How to check that a private security company is properly licensed: CNAPS, URSSAF, insurance

Why it is your problem, not just theirs

Three reasons. The first is financial: in the event of undeclared work at your provider, a client that has not met its duty of vigilance can be held jointly and severally liable for the contributions, taxes and wages owed (articles L.8222-1 et seq. of the Labour Code). The second is about insurance: an incident handled by a guard without a professional licence, or by a company without authorisation, is exactly the kind of situation where an insurer looks for — and finds — a reason not to pay out. The third comes down to the activity itself: an untrained guard is precisely the kind who oversteps their powers, and when that happens, it happens on your premises.

1. The company's operating authorisation

No company may carry out a private security activity without an operating authorisation issued by the Conseil national des activités privées de sécurité (CNAPS), France's private-security regulator, a public body under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior. Its number must appear on all the company's documents — quotes, contracts, invoices, correspondence — together with the wording required by article L.612-14 of the French Internal Security Code (Code de la sécurité intérieure), which states that this authorisation confers no public-authority powers.

How to check: ask for a copy of the authorisation, confirm that the number appears on the quote, and that the company name matches exactly the SIREN number of the entity invoicing you. The managing director must personally hold CNAPS accreditation. An authorisation number that belongs to a different company, or a recently formed company that presents the authorisation of a 'partner', should put you on alert.

2. Each guard's professional licence

Every guard carrying out surveillance or manned guarding work must hold a professional licence issued by CNAPS (article L.612-20 of the Internal Security Code). It is valid for five years, shows the activities it authorises (static/mobile surveillance, K9 handling, and so on) and is only granted after certified training and a background check. Renewing it requires a refresher course to update the holder's skills.

How to check: CNAPS provides a public online verification service that shows, from the licence number, whether it is valid. Before the mission, you can ask for the named list of guards and their licence numbers, and check on site that every guard is wearing theirs. A serious provider checks the validity of the licences itself before every shift, and tells you so.

3. The URSSAF attestation de vigilance

For any service worth at least €5,000 excl. VAT — an amount assessed across the whole transaction, even if split across several invoices — the client must obtain from its contractor, at signature and then every six months until the service ends, an attestation de vigilance issued by URSSAF. It confirms that the company is up to date with its social security filings and payments, and states the number of employees and payroll declared.

How to check: the attestation carries a security code that lets you check its authenticity on the URSSAF website. Check the date (less than six months old), the company name and the SIREN number. Add a registration extract less than three months old. For services below €5,000 excl. VAT, the law does not require it, but nothing stops you asking for it — and a compliant provider supplies it without any trouble.

4. Professional liability insurance

The law requires private security companies to hold insurance covering their professional liability. Ask for the current certificate and read it: the period covered, the activities insured (static/mobile surveillance, events, K9 work…), the cover amount per claim. An expired certificate, or one that does not cover the activity you have booked, is as good as having no insurance at all.

5. A quote that tells you what you are buying

A properly drawn-up quote lets you know precisely what you are paying for. It sets out:

• the number of guards per post and per time slot, and their qualification (security guard, SSIAP, K9 handler, team leader);
• the actual hours of presence, post by post, and the total number of guard-hours;
• the hourly rate for each qualification and the premiums applied (night, Sunday, bank holidays), identified separately;
• travel, accommodation or equipment costs, if any;
• what is included at no extra cost: the site visit, written instructions (post orders), briefing, incident log, mission report;
• the operating authorisation number, the SIREN number, the wording required by article L.612-14, and the cancellation terms.

A single 'all-inclusive' figure with no breakdown makes it impossible to compare or challenge. Our prices page sets out what makes a quote vary.

The warning signs

• An abnormally low price. The cost of a guard is almost entirely loaded wages; a big gap is rarely explained by better organisation.
• Payment in cash, or an invoice issued by an entity other than the one that signed the quote.
• Guards who do not wear their licence, or who 'forgot it'.
• Refusing, or delaying, supplying the documents: authorisation, attestation de vigilance, insurance.
• Subcontracting in a chain. The law now strictly regulates subcontracting in private security and requires the client to be told about it; you need to know which company actually employs the guards on your premises.

The checklist to keep on file

1. A copy of the company's CNAPS operating authorisation.
2. A registration extract less than three months old.
3. A URSSAF attestation de vigilance less than six months old (renewed every six months for a service that runs longer).
4. A current professional liability insurance certificate.
5. A signed, itemised quote, contract or purchase order.
6. A named list of the guards assigned, with their professional licence numbers, checked on CNAPS's online service.
7. An agreed set of written instructions and, after the mission, the incident log and mission report.

This is exactly the file we hand our clients without their having to ask. If a provider hesitates to put it together, you have your answer.