How to Check Your Melbourne Security Installer Is Actually Licensed

Anyone can buy cameras. Fewer people can legally install them for you, and the rules in Victoria have changed twice in eighteen months.

If you are comparing quotes for a commercial security system, the licence check takes about three minutes and tells you more about the firm than the quote does.

The short answer

Private security work in Victoria is regulated under the Private Security Act 2004, administered by Victoria Police. Victoria Police maintains a public register of licence holders. Before you accept a quote, ask the installer for their licence number and check it against that register.

A business that hesitates at that question has already answered it.

What changed, and when

Three dated developments matter.

19 June 2025. Changes to the Private Security Act 2004 took effect. The most significant was the move away from the old registration system toward licensing.

19 June 2026. Registration holders had to have applied for a licence by this date. Where an application was lodged before the deadline, the registration stays in force until the licence is issued or the application is refused, so a firm can legitimately be mid-transition.

5 October 2026. Additional requirements began applying to the renewal of individual operator licences. Bodyguard, crowd controller and security guard licence holders now need an approved first aid course and approved refresher training. Holders whose work falls under other security activities, which is where security equipment installation and advice sit, need an approved first aid training course to renew.

Two smaller changes are useful to know when you are looking at a licence. New applicants are issued numbers beginning with the letter Z. Licences awaiting renewal now show on the public register as current, pending renewal, which is a normal status rather than a red flag.

Source: Victoria Police, Private security industry news, page updated 15 July 2026.

Why this matters more for security than for other trades

With most trades, an unlicensed operator is a quality and insurance problem. With security, there are three additional consequences.

Your insurer may care. Policy wording sometimes requires that security equipment be installed by an appropriately licensed party. If a claim is examined closely, the installer’s status can become relevant. Check your own policy wording rather than assuming.

Your footage may be challenged. Footage used in a prosecution or a disciplinary process can be questioned on how the system was installed, configured and maintained. A documented, licensed installation is harder to attack than an undocumented one.

They are inside your building. A security installer sees your floor plan, your camera blind spots, your alarm zones, your door hardware and often your codes. Licensing exists partly because that knowledge is sensitive.

How to actually check, in three minutes

1. Ask for the licence number in writing. Put it in the email thread with the quote. A legitimate firm supplies it without friction.
2. Check it on the Victoria Police public register. You can search by name or by licence number. The register shows the holder’s name, licence type and number, the activities they are authorised to carry out, and the expiry date.
3. Confirm the licence covers the work. This is the step most people skip. The register lists the specific activities each holder is authorised to carry out, so you can check that security equipment installation or advice actually appears against their name rather than assuming the licence is general.
4. Ask who is actually attending site. Larger jobs are frequently subcontracted. The licence that matters is held by the person on your roof, not only by the company that sent the quote.
5. Ask for a certificate of currency for public liability insurance. Separate from licensing, and equally worth sighting.

What to ask beyond the licence

Licensing is a floor, not a ceiling. It confirms someone is permitted to do the work. It does not confirm they will do it well.

Four questions separate firms quickly.

“Who maintains this after it is installed?” A system nobody services degrades quietly. Cameras drift out of focus, lenses get dirty, hard drives fail, and nobody notices until footage is needed.

“What happens if the manufacturer discontinues this product?” Firmware and support life matter more than the specification sheet.

“Are you tied to one manufacturer?” Independent advice and exclusive dealerships produce different recommendations. Neither is automatically wrong, but you should know which you are getting.

“Can you show me a comparable site?” Not a logo wall. A site of similar type and size, and what was actually done there.

The subcontracting question

This is the one most buyers miss.

A quote can come from a licensed company while the installation is performed by someone else entirely. That is not necessarily a problem. Specialist work such as pole installation, trenching or high-level access is routinely subcontracted and often should be.

It becomes a problem when nobody tells you, when the subcontractor is not licensed, or when the warranty sits with a firm that has no ongoing relationship with your site. Ask who attends, who holds the warranty, and who you call in eighteen months when something stops working.

Common misconceptions

“They have been doing it for years, so they must be licensed.” Longevity and licensing are unrelated. The June 2026 transition deadline specifically affected firms that had operated for years under registration.

“It is only cameras, so licensing does not apply.” Do not assume. Check which activities the licence covers rather than deciding for yourself which category the work falls into.

“The register is for guards.” It is a public register of persons and businesses licensed to carry out activities under the Private Security Act 2004, across activity types. Victoria Police states that members of the public should only engage operators who are appropriately licensed for the work.

“A licence means they are good at this.” It means they are permitted. Competence is a separate assessment, which is what the four questions above are for.

What to do next

If you are mid-comparison right now, do this before the next conversation:

• Email each firm and ask for their licence number and a certificate of currency.
• Check each number on the Victoria Police register.
• Ask each one who will physically attend site.
• Ask each one what maintenance looks like after handover.

The firm that answers all four quickly is usually the one that will still be answering the phone in two years.

Frequently asked questions

Does Forever Secure hold a Victorian security licence? Yes. Forever Secure operates under Security Licence 969-120-00S.

Does a licence cover both installing equipment and advising on it? Not necessarily. Security equipment installation and security advice are treated as distinct activities. Ask the installer which categories their licence covers.

What does “current, pending renewal” mean on the register? It means the licence is in force while a renewal application is being processed. Victoria Police notes that licences with a renewal application pending can remain listed past their expiry date, so this status is not a cause for concern on its own.

Why do some licence numbers start with Z? Victoria Police began issuing licence numbers beginning with Z to new applicants. An older number without a Z simply indicates an earlier licence.

Is an interstate licence valid in Victoria? Do not assume reciprocity. If the work is being performed in Victoria, confirm the Victorian position with Victoria Police rather than relying on an interstate credential.

The practical takeaway

The licence check is the cheapest piece of due diligence available to you, and it is the one most commercial buyers skip. It costs three minutes and it filters out a category of operator that a quote comparison never will.

Forever Secure is a licensed Melbourne firm operating under Security Licence 969-120-00S. Design, installation, monitoring and ongoing support sit with one local team rather than being split across several.

Book a free on-site security assessment or call 1300 232 152.