Security Guard Services in Côte d’Ivoire

How to Become a Licensed Security Guard in Côte d’Ivoire

In Côte d’Ivoire, guarding, surveillance, personal protection and cash-in-transit are governed by Decree No. 2005-73. Only companies incorporated under Ivorian law and at least 51% owned by Ivorians may operate, with ministerial approval, and every manager and employee must be approved by the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire, DST).

Supervising authority: Ministry of the Interior and Security (Ministère de l’Intérieur et de la Sécurité), responsible for approval and oversight of private security and cash-in-transit companies and for weapons carry permits. Personnel are vetted and approved by the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DST). Applicable law: Decree No. 2005-73 of February 3, 2005 regulating private security and cash-in-transit activities (Décret n° 2005-73 du 3 février 2005 portant réglementation des activités privées de sécurité et de transport de fonds), which repeals all prior conflicting provisions (Art. 56). interieur.gouv.ci

Requirements

• Civil status documents issued by the competent authority (Decree No. 2005-73, Art. 13).
• No final conviction for acts contrary to honor, integrity or morality, or harming the safety of persons, property or the State (Arts. 12 and 13).
• Good character, certified by bulletin no. 2 of the criminal record (Art. 13).
• Not having been dismissed from the military or paramilitary forces (Art. 13).
• Operational staff: CEPE (primary school certificate) or equivalent; supervisory staff: BEPC (lower secondary certificate) or equivalent (Art. 13).
• Operational staff: at least 18 and no more than 35 years old on January 31 of the year of recruitment (Art. 13).
• Physically fit for the job (Art. 13).
• Foreign nationals must also never have served in a military or paramilitary force, present civil status documents issued by their consular services and provide a criminal record (Art. 13).
• Approval by the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DST) before hiring (Art. 14).
• Operational officers must complete 1 to 3 months of training at a center approved by the supervising authority; training centers operate under police oversight (Art. 14).
• Former members of the police, gendarmerie or armed forces must wait at least one year after leaving their posts before working in private security (Art. 16).

Application Steps

1. Be recruited by a security company holding ministerial approval.
2. The employer sends the recruitment request to the Ministry of Public Service and Employment for its opinion, and to the DST for investigation and approval (Art. 15).
3. Provide civil status documents, bulletin no. 2 of the criminal record, the required diploma and proof of physical fitness.
4. Obtain DST approval.
5. Complete 1 to 3 months of training at an approved training center (Art. 14).
6. Receive the professional card issued by the employer under the oversight of the State identification services, and wear the uniform, identification badge and insignia on duty (Arts. 18 and 33).

Agency Licensing

Guarding, surveillance, protection and cash-in-transit may only be carried out by companies registered in the Trade and Personal Property Credit Register (RCCM). The company must be incorporated under Ivorian law and at least 51% owned by Ivorians (Arts. 1 and 9). It may not offer any service unrelated to security or cash-in-transit (Art. 3). Each company must obtain approval issued by order of the minister responsible for internal security, after an opinion from a commission set up by joint order of the ministers responsible for security, defense and finance (Art. 4). Before starting operations, it must meet a set of specifications fixed by interministerial order (Art. 36). It must file, no later than April 30, an annual activity report including the staff list, the client list, the annual accounts, the tax return, the CNPS certificate and proof of payment of the annual fee, as well as quarterly activity reports (Art. 38). The approval number must appear on all company documents (Art. 26).

Firearms and grenades may only be used for cash-in-transit and close protection, under conditions set by order of the minister responsible for internal security and subject to the general rules on carrying weapons. The weapons carry permit must state the authorized use, and a permit issued for another use cannot be used for these activities (Art. 30). Companies may use self-defense sprays, batons, rubber ammunition weapons and incapacitating or immobilizing gases (Art. 31). Trained dogs may be used under the conditions set out in Article 32.

Sources

• Ministry of the Interior and Security (Ministère de l’Intérieur et de la Sécurité), Missions and responsibilities (approval and oversight of private security and cash-in-transit companies; arms permits)
• Decree No. 2005-73 of February 3, 2005, index (Loidici legal database)
• Decree No. 2005-73, Title I, general provisions, Arts. 1 to 10 (Loidici)
• Decree No. 2005-73, Chapter 1, personnel, Arts. 11 to 22 (Loidici)
• Decree No. 2005-73, Chapter 2, equipment and weapons, Arts. 23 to 33 (Loidici)
• Decree No. 2005-73, Title III, operations, Arts. 34 to 38 (Loidici)
• Decree No. 2005-73, Title VI, transitional and final provisions, Arts. 54 to 57 (Loidici)

Requirements change. Current rules should be confirmed with the official supervising authority before applying. This summary is general information, not legal advice. Last updated November 2026.