Security Guard Insurance
Security Guard businesses face a variety of risks. However, you are in good hands! Coverscope specialises in the security sector.
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Security Industry Insurance
A generic Public Liability policy often doesn’t cover the claim security firms actually face most: an allegation of excessive force. Getting security and crowd control cover right means knowing exactly where standard policies fall short, and what needs to be added back in.
Does Public Liability cover excessive force claims?
Often not automatically. Across the insurance market generally, Public Liability and General Liability policies commonly carry an assault and battery exclusion or sublimit, and physical restraint or removal, exactly what security and crowd control work involves, is the claim type this exclusion is built around. A policy can look comprehensive on its face and still not respond to the incident a security firm is statistically most likely to face.
Confirm in writing, before you need it, whether assault and battery, use of force, and wrongful detention are explicitly included in your policy rather than assumed. Crowd control at licensed venues is commonly treated as its own distinct underwriting question, not an automatic inclusion alongside general security liability, so it’s worth confirming this specifically if crowd control is part of your operations.
How much Public Liability cover does a security business need?
Most security and crowd control operators carry between $10 million and $20 million, with the higher end typically required for licensed venues, large events, and government or corporate contracts. Venues and head contractors generally specify the minimum directly in the services agreement, so the right figure is usually set by the client, not by the security business’s own risk assessment alone.
What other cover does a security business need?
| Cover type | What it responds to |
|---|---|
| Professional Indemnity | A claim that security consultancy, risk assessment, or planning advice was negligent, distinct from claims arising from physical guarding |
| Cyber Liability | Costs of responding to a data breach involving CCTV footage, access logs, or client premises information, and notification obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) |
| Loss of Keys | The cost of rekeying or replacing locks across a client site if keys or access credentials are lost, a gap Public Liability doesn’t fill since no third party is necessarily injured |
| Cash in Transit | Loss, theft, or damage to cash or valuables while being physically transported, separate from general Public Liability |
| Commercial Motor | Patrol vehicles, alarm response cars, and cash-in-transit vehicles, including third-party liability, since a personal motor policy typically excludes business use |
Professional Indemnity and Cyber Liability address advice-based and data-based exposure. Loss of Keys and Cash in Transit address specific asset-handling risk unique to this industry. None of these substitute for Public Liability, since each responds to a genuinely different type of claim.
We Cover
- Guarding
- Patrols
- Alarm response
- Cash in transit
- Bodyguarding
- Traffic control
- Private investigation
- Alarm installation
- ATM response
- Security system installation
- CCTV installation
- Debt collectors
- Concierge
- Firearms
- Guard dogs
- Security consultants
- Crowd control
- Maritime security
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Is security guard and crowd control work licensed in Australia?
Yes, in every state and territory, and there’s no jurisdiction where you can lawfully work unlicensed. Licensing sits with a different regulator in each state, and crowd control is typically its own licensed activity, separate from general static guarding.
| State/territory | Regulator |
|---|---|
| NSW | NSW Police (SLED) |
| Victoria | Victoria Police (LRD) |
| Queensland | Office of Fair Trading |
| Western Australia | WA Police |
| South Australia | Consumer and Business Services |
| Tasmania | Dept of Justice (CBOS) |
| ACT | Access Canberra |
| NT | NT Licensing Commission |
NSW consolidated its licence codes on 1 June 2023, merging the separate “Unarmed Guard” and “Crowd Controller” licence subclasses into a single Class 1A (Security Officer) licence. This changed the licence code, not the activity itself: crowd control is still the term used for the function, in NSW and every other state, it’s just no longer its own separate licence number in NSW.
A security guard’s actual legal power to use force is no greater than any member of the public’s citizen’s arrest and self-defence rights under general state criminal law, not something granted by the security licensing Acts themselves. Courts assess whether force was reasonable and proportionate to the situation, not whether the guard believed it was necessary at the time, which is exactly why the assault and battery question above matters so much more than the licensing question for insurance purposes.
What usually isn't covered?
Exclusions, excesses, and liability limits vary between insurers, but Public and Products Liability policies in this industry commonly exclude:
- Assault and battery, unless specifically included or endorsed
- Cost of rectifying faulty workmanship
- Damage to your own equipment or vehicles
- Claims by employees (covered separately under Workers’ Compensation)
- Claims arising from the use of a registered motor vehicle (covered separately under Commercial Motor)
- Claims related to asbestos
Case study
One night, while on patrol duty, a security guard was involved in an altercation with an intruder at a client’s premises. The intruder was injured and brought a claim alleging negligence and excessive use of force. This is exactly the fact pattern an assault and battery exclusion can leave uncovered: a business holding what looks like adequate Public Liability cover can still face the full legal defence cost and any settlement itself, if that specific exclusion wasn’t checked and addressed before the claim arose.
Do security guards need their own Public Liability insurance if their employer has a policy?
An employer’s policy typically covers the business; individual guards, particularly contractors, should confirm they’re covered under it or need their own arrangement, since gaps between an employer’s policy and an individual’s actual work can leave a guard personally exposed.
Does insurance cover a security guard's use of firearms?
Not under a standard policy. Firearms use is typically excluded from general Public Liability cover and needs a specific firearms liability endorsement, separate from the firearms licensing requirements under each state’s Firearms Act.
Is crowd control considered higher risk than static guarding for insurance purposes?
Generally, yes. Crowd control carries a higher likelihood of physical contact and use-of-force claims than static guarding, which is why insurers and venues commonly require higher Public Liability limits and explicit assault and battery cover for crowd control contracts specifically.
Do I need a licence in every state I operate in?
Generally yes, since each state and territory runs its own Act and regulator. Some jurisdictions offer mutual recognition of licences held elsewhere, but this doesn’t apply universally, so check the specific state’s requirements before assuming your licence carries across borders.
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