The PSIRA code of conduct explained: the rules officers and companies are actually disciplined under

Every registered officer and business agreed to it by registering. What it covers, how enforcement works and how to stay on the right side of it.

TenEight Team · 23 September 2026

The PSIRA code of conduct is the rulebook every registered security officer and security business has agreed to by registering, and it is the document PSIRA uses when it fines, suspends or deregisters. Most officers have never read it. Most employers know it exists and could not say what is in it. That matters, because the code decides what counts as misconduct on a post, what a company may and may not ask an officer to do, and what happens when a client complains.

Security officer's registration card clipped to a uniform pocket, the first thing an inspector checks on a site visit — Only registered people may work, at the grade the post requires, the most enforced rule in the code.

What the PSIRA code of conduct is

The Code of Conduct for Security Service Providers is issued under the Private Security Industry Regulation Act. It binds every registered security service provider (the businesses and the individual officers) and breaching it is a ground for PSIRA to take improper-conduct proceedings. Those proceedings can end in a warning, a fine, suspension of registration, or withdrawal of registration, which removes the right to work in the industry.

The code sits alongside the criminal law, the labour law and the Firearms Control Act rather than replacing them. An officer who assaults a member of the public faces the criminal courts and PSIRA. A company that underpays faces the Department of Employment and Labour and PSIRA.

The rules that come up most often

The code is long, but a handful of its provisions account for most of the cases:

Only registered people may work. A business may not employ, and an officer may not work as, an unregistered security officer. This is the most enforced rule in the code, and the one inspectors check first on a site visit. Grade matters too: an officer must be registered at the grade the post requires.

Lawful conduct on duty. Officers must act within the law and without unnecessary force. Assault, unlawful arrest, unlawful search, and use of a firearm outside the law are all breaches, and they are the breaches that most often lead to withdrawal of registration.

Honesty and integrity. Theft from a client or a site, collusion with criminals, false entries in the occurrence book, and false statements to PSIRA are all breaches, and false statements to PSIRA are treated seriously in their own right.

Sobriety and fitness for duty. Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs on duty is a breach, and employers are entitled to test.

Uniforms and identification. Officers must wear the uniform and carry the registration card. Uniforms may not resemble those of the police or the army.

Firearms. Firearms may be issued only to officers with the required competency and only for the purpose they are competent for, and businesses must keep firearm registers.

Improper-conduct hearing: a security officer and his representative seated across a table from a presiding officer in a plain boardroom — Complaint, investigation, charge, hearing, sanction, with a right of appeal.

Employer obligations. The code binds businesses to pay officers according to the sectoral determination, to register officers with PSIRA, to keep proper records, to supply uniforms and equipment, and not to deploy officers in a manner that breaches the law. A company that rosters an officer beyond the hours the determination allows is breaching the code, not just the determination.

Cooperation with PSIRA. Officers and businesses must produce documents and answer inspectors. Obstructing an inspection is itself a breach.

How complaints and enforcement work

A complaint is lodged with PSIRA, by a client, a member of the public, a fellow officer, an employer, or the police. Inspectors also open cases from site visits.
Investigation. PSIRA's inspectorate gathers statements and documents. The officer or company is notified and asked to respond.
Charge. If there is a case, PSIRA issues a charge sheet under the improper-conduct regulations.
Hearing. A presiding officer hears the matter. The accused may be represented and may call witnesses.
Finding and sanction. Not guilty, or guilty with a warning, a fine, suspension, or withdrawal of registration. There is a right of appeal.

An officer whose registration is suspended or withdrawn cannot be posted anywhere. Employers check the register, and a withdrawn registration shows.

What it means for officers

Read the code once. It is on PSIRA's website. Then keep three habits:

Record truthfully. The occurrence book entry you write is a document PSIRA can read. An honest entry about a mistake is a lesser breach than a false one.
Refuse unlawful instructions. A client or supervisor who tells you to search someone unlawfully, use force you cannot justify, or work unregistered is asking you to risk your registration for them.
Keep your registration and grade current. Most cases against officers involve a lapsed registration or a grade mismatch that the officer thought was the employer's problem. It is yours too. See our PSIRA renewal guide.

New security officers signing an acknowledgement of the code of conduct during a company induction — Train on the code at induction. A signed acknowledgement is worth having when PSIRA asks.

What it means for employers

The code makes the company responsible for what happens on its posts. That means:

Confirm registration and grade for every officer before deployment, and re-check expiry dates during employment.
Train on the code as part of induction. A signed acknowledgement is worth having when PSIRA asks.
Pay to the determination, keep the records, and reconcile the register against the payroll.
Investigate complaints yourself and act on them, before PSIRA does. A company that handles its own misconduct is treated differently from one that hides it.
Cooperate with inspections fully and promptly.

Companies with a clean PSIRA record win the tenders that ask for it, keep clients who check, and keep officers who want to work for a company that will not put their registration at risk. A company's standing is worth asking about before you contract with it, the security companies directory is a starting point for the shortlist, and PSIRA is the place to confirm good standing.

Quick answers

What is the PSIRA code of conduct?

The Code of Conduct for Security Service Providers, issued under the Private Security Industry Regulation Act, which binds every registered security business and officer and is enforced through PSIRA's improper-conduct proceedings.

What happens if a security guard breaches the PSIRA code of conduct?

PSIRA can investigate, charge and hold a hearing. Sanctions range from a warning to a fine, suspension, or withdrawal of registration.

Can PSIRA deregister a security company?

Yes. Persistent or serious breaches (unregistered officers, underpayment, obstruction) can lead to suspension or withdrawal of the business's registration.

Sources

The Code of Conduct for Security Service Providers and the improper-conduct regulations under the Private Security Industry Regulation Act, via PSIRA. Regulations are amended from time to time. Read the current code before relying on this summary.