HOW TO HIRE · EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

How to hire an event security in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

An event security in Ireland costs €20–€45 per guard, typically around €30. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an event security in five steps

  1. Are you on the Private Security Authority register, and what is your number?A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — surveillance and Monitoring — utilising CCTV and other surveillance methods, event security can monitor the venue for suspicious activity.
  2. How does size of the event change the price?Size is the single number most quotes are built from. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  3. How does number of security personnel required change the price?Numbers change the equipment as well as the hours. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  4. How does crowd Management change the price?It is agreed before the work starts, not after. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  5. What is not included?Emergency Response — event security professionals are trained to respond quickly to emergencies, such as medical incidents or evacuations — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a event security job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Private Security Authority (PSA) licence

A licence runs for two years. Section 38 makes it an offence to ENGAGE an unlicensed person for a service that needs a licence — a fine of up to €3,000, up to 12 months' imprisonment, or both, on summary conviction. That duty falls on whoever hires, which is unusual and worth knowing. The Private Security Services Act 2004 defines a 'security service' to include an installer of security equipment and a locksmith. An installer is anyone who for reward installs, maintains, repairs or services devices that warn of, monitor or record unauthorised entry near premises. The 2012 Licensing and Standards Regulations split installers into access control, CCTV and intruder alarm categories, and S.I. 134/2025 added a category for suppliers or installers of safes. Restricted to PSA-licensed contractor: installing, maintaining or repairing an intruder alarm; installing or maintaining CCTV; installing or maintaining access control; locksmithing; supplying or installing a safe.

Search the Private Security Authority register for the name or the registration number before you agree a price. psa.gov.ie →

Insurance

Expect public liability; a licensed contractor carries it as a condition. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.

Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.

Trader or private seller

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.

Identity

Providers on Locufy prove who they are with photo ID before they can be booked; the ID-checked badge shows who has done it, and the document itself is deleted once the check is made. For a event security coming into your home it is the cheapest check there is.

Look for the ID-checked badge on the card, before you message anyone.

VAT

VAT at 23%, the standard rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.

Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →

“Are you on the Private Security Authority register, and what is your number?”

A good answer: A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — surveillance and Monitoring — utilising CCTV and other surveillance methods, event security can monitor the venue for suspicious activity.

“How does size of the event change the price?”

A good answer: Size is the single number most quotes are built from. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does number of security personnel required change the price?”

A good answer: Numbers change the equipment as well as the hours. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does crowd Management change the price?”

A good answer: It is agreed before the work starts, not after. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“What is not included?”

A good answer: Emergency Response — event security professionals are trained to respond quickly to emergencies, such as medical incidents or evacuations — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a event security job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

“Who insures you, and what is the policy number?”

A good answer: Expect public liability; a licensed contractor carries it as a condition — access Control — one key aspect of event security is controlling access to the venue.

“What do I get in writing, and when?”

A good answer: A written scope and a price before the event security starts, and an itemised invoice after — security Consulting — advisors offer guidance on best practices for event security planning and implementation.

Getting the quote right

  • Size of the event — size is the single number most quotes are built from.
  • Number of security personnel required — numbers change the equipment as well as the hours.
  • Crowd Management — it is agreed before the work starts, not after.
  • Access Control — a clear run to the work is the quickest job there is.
  • In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
  • What is NOT included, named
  • Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register

Walk away if

  • They are not on the Private Security Authority register, or the number does not resolve to the name on the quote
  • They will not talk about it: size of the event — size is the single number most quotes are built from
  • They will not talk about it: number of security personnel required — numbers change the equipment as well as the hours
  • They will not talk about it: crowd Management — it is agreed before the work starts, not after
  • A price for the event security before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
  • Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
LOW
€20
TYPICAL
€30
HIGH
€45

What an event security costs: €20–€45 per guard

The figures are for the job, per guard, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Crowd management and Access control each carry their own band. Event Security price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Event securitys near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Look firstSize of the event — size is the single number most quotes are built from — that is what the event security is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
  2. Agree what is being doneNumber of security personnel required — numbers change the equipment as well as the hours — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
  3. The work itselfCrowd Management — it is agreed before the work starts, not after — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
  4. Check it togetherAccess Control — a clear run to the work is the quickest job there is — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the event security is still there.
  5. What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, discuss specific safety protocols, especially for larger or more complex events.

Access Control
One key aspect of event security is controlling access to the venue.
Emergency Response
Event security professionals are trained to respond quickly to emergencies, such as medical incidents or evacuations.
Surveillance and Monitoring
Utilising CCTV and other surveillance methods, event security can monitor the venue for suspicious activity.
Incident Response
This entails being prepared to handle emergencies or disturbances effectively and calmly.
VIP Protection
Specialised personnel focus on the safety and privacy of high-profile guests at events.
Event Risk Assessment
A thorough evaluation of potential security threats and appropriate measures to mitigate them.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and the paperworkAn itemised invoice with the trader's name, the work and the total — surveillance and Monitoring — utilising CCTV and other surveillance methods, event security can monitor the venue for suspicious activity, because it is what a buyer's solicitor, an insurer or a lender asks for long after the event security has gone.
Test what was doneEmergency Response — event security professionals are trained to respond quickly to emergencies, such as medical incidents or evacuations — and something that does not work on the day is theirs to put right there and then.
Ask what the guarantee isOn the workmanship and on the parts, and for how long each one runs — they are usually different. access Control — one key aspect of event security is controlling access to the venue — under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 what was agreed is what can be relied on.
Leave the reviewOnly a booked job can be reviewed on Locufy, which is why the score on a event security's card means something — security Consulting — advisors offer guidance on best practices for event security planning and implementation.

STEP 1Say it in writing, firstSay what is wrong and what you want done. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and defective work put right.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyUnder four stars you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Escalate to the body that regulates itReport it to Private Security Authority (PSA) licence.
STEP 4Small claimsSmall claims covers €2,000, once you have asked in writing and given them a chance to put it right.

Hiring an event security: questions people ask

The cost of event security can vary based on several factors, including the size of the event, the number of security personnel required, and the duration of the event. Additionally, special requirements, such as increased security for high-profile events, can also affect pricing.

While general event security personnel can handle most situations, certain events, like those involving VIP guests or high-risk situations, may require specialists with advanced training. It's important to assess the specific security needs of your event to determine the appropriate level of expertise.

Yes, many security firms allow you to book multiple services, such as crowd management and access control, as part of a package deal. This can often lead to cost savings and a more streamlined approach to managing security at your event.

Event security personnel are primarily focused on safety and crowd management, so tasks such as technical support, equipment setup, or general event staffing are usually outside their scope. It's important to clarify roles and responsibilities when hiring security for your event.

Search the name or the registration number. If the number does not resolve to the name on the quote, stop there.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.

MORE GUIDES

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Event securitys near you

Event securitys in DublinEvent securitys in CorkEvent securitys in GalwayEvent securitys in LimerickAll event securitys on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Private Security Services Act 2004, section 2
  2. Private Security Services Act 2004, section 38
  3. S.I. 144/2012 — Private Security (Licensing and Standards) Regulations
  4. S.I. 134/2025 — supplier or installer of safes
  5. Private Security Authority
  6. Revenue — SECURITY SERVICES - (Supply) — Standard rate
  7. Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
  8. Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only