Do You Need Licensed Security for a Queensland Event?

If your event is open to the public, serves alcohol under a liquor licence or permit, or is held at a licensed venue, you almost certainly need crowd controllers licensed under Queensland's Security Providers Act 1993. A small private function on private property with no liquor licence usually does not. The deciding factors are your liquor arrangements, whether the public can attend, the venue's own conditions, and the event's risk profile, rather than the guest count on its own.

The short answer, and why it depends

There is no single rule that says "every event needs security". Instead, the requirement is triggered by the conditions attached to your event. A liquor licence or a one-off permit almost always carries crowd controller conditions. A licensed venue will have its own. A public event that police or the regulator consider higher risk gets its own set of numbers. Get those triggers clear early, because they change how many licensed people you need and what they must be qualified to do.

The rest of this guide walks through each trigger, the ratios the regulator applies to higher-risk and all-ages events, and the questions that separate a compliant provider from a cheap one.

Crowd controllers and security officers are different jobs

People use "security guard" as a catch-all, but Queensland licensing draws a line. A crowd controller manages people at a venue or event: controlling entry and exit, checking for intoxication, monitoring behaviour, and stepping in when there is conflict. A security officer protects a place or property through patrols, monitoring and response. Both functions sit under the Security Providers Act 1993, and both can appear on the same Class 1 licence, so one firm can field a mixed team. For most events, the people working the door and the floor are crowd controllers, while static guards may cover fixed points like back-of-house, storage or a VIP room.

When your event legally needs licensed crowd controllers

In practice, one or more of these will decide it:

You hold a liquor licence or a community liquor permit. Licence and permit conditions commonly require licensed crowd controllers, and the regulator checks compliance during inspections.
The event is at a licensed venue. The venue's own licence conditions set crowd controller obligations, including a crowd controller register that records who is on duty and any incidents.
The public can attend. Ticketed and open public events carry a higher duty of care than a closed guest list.
It is an all-ages or under-age event. These have their own ratio, covered below.
Police or the regulator flag it as high risk. That brings a set minimum ratio and, often, a pre-event briefing you are expected to attend.

If none of these apply, you may not be legally required to engage licensed crowd controllers. That is a genuinely private event with no liquor licence and no public access. Even then, many organisers still bring in a licensed team for the deterrence and the duty-of-care cover.

High-risk events and the OLGR ratio

The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation publishes a high-risk events guideline (Guideline 33) that sets a minimum crowd controller ratio. For an event classed as high risk, the base requirement is seven crowd controllers for the first 1,000 patrons or part thereof, then at least one additional crowd controller for every further 250 patrons or part thereof. A minimum of two crowd controllers must also monitor the area outside the event for one hour after it finishes.

An event is generally treated as high risk when it carries factors such as liquor sales running more than five hours, trading before 10am or after midnight, a high proportion of 18 to 25 year old patrons, expected attendance above 2,000 a day, more than half of patrons drinking, a licensed area over 2,000 square metres, all-ages or under-18 entry, or a history of compliance issues at similar events.

That ratio applies to those high-risk licensed events. There is no equivalent blanket "one guard per so many people" law for events in general. For everything below the high-risk threshold, the right number comes from a risk assessment of your specific event rather than a formula. That is one reason we prefer to quote off a site visit.

All-ages and under-age events

All-ages and under-age events approved under the Liquor Act 1992 have their own minimum: two crowd controllers for every 200 patrons or part thereof. These events draw a younger crowd and often stricter conditions, so build the security plan in early rather than bolting it on the week before.

Do private parties need licensed security?

A genuinely private party, on private property, with no liquor licence or permit and no public access, generally does not require licensed crowd controllers. The obligation is usually triggered by the liquor licence, public access, or the venue's conditions. Once any of those are in play, or once the guest numbers and risk climb, licensed crowd controllers become the expectation. A wedding at a licensed reception venue, for instance, sits under that venue's arrangements; a large 21st in a hired public hall with a liquor permit is a different conversation.

What to ask a security provider

Before you book, ask for evidence rather than assurances:

The firm's licence. A Queensland Security Firm Licence (Class 1) number you can check on the public register.
Individual crowd controller licences. Every person on the door and floor should be individually licensed, not only the company.
Responsible Service of Alcohol training where the event is licensed, since crowd controllers at licensed premises are expected to hold it.
The crowd controller register. A compliant provider keeps one, recording who was on duty and any incidents. Ask how they handle it.
Public liability insurance, with a current certificate of currency.
A written scope that names the numbers, positions and hours, so there is no argument on the night.

If a quote is well under everyone else's, it is usually because the numbers are light or the people are not individually licensed. Both become your problem if something goes wrong. Our guide to Queensland security licensing covers how to read a licence, and the event security checklist is a useful pre-event run-through.

How we scope an event

We start with the specifics of your event: expected numbers, layout, entry points, liquor arrangements, VIP or back-of-house areas, load-in and pack-down, and the finish time. From there you get a written plan with the crowd controller numbers, positions and hours set against your actual risk and any licence conditions. We work across Ipswich and Brisbane CBD, and you can read more about our event security approach.

FAQ

Is a crowd controller the same as a security guard?

No. In Queensland both are licensed under the Security Providers Act 1993, but they are separate functions. A crowd controller manages people at a venue or event, controlling entry and exit, monitoring behaviour and dealing with conflict. A security officer protects a place or property through patrols, monitoring and response. A Class 1 security firm can supply both, and many events use a mix of the two.

Do private parties need licensed security in Queensland?

A genuinely private party on private property, with no liquor licence or permit and no public access, generally does not require licensed crowd controllers. The requirement is usually triggered by a liquor licence or permit, public access, or a venue's own conditions. If any of those apply, or the event is large or higher risk, licensed crowd controllers are expected.

Get a written scope for your event

Tell us the date, the venue, the numbers and your liquor arrangements. We will come back with a plan sized to your event and its conditions. Request an event quote → or call 0414 829 850.

Published 28 July 2026 · Anthony Tupper, Founder · Tupper Security Services holds Queensland Security Firm Licence (Class 1) #4572076. General information only, not legal advice.