Interested in entering the industry in South Australia as a:

• Collector?
• Investigator?
• Process Server?
• Repossession Agent?

Collectors, Investigators and Repossession Agents

Any person (including a company) in South Australia who carries on business or is employed as a security and/or investigation agent, must be licensed under the Security and Investigation Agents Act 1995 and Security and Investigation Agents Regulations 2011. If a business operates as a partnership then each partner must hold their own licence.

In SA, you are considered to be acting as an investigation agent if you perform:

• collection work:
  • ascertaining the whereabouts of, or repossessing, goods
  • collecting or requesting the payment of debts
  • executing legal process for the enforcement of a judgement or order of a court
  • executing distress for the recovery of rates, taxes or money
  • searching for missing persons
  • obtaining evidence for the purpose of legal proceedings
• enquiry work:
  • obtaining or providing - without the written consent of a person - information about the person or about the business or occupation of the person
  • obtaining evidence for the purpose of legal proceedings - whether the proceedings have been commenced or are prospective.

Applying for a licence:

1. Application form

Online - complete the application form then print, sign and date it.

Phone - call 131 882 and staff will complete the form and forward it to you to check and sign.

In person - at the Adelaide CBS customer service centre, 91-97 Grenfell St, Adelaide.

2. Lodgement

Lodge the signed application at a CBS customer service centre or by post, along with the specified fees and any supporting documents indicated in your application.

Process Servers

In SA, process servers who serve a writ, summons or other legal process for profit, do not need a licence - however, if you intend to run a business of this type you are required to hold certain qualifications specified in the Security and Investigation Agents Regulations 2011 and should not have been convicted of any crime listed in the regulations.