The Private Security and Investigative Services Branch (PSISB) is experiencing unexpected and unique challenges, including an increased volume of licence applications prompted by the upcoming G8 and G20 Summits. To help ensure that those licences that expire during the period leading up to the Summits are renewed despite this higher than normal volume, the Ministry has taken the following action.
The PSISB has made recent amendments to Regulations under the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005 (PSISA). The affected Regulations are the Term of Licences Regulation, the Registration Requirements for Business Entities Regulation and the Training and Testing Regulation.
These amendments ensure that existing licences with expiry dates from June 14, 2010 to June 30, 2010 may receive a 30 day extension, in the event that the Branch has not been able to process the application prior to the licence’s expiry. This provision applies only to those applications received by the Branch prior to their licence expiry date and which the Branch has not been able to process. This provision applies to individuals, licensed agencies and registered business.
For example, if the Branch receives an application on June 15, 2010 for a licence that expires on June 29, 2010 and the Branch is unable to process the application prior to June 29, 2010, the licence is automatically extended to July 29, 2010.
Individuals affected by this process will receive their plastic licence with the extended July expiry date. The expiry date will not revert back to the original June date.
The amendments also ensure that affected licensees will not have to take and pass the mandatory test until they renew their licence in 2011.
The Branch will continue its efforts to ensure that all applications are processed as quickly as possible, however these amendments will ensure that licensees with imminent expiry dates are able to continue to provide security services at this critical time.
Finally, these amendments only relate to licences with an expiry from June 14 to June 30, 2010. They do not allow for a 30 day extension to be applied to licences with expiry outside of these dates. We strongly encourage licensees to submit their application at least 30 days prior to their licence expiry date to ensure that the Branch has adequate time to process their renewal.
