# Pilotiko for private security agencies

> For Quebec private security agencies: shifts at client sites, licensed agents, the employee register and replacements on one virtual office. What Pilotiko does.

Updated on October 15, 2026 · https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/security-agencies

Pilotiko helps a security agency cover its shifts: each shift is recorded with the site address, no agent can be placed on two overlapping shifts, and a replacement is proposed based on declared skills, including licence type, and current hours. The official register required by Quebec's Bureau de la sécurité privée stays yours.

## In short
- An agency must hire agents holding the appropriate licence and keep a register of everyone carrying out private security activities [1].
- That register must be kept at least two years after employment ends [1].
- A guarding licence requires at least 70 hours of training, including 16 hours of CNESST-recognized first aid [2].
- Automatic SMS confirmations and reminders are being commissioned: nothing is sent yet.

## What does the Bureau de la sécurité privée require of an agency?

Quebec's Bureau de la sécurité privée (BSP) lists the obligations attached to an agency licence [1]. They include:

- posting the licence, or an official copy, legibly and in plain view at every establishment;
- paying annual fees no later than 60 days before the licence anniversary date, with the BSP sending an annual statement at least 100 days before;
- reporting in writing, without delay, any change that could affect the licence's validity;
- keeping an up-to-date register, at the main establishment in Quebec, of everyone carrying out private security activities: name, date of birth, activity, licence number, hire and end dates, retained at least two years after employment ends;
- hiring agents who hold the appropriate licence.

## What training does an agent need for each activity?

The BSP sets out the training required by sector [2]. For scheduling, that's essential data: an agent trained for guarding isn't automatically licensed for investigation.

| Activity | Required training | What assignment must check |
|---|---|---|
| Guarding | At least 70 h: 30 h on setting, role, legislation and standards; 24 h on emergency procedures; 16 h of CNESST-recognized first aid | Valid guarding licence |
| Investigation | 135-hour CEGEP course, or a police technology DEC or security bachelor's under 5 years old | Investigation licence |
| Locksmithing | Locksmithing DEP or recognized equivalent | Locksmithing licence |
| Transport of valuables | Firearms handling and use-of-force training from an ENPQ-qualified instructor | Valuables transport licence |
| Electronic security systems | No specific training required by the Act, though other bodies may require some | Declared skill |

## How many guards does it take to cover a post around the clock?

**Calculation: one guarding post covered day and night, all year**

- Hours to cover per week (24 × 7) : 168 h
- Hours worked per full-time guard per week : 40 h
- Guards needed with zero absence (168 ÷ 40) : 4.2
- Absence hours to replace per year (vacation, sick days, training), assuming 8% : about 700 h
- 8-hour shifts to replace per year (700 ÷ 8) : about 88
- **= More than 4 full-time guards for a single post, and close to 90 replacement shifts to fill each year, in this example.**

## How does Pilotiko organize a security agency?

The [virtual office](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/product/virtual-office) splits the agency into rooms: dispatch, client sites, investigation, admin. Each agent has a desk with their shifts; a shift with nobody on it shows up as urgent in the dispatch room.

Each shift is recorded as a booking: client site, address, start and end time. An agent can't hold two overlapping shifts, and their declared availability is respected.

For a replacement, Pilotiko proposes free agents with the declared skill, such as licence type or knowledge of the site, taking their scheduled hours into account. Overload is flagged with numbers; a skills mismatch is refused unless the dispatcher explicitly overrides it.

- An [AI agent](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/product/ai-agents) can list next week's shifts that still have no one assigned, along with eligible agents; you approve every assignment.
- Reports show hours per agent, per client site, and replaced shifts.
- The agency's website, hosted by Pilotiko, presents your services and areas and can display your agency licence number.

## What doesn't Pilotiko do yet?

> SMS confirmations and reminders are being commissioned: the code exists, but no SMS goes out yet, to clients or to agents. Patrol route optimization across several sites and an AI receptionist for incoming calls are planned for later, with no date promised.

## How should you handle your agents' information?

The register the BSP requires holds personal information: date of birth, licence number, employment dates [1]. Quebec's Bill 25 applies, and the Commission d'accès à l'information can impose administrative monetary penalties of up to $10 million or 2% of worldwide turnover [3]. Pilotiko doesn't need a date of birth to schedule a shift; keep your official register where it's kept.

The same December evenings often bring a [caterer](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/caterers) and a security agency to the same event. To protect your devices and data, see our page on [IT support firms](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/it-support).

Like a [driving school](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/driving-schools), the agency checks that a person holds the right authorization before scheduling them; like a [repair shop](https://app.pilotiko.com/en/solutions/auto-repair-shops) in November, it lives through peaks where every available hour counts.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Pilotiko replace the employee register the BSP requires?

No. The official register must be kept according to BSP requirements, at your main establishment in Quebec. Pilotiko organizes shifts, replacements and reports.

### Does Pilotiko check an agent's licence with the BSP?

No. The BSP has its own verification tools. In Pilotiko you declare the licence type as a skill, and assignment takes it into account.

### Can we stop an agent from working two overlapping shifts?

Yes. A person can't hold two overlapping bookings; the calendar refuses the conflict.

### Do agents get their shifts by text?

Not today. Pilotiko's SMS sending, confirmations and reminders, is being commissioned: the code exists, but the sending provider isn't connected. Agents check their shifts in Pilotiko.

### Does Pilotiko plan patrol rounds across several sites?

Route optimization isn't built yet. You can record each site visit as a booking with its address.

### Can an AI agent assign a guard to a shift without sign-off?

No. The AI agent proposes; an assignment that affects an employee and a client waits for a person's approval.

## Sources

1. Bureau de la sécurité privée, « Obligations reliées au permis d'agence », https://www.bspquebec.ca/fr/17/obligations-reliees-au-permis-d-agence (accessed on 2026-10-15)
2. Bureau de la sécurité privée, « Quelles sont les formations requises », https://www.bspquebec.ca/fr/72/formations-requises (accessed on 2026-10-15)
3. Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec, « Principaux changements apportés par la Loi 25 », https://www.cai.gouv.qc.ca/protection-renseignements-personnels/sujets-et-domaines-dinteret/principaux-changements-loi-25 (accessed on 2026-10-15)