Class G License in Florida: Eligibility, Training, and Renewal

The Class G license in Florida is the state credential that authorizes private security officers, private investigators, and related professionals to carry a firearm while performing duties regulated under Chapter 493 of the Florida Statutes. You cannot lawfully be armed in these roles without it, no matter what other firearm licenses you hold. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) issues the license after a 28-hour training course, a fingerprint-based background investigation, and fees totaling roughly $154.¹

Who Can Apply

A Class G is an add-on, not a standalone credential. You must already hold one of the underlying Chapter 493 licenses to be eligible: Class C (private investigator), Class CC (private investigator intern), Class D (security officer), Class M (private investigator manager), Class MA (agency manager), or Class MB (branch agency manager).² If your assignment involves armed patrol, armored transport, executive protection, or any other duty that requires a firearm, you need the Class G stacked on top of whichever base license fits your role.

Eligibility and Disqualifiers

Florida Statute 493.6106 requires every applicant to be at least 18 years old and either a U.S. citizen or a permanent legal resident alien. The Class G residency rule is stricter than for other Chapter 493 licenses. A Class D applicant can qualify with USCIS work authorization; a Class G applicant must specifically hold permanent resident status.³ You also cannot be prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law.

FDACS runs a fingerprint-based criminal history check through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI, and specifically investigates mental health history and current emotional fitness. The department can deny a Class G license to anyone with a history of mental illness or drug or alcohol abuse.⁴

Florida Statute 493.6118 lists the grounds for denial and revocation. The ones that most often disqualify Class G applicants:

A felony conviction. FDACS must deny or revoke unless your civil rights have been restored and at least 10 years have passed since your final release from supervision. For a Class G, you must also have your specific right to possess a firearm restored; a general restoration of civil rights is not enough.
A felony charge with adjudication withheld. The bar lasts until 3 years after final release from supervision.
An arrest or charge for a firearms-related crime that would disqualify you from licensure, or for any forcible felony. Verified notification triggers a temporary suspension.
Committing violence or using force on anyone outside of lawful self-defense or defense of others.
Failing to complete annual firearms requalification on time.

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Federal law adds a permanent bar the state cannot waive. The Lautenberg Amendment prohibits anyone convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense from possessing firearms, with no exception for professional duties. A domestic violence misdemeanor ends your ability to hold a Class G regardless of when the conviction occurred.

The 28-Hour Training Course

Before you apply, you must complete a 28-hour firearms course taught by a licensed Class K instructor. No more than 8 of those hours can be range training; the rest is classroom instruction.¹ The curriculum is set by FDACS rule and covers lawful use of firearms in regulated security and investigative work.²

Your instructor issues a certificate of completion, which goes into your application package. FDACS verifies it during processing. Tuition varies by provider; Florida courses generally run between $100 and $500.

Applying and Paying

The application is FDACS form 16008, available on the FDACS website.⁶ You include your existing professional license number, personal identification information, your training certificate, and two passport-style color photographs.

Fees are straightforward:

License fee: $112
Fingerprint processing fee: $42

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Fingerprinting is done electronically through a Livescan service provider, which submits your prints digitally to FDLE. Confirm that the Livescan technician uses the correct Originating Agency Identifier (ORI) for FDACS. Using the wrong code is one of the most common causes of processing delays.

You can submit the package by mail to FDACS in Tallahassee, in person at a regional office, or through the online portal with credit card payment.⁸⁷⁴ You cannot carry a firearm in your professional capacity until the issued license is in your hand. There is no temporary or provisional authorization during the wait.

What You Can Carry, and How

A Class G does not let you carry any firearm you own. Florida Statute 493.6115 limits you to specific handguns, and only to the type and caliber you actually qualified on during training. The approved list:

.38 caliber revolver
.380 caliber semiautomatic pistol
9mm semiautomatic pistol
.357 caliber revolver, limited to .38 caliber ammunition only
.40 caliber handgun
.45 ACP handgun

The .357 restriction trips people up. You can carry the revolver, but loading it with .357 Magnum rounds on duty violates the statute. FDACS may approve additional firearms beyond this list, but only through separate departmental authorization.⁹

The default carry rule is open, “encased in view” in the statute’s language, while you are performing your regulated duties. You cannot be furnished a weapon unless your duties require it, and you cannot carry it outside those duties.² The statute ties possession to the performance of your duties, so if you need to transport a firearm to and from your post, confirm the lawful way to do so with your employer and a qualified attorney.

Concealed carry is allowed in a few situations for Class G holders 21 or older:

Private investigators and PI interns (Class C/CC) when required by their duties and approved by their employing agency.
Security officers (Class D) performing limited, special assignment duties.
Security officers doing executive protection or bodyguard work, but only in nonuniform status.

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Concealed carry authority under a Class G is valid statewide, as long as you are performing services within the scope of the license.² Carrying outside your authorized duties, whether open or concealed, can lead to revocation and criminal charges.

Where Your License Doesn’t Reach

Federal law creates zones a state license cannot open. Under 18 U.S.C. § 930, possessing a firearm in a federal building where federal employees regularly work is a criminal offense punishable by up to one year in prison. Exceptions are narrow: law enforcement officers on official duty, federal officials, and members of the Armed Forces. Licensed private security officers are not on that list, even when the employer contracts with a federal agency.¹⁰

The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act (18 U.S.C. § 922(q)) prohibits firearm possession within 1,000 feet of a school. There is an exception for individuals acting under a contract between a school and the individual or their employer, so armed security under a school contract can be lawful. Passing through a school zone on an unrelated assignment is not covered; the Class G is not one of the listed exemptions.¹¹

The license also stops at the state line. There is no multi-state armed security credential. If work takes you into Georgia, Alabama, or elsewhere, you need whatever armed security license that state requires. Requirements vary widely, a few states offer limited case-by-case reciprocity for security licenses, and states such as New York and New Jersey generally do not accept out-of-state security credentials at all. Verify the destination state’s rules before accepting any cross-border assignment.

Renewal and Annual Requalification

The license is valid for two years, but renewal is not just a check in the mail. Each year during the two-year period, you must complete at least four hours of firearms requalification with a Class K instructor, requalify on each type and caliber you carry on duty, and submit proof to FDACS.¹²

The consequences of missing requalification are immediate:

Miss year one: your license is automatically suspended. To get it back, you must complete the full initial 28-hour training again and submit proof.
Miss year two: you must complete the full initial training again before FDACS will process your renewal.
Fail to renew before expiration: you may still renew with a late fee, but you cannot work armed in any regulated capacity between the expiration date and the renewal date.
Three or more months past expiration: the license is dead. You must file a brand-new application and pay all fees again.

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Put the requalification dates on a calendar the day the license arrives. This is where most professionals lose their credential, not from misconduct but from an administrative deadline that slipped.

1
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License Requirements
2
Florida Statutes. Florida Statutes 493.6115 – Weapons and Firearms
3
Florida Senate. Florida Code 493.6106 – License Requirements; Posting
4
Florida Statutes. Florida Code 493.6108 – Investigation of Applicants by Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
5
Florida Statutes. Florida Statutes 493.6118 – Grounds for Disciplinary Action
6
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Forms – Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
7
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License Application
8
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Regional Offices
9
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Approved Firearms for Class G License Holders
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
11
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
12
Florida Senate. Florida Code 493.6113 – Renewal