Absolutely. If your security licence application asks about previous offences, findings of guilt or criminal history, answer the questions completely and honestly. Trying to hide an offence can potentially create a bigger licensing problem than the original offence itself. Under section 49A of the Security Providers Act 1993, it is an offence to give the chief executive a document containing information you know is false or misleading in a material particular, with a maximum penalty of 60 penalty units.

A licence obtained because of materially incorrect or misleading information can also later be suspended or cancelled under section 21 of the Act. Let’s face it – you are paying a mandatory criminal history check fee as part of the application process, so OFT is going to obtain your criminal history anyway.

More importantly, having an old offence does not necessarily mean you cannot obtain a security licence. Certain recorded convictions for disqualifying offences within the previous 10 years automatically prevent licensing, but many other offences do not create an automatic disqualification. They may instead result in OFT requesting additional information so it can properly assess whether you are an appropriate person to hold a security licence. Being open and providing an accurate explanation gives OFT the information it needs to make that decision.

If you completed your CPP20218 Certificate II in Security Operations with BARS Training Australia and subsequently receive this type of correspondence concerning your initial licence application, BARS provides pro bono advocacy assistance to our students to help them understand and respond to OFT.