To work as a private investigator in Ontario you must hold a licence under the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005 (PSISA). The Act is administered by the Ministry of the Solicitor General; the official information page is at ontario.ca/page/security-guard-or-private-investigator-licence-individuals. This article walks through every eligibility requirement and application document, grounded in the PSISA and Ontario Regulation 363/07.
Who must hold a PI licence in Ontario?
Anyone whose paid work consists primarily of conducting investigations in order to provide information must be licensed as a private investigator under the PSISA. The Act applies regardless of job title or employer type: an individual freelancer and a business entity both need their own licence to operate legally. Working without a licence is a prohibited act under the Act and carries significant fines.
What is the minimum age?
The minimum age is 18 years old. The PSISA sets this as a hard eligibility threshold for any individual applicant. If a licensee ceases to meet any eligibility requirement after their licence is issued, they must return the licence to the Registrar within five business days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays).
Is a clean criminal record required?
Yes, a clean criminal record is a mandatory requirement for every applicant, both individuals and business entities. Under the Act, a clean record means you have not been convicted of a prescribed offence under any of the listed statutes, which include the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and the Cannabis Act. A pardon issued or granted under the Criminal Records Act (Canada) can restore a clean record.
When you apply, you must file a declaration listing all convictions and findings of guilt under any law of Canada for which a pardon has not been granted, plus all unpaid fines for provincial offences. You must also give consent for the Registrar to collect information on those matters.
Do you need to be a Canadian citizen?
No. Citizenship is not a requirement. Individual applicants must be entitled to work in Canada, which covers Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and others with valid work authorization. This requirement is specific to individual applicants: the Act does not impose it on business entity applicants directly, though their officers, directors, and partners are each subject to the declaration process.
What training must you complete?
Before booking the ministry’s licensing test you must complete all prescribed training and obtain a Training Completion Number (TCN) from your approved training provider. The TCN is required to schedule your test appointment through Serco DES Inc., the ministry’s test-delivery agent. Training covers both the law tested on the exam (the PSISA and Code of Conduct, privacy statutes, and Criminal Code arrest and use-of-force rules) and the practical-skills topics addressed in your course.
What documents does the application require?
Individual applicants must supply all of the following:
- A mailing address for service in Ontario: the first procedural requirement under the Act
- Proof of age: showing you are at least 18
- Proof of entitlement to work in Canada: confirming your work authorization
- Proof of completing all prescribed training and testing: your TCN satisfies this
- A signed declaration: covering all Canadian-law convictions without a pardon, and all unpaid provincial fines
- Consent: for the Registrar to collect information on the declared matters
Business entity applicants face an additional layer: the declaration and consent must cover the entity itself and every officer, director, and partner. Applicants applying for a licence to carry on the business of selling PI services must also provide proof of insurance.
What else can the Registrar request?
Beyond the standard documents, the Registrar may require:
- Fingerprints
- A photograph
- A criminal record and judicial matters check under the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015
- Consent to investigate your immigration status in Canada
- Any other information or material the Registrar considers necessary to determine whether you meet the eligibility requirements
These are discretionary requests, not part of every application; the Registrar asks for them when circumstances warrant.
What is the licensing test and what does it cost?
After your application is approved you must pass the ministry’s written licensing test: 60 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes. You book through Serco after receiving your TCN. The test fee is CA$35.00 plus 13% HST, totalling CA$39.55 per attempt. Results are typically available within five business days.
The exam focuses on the law the PSISA and Code of Conduct set out, privacy statutes (PIPEDA, FIPPA, and MFIPPA), and the Criminal Code’s arrest and use-of-force rules. Those are exactly the subjects the Ontario Private Investigator Test app covers: hundreds of cited practice questions and timed mock exams built from the same legislation, so you can drill the rules before your appointment.