In Ontario, private investigators and those working in other professions that offer investigative services must have an up-to-date license in order to legally perform their roles. After a private investigator license is approved, it remains valid for two birthdays following the issuance date.
Once your license expires, it must be renewed immediately if you are to continue providing relevant professional services. Unfortunately, many Canadians are unclear on the steps that need to be taken when a license renewal is required.
At Cancom Security, we pride ourselves on remaining in compliance with all provincial regulations. Rest assured, our team of private investigators must hold up-to-date licenses in order to work for us. Are you due for a private investigator license renewal in Toronto, Ontario? Continue reading to learn what is required to complete this process.
When you initially apply for a private investigator license in Toronto, there is a list of mandatory documents that need to be provided for approval. While many of these documents can be reused upon renewal, there are certain items that must be updated after a certain number of years have passed. For example, if the piece of ID that you have provided is a Canadian Department of National Defence Identification Card, this will need to be resubmitted in its up-to-date form every five years. Additionally, the photograph used for your license card or digital copy must be no older than six years. Finally, if the guarantor that you used for your initial license application was a licensed Ontario security guard or private investigator, they will need to provide proof of a current valid license in order to continue being your guarantor. This person will also need to sign and date a new document by hand no longer than 90 days before your renewal application is submitted.
In Ontario, those with expired private investigator licenses can easily apply for renewal using a convenient, online portal available through the Service Ontario website. The processing time for online applications is just 10 business days, which means working private investigators and security guards should apply a minimum of two weeks in advance before their current license expires. It is however, possible to submit your application for renewal as early as 90 days before the date of expiry. Provided that all physical documents are scanned clearly enough for government approval, you should receive a digital copy of your license via email, which you will then need to download and print to be kept on your person while on the job.
If you prefer to submit your renewal application by mail, it is important to be aware that processing and approval can take up to 30 days. After your renewal application is approved, it can take as long as eight weeks to receive your updated license card. Therefore, if you plan on renewing your license via mail, this should be done well in advance to avoid expiry while carrying out professional activities. Documents should be submitted in either their original form or as a high quality photocopy. Official government forms that need to be filled out can be found on the Service Ontario website. Payment can be made via mail by adding a bank draft, money order, or certified cheque to your stack of documents.
The cost of a private investigator license renewal in Ontario is $80 CAD. If you are submitting your application online, this fee can be paid using a secure online payment portal.
Our private investigators are required to complete their license renewal in Toronto, Ontario to continue working for us. Contact us to learn more about our trusted services.
