PI Licencing

[Ceptor]

Hi everybody, I am currently looking at starting my Cert 3 and am just curious over a few things.  When I get my licence is it compulsory for me to work for 12 months under a full PI licence holder?  The information I have read seems to conflict a bit, reason being, I hold a current Security Master Licence  , and was looking at adding Investigations to my list of services offered.  Can I apply to add it to my current licence, and work for myself as I would be a Master Licence holder? or do I have to wait 12 months before I can work for myself?
 

[bradellis]

Hi Ceptor,

As licensing requirements vary from state to state, if you can confirm what state you are from ?

It may help some of the investigators on the forum who work in your state to assist you.

Cheers !

[chrisr]

Hi everybody, I am currently looking at starting my Cert 3 and am just curious over a few things.  When I get my licence is it compulsory for me to work for 12 months under a full PI licence holder?  The information I have read seems to conflict a bit, reason being, I hold a current Security Master Licence  , and was looking at adding Investigations to my list of services offered.  Can I apply to add it to my current licence, and work for myself as I would be a Master Licence holder? or do I have to wait 12 months before I can work for myself?

If you're in NSW, the answer is no - as a probationary licence holder you must be supervised by a full licence holder. It is prohibited for a probationary operator licence holder to directly contract/sub-contract work other than as an employee, and also unlawful for a master licence holder to contract work to you other than as an employee.

If you wanted, you could register a company ($450 or so), get it a 1-10 employee master licence ($900 or so), and use that to 'in effect' work for yourself.. but this is not recommended. Probationary licences are as much about ensuring you actually know what you're doing as anything else.. PIing is not as easy as just doing a course, the practical learning is equally important imho.

[Ceptor]

Hi, yes am in NSW.  I looked at the SLED website, and it says I can get an Owner Operator Licence, weather I hold an operator licence or not, but i need to hire a full licenced investigator if i wish to do the work.  Seems a bit backwards to me compared to the Security side of things.  With full time investigator gigs near impossible to obtain on a Probationary Licence, I guess my only option is to get the Masters Owner Operator 1-10 employee option, and then if I get any investigation work under my company, to hire a full licenced investigator to do the job with me as the "learner".

[chrisr]

Hi, yes am in NSW.  I looked at the SLED website, and it says I can get an Owner Operator Licence, weather I hold an operator licence or not, but i need to hire a full licenced investigator if i wish to do the work.  Seems a bit backwards to me compared to the Security side of things.  With full time investigator gigs near impossible to obtain on a Probationary Licence, I guess my only option is to get the Masters Owner Operator 1-10 employee option, and then if I get any investigation work under my company, to hire a full licenced investigator to do the job with me as the "learner".

While the SLED website might say that, the reality is they won't give you an owner/operator master licence unless you hold (or are eligible to hold) a full operator licence for the activities you want on the master licence.

E.g., if you are only eligible for probationary IP/SP, you won't be given a master licence in those categories. As an owner operator, you can't even hire another operator to supervise you, unless they have a master licence and you effectively sub-contract to them. A messy situation and not one that you'd likely find many takers for.

If you look at the wording of the legislation..

16 Probationary licences

(1) An individual’s first operator licence is a probationary licence, and has effect for one year from the date on which it is granted.
(2) An individual’s first operator licence is to be issued subject to a condition to the effect that the licensee may carry out the activities authorised by the licence only under the supervision of the holder of a master licence or the holder of an operator licence that is not subject to such a condition.

.. it says you can be supervised by a master licence holder, or a full operator licence holder. If you get a master licence 1-10 for a corporation, then that corporation can supervise you, as it is a master licence holder. This remains true, even if you are the only director/shareholder/employee of said corporation.

However my first comments are the most important ones - the supervision requirement isn't just intended to annoy new entrants to the industry. It's supposed to make sure they know what they're doing and not f..k things up

[Ceptor]

Just curious, at the end of the 12 months probation what happens then ? Do you have to prove you have done PI work ? If so how many hours of it are required to gain a full operators licence?

At this stage it is looking for me like the best option would be to obtain the coporations masters, then employ investigators, as I do not have time working full time and running my security business part time to be able to work full time or even part time for anyone else as an Investigator at this stage.

[David]

If you do not have time to even work part time as an investigator then I am wondering on what basis you feel you should be an investigator at all?

[chrisr]

Just curious, at the end of the 12 months probation what happens then ? Do you have to prove you have done PI work ? If so how many hours of it are required to gain a full operators licence?

At this stage it is looking for me like the best option would be to obtain the coporations masters, then employ investigators, as I do not have time working full time and running my security business part time to be able to work full time or even part time for anyone else as an Investigator at this stage.

When you renew your licence after the first year, you apply for an unrestricted operators licence. One of the documents you need to provide with your renewal application is a reference of some description confirming your work in the probationary activities that you're now seeking a full licence for. It need not be anything fancy, but you still need to provide a legitimate reference or your application might be canned.

But I have to agree with David's comments too - if you don't have time to even work part time as an investigator for someone else, why are you seeking an operator's licence? Just get a corporate master licence, don't bother with an operator licence, and employ investigators to do the work for that side of the business..

[Ceptor]

I dont have time to do it part time as I work fulltime, and run my own security business on the side part time, I was looking at ways to expand my security business in offering more services. 

The corporate master licence seems to be the best option, and hiring Investigators to do any PI work I might obtain, I would still like to complete my PI licence though.