Debt collection & bailiffs
By law, any business that intervenes to recover money owed by people in debt requires a licence. Debt collection agent and bailiffs are also required to carry a licence in order to carry out their role.
Read the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act.
Read the Debt Collection and Repayment Regulation.
How to get licensed
Debt collection / bailiff agency
You are required to provide the following to be licensed as a debt collection or bailiff agency.
Step 1: Provide proof of registration or incorporation
You must provide proof of incorporation or registration during the application process. To register your business, visit OneStop BC Business Registry. If you are starting a new business, visit Small Business BC.
If your business is a partnership or proprietorship, you must provide:
- names of the partners or proprietors
- current copy of any trade name registration(s) under which you intend to operate
If your business is a corporation, you must provide
- names of directors, senior officers, and beneficial owners with voting shares
- current copy of any trade name registration(s) under which you intend to operate
Step 2: Provide municipal business licence
You must provide a copy of your business licence issued by your local municipality.
Step 3: Complete a criminal record check
Senior officers, partners or proprietors of your business must complete a criminal record check.
For Canadian residents, get your criminal record check through our third-party supplier. The results will be sent directly to us.
For non-Canadian residents, a criminal record check from your home jurisdiction is required.
Step 4: Provide personal credit report
All senior officer(s) must provide personal credit report current within 6 months prior to date of application.
For Canadian residents, call Equifax Canada at 1-800-465-7166 or TransUnion at 1-800-663-9980.
For non-Canadian residents, a credit report from a major reporting agency from the country in which you reside is required.
Step 5: Provide financial security held in trust
You must provide financial security held in trust. Should there be a valid claim against your business, it allows us to draw upon this fund. This security is held throughout the term of your licence plus 2-years after the cancellation or expiry of your licence.
The minimum amount of security required is $10,000 or 10% of the gross amount received or collected by the licensee for the preceding calendar year.
Financial security must be provided through one of these:
- Letter of credit â in favour of Consumer Protection BC issued by a financial institute. See sample.
- Surety bond â an insurance policy issued by an insurance company authorized to operate in BC. See sample.
- Safekeeping agreement (i.e. GIC or similar investment issued by a financial institute) â in favour of Consumer Protection BC. See sample.
- Cash â presented as bank draft or money order held in trust by Consumer Protection BC. Note: no interest is paid on cash securities.
Step 6: Provide verification of financial information
You must provide your financial account information verified by your bank. At least one must be a trust account.
Submit the verification & authorization financial and trust account form.
Step 7: Provide business documentations
You will need to submit the following documents:
- collection letters to debtors
- contracts with clients
Step 8: Complete collector or bailiff employee application form
Each collector or bailiff employee is required to complete a debt collector or bailiff employee application form.
It is your responsibility to notify us when there are any changes in employees by completing the employee transfer form.
Submit a debt collector / bailiff employee application form.
Step 9: Apply for a licence
If your business has more than one location, each location requires its own licence. You must submit all of your supporting documents with your application. Each application may take up to four weeks to process.
If you are operating from your home, a statutory declaration is required confirming that your residence is also a place of business.
Review the application checklist
Submit a licence application form.
Submit a statutory declaration form.
Step 10: Review and understand your obligations
It is your responsibility to review all applicable laws pertaining to your industry and to understand your obligations.
Debt collector / bailiff
You are required to provide the following to be licensed as a debt collector or bailiff.
Step 1: Pass the exam
You must review the debt collector licensing examination guide and take the online exam. Print the certificate with the proctor verification at the end of the exam, and submit it to us, along with your application as proof of completion.
Step 2: Complete a criminal record check
You must complete a criminal record check, except for telephone only debt collectors.
For Canadian residents, get your criminal record check through our third-party supplier. The results will be sent directly to us.
For non-Canadian residents, a criminal record check from your home jurisdiction is required.
Step 3: Apply for a licence
You must submit all of your supporting documents with your application. Each application may take up to four weeks to process.
If you are operating from your home, a collection agency or bailiff agency licence, along with a statutory declaration may be required. You can complete these forms under the debt collection /bailiff agency section above.
Review the application checklist
Submit a licence application form.
Step 4: Review and understand your obligations
It is your responsibility to review all applicable laws pertaining to your industry and to understand your obligations.
How to renew your employee’s licence
- Youâll receive automated emails once your employeeâs licence is ready to be renewed. The email will include a list of all your employees whose licence will expire soon, along with the licence number of the business they work for. Click on the link in the email to go to MyAccount.
- Login using your credentials. The username would be the email address that received the reminder and if youâve forgotten the password, click on the âForgot Your Passwordâ link.
- You will see information about your business licence and any branches you have.
- Click on the licence number where the employee you wish to renew works. Please note that you can renew multiple employee licences if they are all at the same business location but not across different business locations.
- Click on the âemployeesâ tab, this will bring up a list of employees. Tick the renew box to the left of the employee names.
- Once you have selected all the employees you wish to renew, click on the ârenew individual licencesâ button at the bottom of the page.
- Follow the on-screen instructions and fill out the payment details.
- Once you submit the payment, you will get a âsuccessâ pop-up screen to let you know that the renewal has been submitted to us.
- The status of the employee will change to ârenewal submittedâ. Once their licence is issued the status will change to âissuedâ.
- You can renew multiple individual licences at once but only if they all work at the same business location. If you have multiple licences that are up for renewal but at different locations, you will have to renew them in separate transactions.
- Prior to renewing on behalf of your employee, please get the most up-to-date information from them. You will be able to update their personal information and will be asked if they have been convicted of a criminal offence within the last year. For bailiffs or in-person collectors, if the criminal conviction checkbox is ticked, we will email you the link your employee can follow to complete a criminal record check.
- We will review the renewal submission and if approved, a new licence will be emailed to you. MyAccount does not instantly grant you an employee licence renewal.
- If an employee is at status âRenewal Form Sentâ and you are unable to select the box to renew, please contact us.
Licence application forms
- Debt collection or bailiff agency application checklist
- Debt collection or bailiff agency or branch licence application
- Verification of financial institution
- Statutory declaration for a residential address
- Debt collection employee application form
- Bailiff photo ID card application
- Credit Card Authorization Form