Private Security Industry (Private Investigation and Security Agencies) Regulations 2009

No. S 167

Private Security Industry Act

(Chapter 250A)

Private Security Industry (Private Investigation and Security Agencies) Regulations 2009

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 39 of the Private Security Industry Act, the Minister for Home Affairs hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Private Security Industry (Private Investigation and Security Agencies) Regulations 2009 and shall come into operation on 27th April 2009.

Application for private investigation agency’s licence and security agency’s licence

2. Every application for a private investigation agency’s licence or a security agency’s licence shall be made using the electronic service provided by the licensing officer.

Private investigation agency’s licence

3. A private investigation agency’s licence shall be in Form 1 in the Schedule.

Fee for private investigation agency’s licence

4.—(1) The fee payable for a private investigation agency’s licence shall be $400.

(2) The fee payable for each copy or a replacement of a private investigation agency’s licence shall be $10.

Security agency’s licence

5. A security agency’s licence shall be in Form 2 in the Schedule.

Fee for security agency’s licence

6.—(1) The fee payable for a security agency’s licence shall be $400.

(2) The fee payable for each copy or a replacement of a security agency’s licence shall be $10.

Application for private investigator’s licence and security officer’s licence

7. Every application for a private investigator’s licence or a security officer’s licence shall be made using the electronic service provided by the licensing officer.

Fee for private investigator’s licence and security officer’s licence

8.—(1) The fee payable for a private investigator’s licence or a security officer’s licence shall be $16.

(2) The fee payable for each copy or a replacement of a private investigator’s licence or a security officer’s licence shall be $10.

Submission of information to licensing officer under sections 8 and 16 of Act

9. Where a person is required under section 8(3) or 16(3) of the Act to inform the licensing officer of the employment or termination of employment of a licensed private investigator or a licensed security officer (as the case may be), the information shall be submitted to the licensing officer using the electronic service provided by the licensing officer.

Submission of information to licensing officer under sections 9 and 17 of Act

10. Where a person is required under section 9(1) or 17(1) of the Act to inform the licensing officer of the employment or termination of employment of any person other than as a private investigator or a security officer, the information shall be submitted to the licensing officer using the electronic service provided by the licensing officer.

11.—(1) A licensed private investigation agency or a licensed security agency shall at all times maintain an up-to-date register of all persons employed by it as a private investigator or as a security officer.

(2) A licensed security agency shall at all times maintain an up-to-date register of all places in which the security officers employed by it are deployed for work.

(3) The registers referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be maintained by the licensed private investigation agency or licensed security agency, as the case may be, in the appropriate form and manner provided under the electronic service provided by the licensing officer.

Change of particulars

12.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a licensee shall, not later than 14 days after the date of any change taking place in any of the particulars that were declared by the licensee in his application for a licence, inform the licensing officer in writing of the change.

(2) Where a licensee who has changed his residential address makes a report not later than 14 days after the date of the change under section 8 of the National Registration Act (Cap. 201), he shall be deemed to have informed the licensing officer of the change in his residential address in compliance with paragraph (1) so far as that paragraph applies to residential addresses.

Transfer of licence to new partners in partnership

13.—(1) Where —

(a)	a licence is granted to a partnership (referred to as the original partnership);
(b)	there is a change in the original partnership as a result of a new partner or new partners joining the original partnership (whether or not accompanied by any change in the existing partners of the original partnership); and
(c)	the licence is to be held for the purposes of the original partnership,

the licensee shall apply to the licensing officer for the licence to be transferred to the new partnership using the electronic service provided by the licensing officer.

(2) An application under paragraph (1) to transfer a licence to a new partnership shall be accompanied by —

(a)	a fee of $40; and
(b)	such other particulars, information and documents of the new partner or partners as the licensing officer may require under the Act and these Regulations.

(3) An application under paragraph (1) to transfer a licence to a new partnership shall be regarded as an application for the grant of a fresh licence to the new partnership.

Change of directors in companies or partners in limited liability partnerships

14. Where a licensee is a company or a limited liability partnership, the licensee shall, not later than 7 days after the date of any change in the particulars of its directors or partners that were declared by the licensee in his application for a licence, as the case may be, notify the licensing officer of the change using the electronic service provided by the licensing officer.

Request for information

15. The licensing officer may, at any time by notice in writing, require a licensee to furnish him, not later than 14 days after the date of the notice, with any information the licensing officer may require concerning the licensee’s business or employees.

16. [Deleted by S 437/2022 wef 01/06/2022]

No change of name without approval of licensing officer

17.—(1) A licensed private investigation agency or a licensed security agency shall not change the name under which its business is carried on without first obtaining the approval in writing of the licensing officer.

(2) A fee of $20 shall be payable for approval of a change of name under which the business of a licensed private investigation agency or a licensed security agency, as the case may be, is carried on.

(3) An application for the licensing officer’s approval under paragraph (1) shall be submitted using the electronic service provided by the licensing officer.

Prescribed forms for electronic service

18.—(1) The forms prescribed for —

(a)	an application in respect of any licence;
(b)	the submission of information under section 8(3), 9(1), 16(3) or 17(1) of the Act;
(c)	an application for a transfer of a licence under regulation 13;
(d)	a notification of a change in the particulars of the directors or partners of a company or a limited liability partnership, as the case may be, under regulation 14; and [S 437/2022 wef 01/06/2022]
(e)	[Deleted by S 437/2022 wef 01/06/2022]
(f)	an application for approval to change the name under which the business of a licensed private investigation agency or a licensed security agency is carried out under regulation 17,

made using the electronic service provided by the licensing officer shall be the electronic forms provided in that electronic service at http://www.spf.gov.sg/licence.

(2) In the event of a malfunction or failure of the electronic service provided by the licensing officer —

(a)	an application for a private investigation agency’s licence or a security agency’s licence shall be made in Form 3 in the Schedule;
(b)	an application for a private investigator’s licence or a security officer’s licence shall be made in Form 4 in the Schedule;
(c)	the submission of information under section 8(3), 9(1), 16(3) or 17(1) of the Act shall be in such form and manner as the licensing officer may determine;
(d)	an application for a transfer of a licence under regulation 13 shall be in such form and manner as the licensing officer may determine;
(e)	a notification of a change in the particulars of the directors or partners of a company or a limited liability partnership, as the case may be, under regulation 14 shall be in such form and manner as the licensing officer may determine; and [S 437/2022 wef 01/06/2022]
(f)	[Deleted by S 437/2022 wef 01/06/2022]
(g)	an application for approval to change the name under which the business of a licensed private investigation agency or a licensed security agency is carried out under regulation 17 shall be in such form and manner as the licensing officer may determine.

Surrender of licence

19. Where a licence is revoked by order of the licensing officer under section 24(1) or (7) of the Act, the licensee shall, not later than 14 days after the date of the revocation order taking effect, surrender the licence to the licensing officer.

Issue, display and surrender of Identification Card

20.—(1) The licensing officer may issue an Identification Card in such form as he may determine to a licensed private investigator or a licensed security officer.

(2) A licensed private investigator must, when carrying out his functions as a private investigator —

(a)	carry his Identification Card with him; and
(b)	produce the Identification Card whenever requested to do so by any person. [S 437/2022 wef 01/06/2022]

(2A) A licensed security officer must, when carrying out his functions as a security officer —

(a)	carry his Identification Card with him; and
(b)	either wear the Identification Card on his person in a manner where the particulars on the Identification Card are clearly exposed to view or, if instructed by his employer not to wear the Identification Card for operational reasons, produce the Identification Card whenever requested to do so by any person. [S 437/2022 wef 01/06/2022]

(3) Where the licence of a private investigator or a security officer is revoked or suspended by order of the licensing officer under section 24(1) or (7) of the Act, the licensee shall, not later than 14 days after the date of the revocation or suspension order taking effect, surrender his Identification Card to the licensing officer.

Equipment

21. A licensed private investigation agency or a licensed security agency shall not issue to its employees or permit them to use any uniform, badge, emblem, two-way radio communication equipment, handcuffs, truncheon, siren, mechanical or electronic device or other equipment without first obtaining the prior approval in writing of the licensing officer.

Protection of information

22. No person shall, otherwise than in the performance of his duties or in the course of his business of a licensed private investigation agency or licensed security agency, as the case may be, reveal any information of a private or confidential nature which was acquired by him or which came to his knowledge in the course of his duties as a private investigator or as a security officer or as a licensee or an employee of a private investigation agency or a security guard agency.

Security transportation

23.—(1) If a licensee holding a security agency’s licence wishes to provide security transportation as a service, he shall, before commencing to provide the service, notify the licensing officer in writing that he intends to provide such a service.

(2) [Deleted by S 756/2017 wef 01/01/2018]

(3) In this regulation —

[Deleted by S 756/2017 wef 01/01/2018]

“security transportation” means the transportation of cash, gold, jewellery or other valuables by whatever means.

(4) For the purposes of this regulation, a person shall be deemed to be providing security transportation if he furnishes or provides or notifies or states that he is willing to furnish or provide or in any way holds himself out to the public as ready to furnish or provide security guards for the transportation of cash, gold, jewellery or other valuables for or in consideration of any remuneration.

Application for approval under section 11 of Act for certain security assignments

24. An application for approval to carry out any security assignment under section 11 of the Act shall be made to the licensing officer in writing in Form 5 in the Schedule.

False statements, etc.

25. Any person who —

(a)	in any application, form, document, return or notice submitted by him to the licensing officer under regulation 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 23 or 24; or [S 437/2022 wef 01/06/2022]
(b)	in any register required to be maintained by him under regulation 11,

makes any statement which is false or furnishes any particular which is false or knowingly omits to furnish any particular which is required to be furnished shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.

[S 756/2017 wef 01/01/2018]

Photographs and fingerprints

26.—(1) The licensing officer may, at any time, require the taking and recording of photographs and fingerprints of persons applying for a licence and of every person employed by a licensee or seeking employment with a licensee.

(2) Any person employed by a licensee or seeking employment with a licensee (other than as a secretarial, clerical or other staff of a similar kind) and who refuses to comply with the requirement referred to in paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.

[S 756/2017 wef 01/01/2018]

Offences

27. Any person who —

(a)	contravenes regulation 11(1), (2) or (3), 12(1), 14, 17(1), 19, 20(2), (2A) or (3), 21, 22 or 23(1); or [S 756/2017 wef 01/01/2018] [S 437/2022 wef 01/06/2022]
(b)	fails to comply with the requirements of a notice under regulation 15 which has been served on him,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.

[S 756/2017 wef 01/01/2018]

Security service providers not subject to Regulations

28. These Regulations shall not apply to any holder of a security service provider’s licence or an applicant for the grant or renewal of such a licence, and any reference in these Regulations to a licence or licensee shall be construed as not including such a licence or a holder thereof.

Revocation

29. The Private Investigation and Security Agencies Regulations (Cap. 249, Rg 1) are revoked.

Made this 23rd day of April 2009.

BENNY LIM

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Singapore.

[MHA(PS)10/4/001; AG/LEG/SL/250A/2008/1 Vol. 1]

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