BC Bylaw Officer FAQ

 

Q. Does this course “certify” me to do Bylaw Enforcement in B.C.

A. Currently there are NO legislated requirements for training any Bylaw Officers in B.C. There is therefore no such thing as “certified” training in Canada. Just because a course is offered by a college or university does not mean that they can “certify” you in this profession. It does mean however that their programs meet the guidelines for providing courses to a set Provincial standard for length NOT content. They are also partially funded by the government, we are not.

Programs can be vetted by experts and ultimately, it is the courts who will determine if you were properly trained or not. This program was written by verified, court recognized, Subject Matter Experts who can accredit you and your training.

 

Q. Is there a certificate issued if I pass?

A. Yes, once you complete all the requirements a certificate of accreditation is emailed to you. It is high quality and suitable to be printed for framing.

 

Q. Does this certificate expire?

A. Court due diligence and common sense tells us that you need to refresh your knowledge on a frequent basis especially in areas of law that may change or you don’t use often. Our certificates expire in two years. Any course certificate that does not have an expiry date on it should be avoided. It doesn’t mean you will remember all the course content years from now.

 

Q. Can I also do Animal Control or Parking enforcement once I finish this course?

A. Legally you could however it is not recommended. Parking and Animal Control are both specialty skill sets that involve specific skills and knowledge of additional legislation and authorities. Aside from inherent risks in both, the legal liability attached to Animal Control is high if you  make a mistake.

 

Q. Can a Bylaw Officer actually be sent into the workplace without any proper training? Why am I hearing that this is actually happening?

A. Legally speaking yes, as you will see in the first module. Common sense however tells us that you would no more do this than dress up a police officer and send them out to work without any training. (By the way, in the 1970’s this was done while the officer waited for the next recruit class to start.) The risks are far too great and chances of making legal mistakes with permanent impacts are beyond what is acceptable in today’s society.