Security and Guarding Services Industry Authority
1. What kind of company is required to apply for an SCL?
All companies supplying individuals to do security work for another person for reward must hold a valid SCL. Any person other than a company acting under and in accordance with a valid SCL who supplies, agrees to supply, or holds himself out as supplying any individual to do security work for another person for reward commits an offence under the Security and Guarding Services Ordinance (SGSO).
2. How to apply for an SCL?
All SCL applications should be made to the Security and Guarding Services Industry Authority (the Authority). Application forms can be obtained from the Authority Secretariat office at Room 813, 8/F, Kowloon East Government Offices, 12 Lei Yue Mun Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, or downloaded from the Authority’s website: http://www.sb.gov.hk/eng/links/sgsia/scl.html#forms
The completed application form together with the supporting documents (Please see Question 3) can be returned in person, by post or through GovHK webpage to the Authority. An application fee is payable on application for the issue or renewal of a licence.
More details regarding the application procedures can be viewed in the "How to apply for a Security Company Licence" 
section in SGSIA’s website.
For enquiries, please contact the Authority’s Secretariat at 2801 6181.
3. What are the documents that need to be enclosed during application?
Application for new issue of SCL:
(i) the completed application form; and
(ii) a photocopy each of the following documents of the applicant company and companies mentioned in Q.8 of the application form (preferable to facilitate processing of the application).
(a) the Certificate of Incorporation;
(b) all Certificates of Incorporation on Change of Name;
(c) current Business Registration Certificate; and
(d) Branch Registration Certificate
Application for renewal of SCL:
(i) the completed application form; and
(ii) a photocopy each of the current Business Registration Certificate and Branch Registration Certificate of the company (preferable to facilitate processing of the application).
4. How long will the application process take?
Under normal circumstances, the application process takes about 3 months. However, the processing time varies from case to case.
5. Can a company incorporated overseas apply for an SCL?
Under the SGSO, a "company" means a body corporate –
(i) incorporated under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622);
(ii) incorporated under a former Companies Ordinance as defined by section 2(1) of the Companies Ordinance (Cap 622); or
(iii) incorporated by any other Ordinance.
A body corporate incorporated under the law of a foreign country will not be a "company" for the purpose of the SGSO unless it is also incorporated under Cap. 622 or any other Ordinance of Hong Kong.
6. Can a residential address be used as the registered address for an applicant company for an SCL?
No. According to the "Matters to which the Security and Guarding Services Industry Authority shall have regard when determining an application for a security company licence", the applicant company should have a place of business, the size, layout and facilities of which is commensurate with its scale and nature of operations.
7. Can a company assign or transmit its own SCL to another company?
No. According to the SGSO, an SCL shall not be assignable or transmissible in any way.
8. Would the paid licence fee be refunded if an SCL ceases to be valid?
No. According to the SGSO, if for any reason a permit or a licence ceases to be valid, no part of the fee paid shall be refunded.
9. When will the issuance of electronic security company licence be officially implemented?
The Security and Guarding Services (Licensing) (Amendment) Regulation comes into effect on 1 July 2023. The Authority will issue electronic security company licence (e-Licence) on the same day onwards.
10. Will the issued paper licence become invalid immediately after the implementation of e-Licence?
A licence is normally valid for five years. Upon implementation of e-licensing, those paper licences that were already issued will remain valid until the expiry date or until the Authority issues e-licence to the licence holder (whichever is earlier). Starting from 1 July 2023, the Authority will no longer issue any paper licence. All security company licence, regardless of its types of security work, shall be issued in electronic format. During the transitional period, those issued paper licence and electronic licence will be equally valid. In order to enable the switching of issued paper licence to electronic format be processed within a reasonable timeframe, there is no need for the licence holders to pay a visit to the SGSIA Secretariat every year for updating the payment records on the paper licence. The licence holder will receive an e-Licence on the same day when he/ she returns the paper licence to the Secretariat after settling the annual fee for next anniversary.
11. How will e-Licence be issued?
The e-Licence will be authenticated by the digital signature of Secretary of the Authority, and issued in Portable Document Format (PDF) to eligible licence holders via the email address provided. To facilitate the issuance of e-Licence, it is the responsibility of licence holders to provide an accurate and valid email address to the Authority in order to receive an e-Licence.
12. What are the differences between e-Licence and a paper licence?
Both paper SCL and e-SCL have listed out the basic information of the licensed company, including the licence number, company name, address, validity period and licence conditions. The major difference is that e-Licence does not contain a table for recording information of annual payment. There is no need for security company licence holders to visit the Secretariat every year for updating the paper licence. According to the current arrangement, licence holders are required to pay the prescribed annual fee each year during the validity period of the licence. Any failure to pay the prescribed annual fee will automatically lead to revocation of the licence on the day following the due date for payment. It is illegal for a company to continue to provide security guarding services without a valid licence. The implementation of e-Licence will not affect the existing licensing conditions and requirements.
13. The prescribed form of e-Licence no longer record the information of annual payment. How can a member of the public identify whether or not the company has settled its annual fee and holds a valid licence?
A licence is normally valid for five years. Licence holders are required to settle the annual fee on or before each anniversary years (i.e. the same date of the issue of licence in the following anniversary years). Any failure to pay the prescribed annual fee will automatically lead to revocation of the licence on the day following the due date for payment. Upon the implementation of e-Licence, members of the public may view the licence conditions, record of digital signature and its validity through the webpage of the Authority. Public may turn on the camera of mobile devices via the webpage of the Authority (e-SCL verification) to scan the QR code on e-Licence, or choose to upload the screenshot of QR code to the website. The Secretariat will also update the list of licensed security companies on the Authority’s webpage regularly to facilitate the viewing by the public.
14. After an e-Licence has been issued, how should a licence holder handle the paper licence? Can the company keep both paper licence and e-Licence at the same time?
Licence holders are not allowed to hold a paper licence and an e-Licence at the same time within the validity period of a security company licence. If a licence holder is arranged to switch to e-Licence within the validity period of the licence, he/she may make an appointment with the Secretariat and return the paper licence for an e-Licence after settling the annual fee. The Secretariat will issue an e-Licence to the licence holder via the email address provided, on the same day when he/ she returns the paper licence. Since the original paper licence will expire once the renewal application becomes effective, it is not necessary for the licence holder to return the original licence to the Secretariat. As the licence holders who applied for replacement due to lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed of their paper licence, it is also not necessary for them to return it to the Secretariat. The Secretariat will issue a replacement e-Licence to the licence holder via the email address provided upon the settlement of prescribed payment.
15. Upon the implementation of e-licensing, should the company visit the Secretariat in person to update their e-Licence if there are changes in their company particulars displayed on the licence?
16. According to current arrangement, licence holders may apply to the Authority for a replacement if any licence has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed. A replacement of the licence may be issued after settlement of the prescribed fee ($130). Upon the implementation of e-licensing, will the prescribed fee be waived since the Secretariat can resend the e-Licence through email?
After the implementation of e-licensing, licence holders are still required to apply for a replacement with the Authority under S.25A of SGSO if their licence has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed. The Secretariat will conduct relevant checking and verify the record before submitting the application for the consideration of the Authority. If the Authority is satisfied with the application, a replacement e-Licence will be issued via the email address provided on payment of the prescribed fee as stipulated in SGSO. As there is no difference in the procedure and requirement for the Secretariat to process application of replacement for both paper licence and e-Licence, licence holders are still required to settle the prescribed fee. The replacement licence will be issued with an update date, which is different from the issue date of the original e-Licence to differentiate between the two licences.
17. Upon the issuance of e-Licence, how can the company fulfill the licence condition of display the licence “in a prominent position inside its principal place of business”?
The Authority has suitably amended the relevant licence condition to “Display this licence or a paper copy of an e-licence in a prominent position inside its principle place of business” to facilitate the implementation of e-licensing. Licence holders may choose to display the e-Licence on electronic devices or print out the e-Licence with unlimited number of copies.
For enquiries, please call us at 2801 6181, fax to us at 2537 5118, email to us at 9ceffeb1effbeff5fddceffeb2fbf3eab2f4f7 or visit our office at Room 813, 8/F, Kowloon East Government Offices, 12 Lei Yue Mun Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon.
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