Unlicensed Auckland security guard fined $14,000

7 August 2026

An unlicensed Auckland security operator has been fined $14,000 following a Department of Internal Affairs investigation.

Appearing at Auckland District Court, 42-year-old Vinson Schuster pled guilty to six charges under The Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010 relating to working as a security guard and a crowd controller without a licence.

“Our investigation found that between August 2021 and June 2022, Mr Schuster operated under various fake company names using variations of ‘Black Hawk’, receiving more than $100,000 in payments, even though he did not have the required license, ” says Marty Greentree, Chief Investigator, Complaints, Investigation and Prosecution Unit at the Department of Internal Affairs.

“In New Zealand it is illegal to provide private security services without a valid licence. This is an important requirement to ensure security providers are trusted, trained, and comply with the law. Having unlicensed people in the industry in positions of responsibility puts the public at risk.

“Today's outcome is a reminder to anyone providing unlicensed security services that if they break the law, they will be held accountable, and to anyone considering hiring security personnel to check they have the right certification,” Marty Greentree says.

The public register for security licences and certificates is available on the Ministry of Justice website: https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/PSPLA/

Complaints about private security operators can be made to Private Security Licensing Authority: https://www.justice.govt.nz/tribunals/licences-certificates/pspla/complaints-ob/complaints-about-private-security-operators/

-ENDS-

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Department of Internal Affairs | Te Tari Taiwhenua
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