| Agency Name: | Security Bureau |
| Nativename A: | 保安局 |
| Formed: | 1973 |
| Preceding1: | Defense Branch |
| Preceding2: | Security Branch |
| Headquarters: | 10th Floor, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong |
| Minister1 Name: | Chris Tang |
| Minister1 Pfo: | Secretary for Security |
| Deputyminister1 Name: | Sonny Au |
| Deputyminister1 Pfo: | Under Secretary for Security |
| Chief1 Name: | Carol Yip |
| Chief1 Position: | Permanent Secretary for Security[1] |
| Child1 Agency: | Auxiliary Medical Service |
| Child2 Agency: | Civil Aid Service |
| Child3 Agency: | Correctional Services Department |
| Child4 Agency: | Customs and Excise Department |
| Child5 Agency: | Fire Services Department |
| Child6 Agency: | Government Flying Service |
| Child8 Agency: | Immigration Department |
| Website: | www.sb.gov.hk |
| C: | 保安局 |
| J: | Bou2 on1 guk6 |
| Y: | Bóu ōn guhk |
| P: | Bǎo'ān Jú |
| Hide: | no |
The Security Bureau is a body of the Government of Hong Kong responsible for policies of the maintenance of law and order, exercising immigration and customs control, rehabilitating offenders and drug abusers, and providing emergency fire and rescue services.
The bureau is headed by the Secretary for Security.
In 1973 it was known as the Defence Branch . Before 1997, it was named the Security Branch .
In January 2021, a proposal from the government was announced, where information of airline passengers would be shared with the Immigration Department and passengers could potentially be banned from flying.[2] In response to criticism that it could lead to preventing Hong Kong citizens from leaving the city, the Security Bureau claimed that they would not be affected, and that this would only be for "passenger information on flights heading to Hong Kong, rather than departing flights. The right of Hong Kong residents to enter or leave Hong Kong is not affected."
In February 2021, after reports that the Security Bureau worked with the Correctional Services Department to force prisoners with dual passports to declare a sole nationality, the Security Bureau cited mainland China's nationality laws to explain why consular visits to those prisoners with dual passports might be rejected.[3] A spokesman for the British consulate said they were now "seeking answers from the Hong Kong authorities following the suggestion that they may withdraw our consular access to dual national prisoners and prevent us providing the support we have given since 1997."
In 2022, journalists and members of the legal team representing media tycoon Jimmy Lai internationally received threatening messages purportedly from the Security Bureau and the National Security Department. The Hong Kong police issued a statement condemning acts of impersonation and asked for more information from those involved in order to follow up on the incident.[4]
In August 2022, the Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau said it that any amount of THC is illegal in the city. Hong Kong authorities subsequently outlawed CBD, saying that it can be converted into THC and many products came contaminated with the chemical. Whether CBD has medicinal effects is debated.[5] [6]
The following public entities are controlled by the bureau: