Alberta Security Licence Course (ABST): Free Manual, Online, Cost and Exam

In Alberta you need a security service worker licence to work as a security guard. The ordinary route is a course and then an exam. You take an approved course, such as Alberta Basic Security Training (ABST), from an approved training provider. Then you write the provincial final exam, and you need 80% or more. This guide starts with the course: the free government manual, online and in-person options, what it costs and how to choose a provider. Then it covers the exam, rewrites and the licence application. Every rule comes from Government of Alberta pages, listed at the foot of the page.

ProSyllabus is an independent study site. It is not part of the Government of Alberta or Security Programs, and nothing here is the official exam. Every rule on this page is quoted or summarised from the official pages listed at the foot of the page.

The route to a licence, step by step

Is there a free Alberta security course?

The course manual is free. None of the Government of Alberta pages read for this guide offers a free ABST course or lists a course price. Ask each provider what it charges.

The Government of Alberta publishes the Alberta Basic Security Training participant manual, third edition, on open.alberta.ca. You can download the PDF for free. It is about 200 pages and is released under the Open Government Licence – Alberta. The page shows it as updated on 1 January 2014. It is organised in seven modules, listed further down this page.

Reading the manual does not qualify you for a licence. Alberta’s licence page says you must complete an approved training course through an approved training provider and score 80% or higher on the provincial final exam. The licence page also accepts a valid security licence from another Canadian province or territory. If you have earlier training, or want to ask about challenging the exam, contact Security Programs.

Can I skip the course and just write the exam?

Only in some cases. Under the January 2015 exam process, people with substantial work experience or equivalent training can ask the Registrar, in writing, to challenge the final exam. If you are approved, you are booked into the next available exam in your area. Training providers may charge a fee for a challenge exam. The licence page also says to contact Security Programs if you have worked in law enforcement, to find out if your past training counts. If you are new to security work, plan on taking the course.

ABST online or in person: the approved providers

Security Programs publishes one list of approved training providers. The current edition is dated 6 October 2026; it was still the current file on open.alberta.ca on 5 November 2026. The list sorts ABST providers into five groups. Take the course from a provider on this list.

The location shown is the business’s listed location. The list does not say where classes are held, or whether a course in the first two groups is taught in a classroom. Ask the provider.

The 16 online ABST providers on the list

Six of the 16 online providers have a listed location outside Alberta. They are still on Alberta’s approved list. The list is updated as needed, so check the newest edition on open.alberta.ca before you pay. ProSyllabus is not connected to any provider and does not rank them.

How the exam works after an online course

The course can be online, but the exam rules in Security Programs’ Provincial Examination Process (Schedule A, January 2015) describe an exam with a proctor. In general, the training provider books a Ministry proctor or a certified proctor, supplies the exam room and sends in the list of people writing. The proctor attends, hands out and collects the papers, watches the room and marks them. The document does not describe writing the exam online. Before you pay for an online course, ask the provider where and when you will write the provincial exam.

What the Alberta security licence course costs

Alberta publishes the licence fees. None of the Government pages read for this guide lists a course price, so ask each provider what it charges and what the price includes. This table shows what Alberta does publish.

So the fees Alberta publishes for a security licence come to $109 if you apply in person at a registry ($100 + $9). By mail, the page lists the $100 fee without the registry service charge. The Alberta pages read give no price for the course, the police checks or the photo.

How to choose an ABST provider: questions to ask

Check your English level before you pay. Alberta’s licence page says all security service workers must meet Canadian Language Benchmark level 5.

Who needs a security service worker licence

Alberta’s licence page says security service workers monitor, patrol and guard property and protect people, and that you must be licensed to work as a security guard, a patrol dog handler, an alarm responder, a loss prevention worker or a body guard. Licences are issued under the Security Services and Investigators Act. The page says your individual licence is portable: it stays valid if you change employers or work for several.

The course: Alberta Basic Security Training

Alberta lists two approved training courses: the Alberta Basic Security Training Course and the Accredited Basic Security Training Course. Both must be taken through an approved training provider. The Government’s business resources page explains that businesses can license training courses from Security Programs or have their own course certified ("accreditation"), and that these courses include Security Programs’ mandatory content and require students to pass the provincial exam. Security Programs’ Policy Manual (2015) describes the course as the 40-hour Alberta Basic Security Training Course or an equivalent course approved or accredited by the Ministry.

The free ABST participant manual, third edition, is organised in seven modules:

If you already have security or police training

The licence page says to contact Security Programs if you have previously worked in law enforcement, to find out whether your earlier training is equivalent, with proof such as a certificate or letter. The 2015 Policy Manual lists examples of training that may qualify for an equivalency exemption: a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree in security, law enforcement or corrections; Canadian police, military police or peace officer basic training; and mandatory provincial training completed in British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan or Manitoba.

The provincial final exam

Security Programs’ exam process document (Schedule A, January 2015) says that on completing an approved or accredited basic security training course in Alberta, applicants must pass a provincially administered final exam with a score of not less than 80% to qualify for licensing. The Ministry oversees the exam. A Ministry proctor or a certified proctor attends at the date, time and location agreed with the training provider, hands out and collects the exams, watches the room, marks the papers and sends the grades to the Ministry within two business days. Those are the general arrangements: the same document also allows another approved person to mark the exams for a proctor, and lets organisations registered under the Post-Secondary Learning Act, or approved by the Registrar, administer and mark the exam. Proctors may not be employees or contractors of the training provider, and they sign a confidentiality agreement so that the content of the exams does not become public.

Rewrites, challenge exams and reviews

Alberta’s licence page now says to contact Security Programs for information about exam rewrites, or to find out if you are eligible to challenge an exam; the rules above are those of the January 2015 exam process document, the version published on open.alberta.ca when read on 25 October 2026.

Training licences: working while you train

The licence page says training licences are available if you are enrolled in an approved training course, and that your employer must submit the application for you. A training licence is valid for 30 days and is converted to a standard licence once you have completed the course and passed the final exam. It is not portable: if you change employers, the new employer must apply for a new training licence. The 2015 Policy Manual says a training licence is issued only once and that requests for later training licences will be denied, which does not sit easily with the licence page’s rule for a change of employer: confirm with Security Programs before you rely on either. The Policy Manual also says someone who has not passed the exam within the 30 days may not keep working in a licensed position until they pass and are issued a full licence.

Applying for the licence

If you are on a work or study permit, the licence page says to contact Security Programs for the application and renewal steps before you apply.

Batons

To carry a baton, the licence page says you need your employer’s approval and an approved 40-hour baton use-of-force training course, with a copy of the certificate sent with your application. Baton training must be re-certified every 36 months.