the provincial exam. Expect questions on the security industry and its laws, arrest and use of force, basic security procedures, communication, notes and reports, evidence, emergencies, and health and safety.

The pass mark is 80%. Alberta's public pages do not state the number of questions or a time limit.
A proctor approved by the province supervises the exam. Proctors may not work for the training provider.
The province has a zero-tolerance cheating policy. Anyone caught cheating is removed and is not eligible for a licence.
If you fail, the published exam process lets you rewrite through your training provider within two years of starting the course.
People with strong related experience or training can ask the Registrar in writing to challenge the exam.

Rules on the job

Alberta's Security Programs Policy Manual explains how the Act and regulations apply day to day. These are the points most likely to come up.

Identification

Your licence card is your only formal identification. A badge is not legal ID, and only the province's approved badge may be used.
When asked, show proof of your licence unless it would put you in danger or stop you doing your duties. The public may have your name, licence number and employer's name.
Before an arrest, say out loud that you are security. Show your card afterwards if the person asks.
Report a lost or stolen licence within 24 hours.

Code of conduct

On duty you must act honestly, obey all laws and keep information confidential. You must not use unnecessary force, make false statements, behave in a disorderly way, or drink alcohol or use controlled substances.

Reporting to the Registrar

What happened	Deadline
You are charged with or convicted of a Criminal Code or other federal offence	Within 24 hours
You lose your licence card	Within 24 hours
Your address, name, contact details or training change	Within 30 days

You must file an incident report with the Registrar if you use a baton or other weapon, if anyone is seriously injured or killed, or if a patrol dog bites someone. Arrests, physical restraint and handcuffing must be recorded by your employer. Handcuffing with no other incident needs only that internal record.

Equipment

Your employer decides what equipment you may carry. To carry a baton you need employer approval and an approved 40-hour baton use-of-force course, re-certified every 36 months. Guards on a training licence may not carry handcuffs or batons, may not drive company vehicles, and must be supervised at all times by a licensee with at least 2 years of experience.

Private security companies in Alberta follow Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) when they collect, use or share personal information, including camera footage.

Alberta's trespass laws

Alberta has two trespass laws. The Trespass to Premises Act mainly covers buildings and the land around them. The Petty Trespass Act covers land such as yards, fields and fenced property.

Point	Trespass to Premises Act	Petty Trespass Act
How notice is given	Orally, in writing, or signs at each entrance normally used	Orally, in writing, or signs at normal access points and at fence corners
Land closed even without notice	None; notice is needed	Lawns, gardens, land for crops, animals or bees, and fenced or enclosed land
Arrest without warrant	Peace officer, owner or authorized representative	Peace officer, owner or occupier, or a person they authorize
After an arrest	Deliver the person to a peace officer as soon as practicable	The person may be taken without delay before a judge or justice of the peace; guards normally call police
Maximum fine, first offence	$10,000 and/or 6 months	$10,000 and/or 6 months

Under the Petty Trespass Act, a person must leave immediately when the owner or occupier tells them to.
Walking up an apparent path to a door for a lawful purpose is presumed not to be a trespass.
A person who gets permission to enter by false pretences is treated as a trespasser.
Later offences can bring fines of up to $25,000, and corporations can be fined up to $200,000.

Study tips for the Alberta exam

Learn the Alberta numbers: 18, CLB 5, 80%, 90 days, 2 years, 24 hours, 30 days, 40 hours and 36 months.
Know the difference between the two trespass acts and what happens after an arrest under each.
Practise the Criminal Code sections on arrest (494) and force (25, 26, 27, 34, 35) until you can explain them in your own words.
Do every practice set, then the mock exam, and review every question you miss.