To work as a paid security officer in Florida, you need a guard card issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) under Chapter 493 of the Florida Statutes.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 493 – 493.6111 License; Contents; Identification Card Florida guard card requirements come in two tiers: a Class D license for unarmed work, and a Class G license that adds firearm authority on top of the Class D. Each has its own age minimum, training hours, fees, and renewal rules, and both require a clean-enough criminal record to clear a state and federal background check.
Which License You Need
The Class D Security Officer License covers unarmed positions: patrolling a shopping center, monitoring cameras, staffing a gated community entrance, or writing incident reports at a hospital. Anyone performing security officer services must hold a Class D, and that person must work for (or own) a licensed Class B security agency. You cannot freelance security work on your own.2Online Sunshine. Florida Code 493 – 493.6301
The Class G Statewide Firearm License authorizes you to carry a firearm on duty. It is not a standalone credential. You must already hold a Class D or apply for both together.3Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License Requirements The Class G adds substantial training up front and a firearms requalification every year.
Basic Eligibility
- Age: at least 18 for a Class D, at least 21 for a Class G.
- Legal status: U.S. citizen or legal resident alien with a Social Security number and work authorization.
- Background: state and federal criminal history check via fingerprinting through FDACS.
Criminal History That Will Stop You
Florida is strict on felonies. If you have a felony conviction, FDACS will deny your application unless your civil rights have been restored by Florida (or a state Florida recognizes) and at least 10 years have passed since your final release from supervision. A Class G applicant with a felony also needs the specific right to possess, carry, or use a firearm restored.4Online Sunshine. Florida Code 493 – 493.6118
A guilty plea or conviction for any crime directly related to security work can also lead to denial or revocation, even if the court withheld adjudication. A no-contest plea creates a presumption of guilt that you’d have to overcome with mitigating evidence.4Online Sunshine. Florida Code 493 – 493.6118 If you have anything on your record, call FDACS or a lawyer before paying for a training course.
Training You Have to Complete
Class D: 40 Hours in the Classroom
Every Class D applicant must complete a 40-hour security officer training course at an FDACS-licensed school.5Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Class D Security Officer License Requirements Coursework covers legal authority and limitations, emergency procedures, communication, report writing, and conflict resolution. Plan on roughly a week of classroom time. Tuition varies by school but usually runs a few hundred dollars.
If you’ve served in the U.S. Armed Forces, Florida Administrative Code 5N-1.119(4) may allow partial credit toward the 40 hours based on your training record.5Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Class D Security Officer License Requirements Contact FDACS to confirm the documentation and how many hours can be waived.
Class G: 28 Hours of Firearms Training
On top of the 40-hour Class D course, Class G applicants must complete a 28-hour firearms course taught by a licensed Class K firearms instructor.3Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License Requirements Classroom time covers the legal limits on the use of force, firearm mechanics, and safety. On the range, you must fire a 48-round qualification course and score at least 168 out of 240 points (70%) to pass. You qualify separately on each type and caliber of firearm you plan to carry on duty.
Applying and What It Costs
Once your training is done, submit your application through the FDACS online licensing portal or by mail with your training certificates, fingerprints, and the fee. The Class D application fee is $97.75, which covers the license fee and fingerprint processing. The Class G application fee is approximately $112, plus fingerprinting.6Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. FS493 License Fees Budget another $40 to $50 for fingerprinting if your livescan provider collects it separately.
Processing usually takes 10 to 30 days, depending on FDACS workload and how quickly your background check clears. You can track the application online. If FDACS reaches out about missing information or a background flag, respond fast; delays compound.
Can You Work While the Application Is Pending?
Yes, with conditions. Once you file a complete Class D application, you can start work for a licensed security agency right away, without waiting for the physical card.7Florida Senate. Florida Code 493 – Chapter 493 If FDACS later denies the application, your security employment must end immediately unless your employer moves you to unregulated duties.
For a Class G, FDACS can issue a temporary firearm license on a case-by-case basis. To qualify, your employer must certify your mental and emotional stability (through a psychological evaluation, a validated test, or a recent DD-214), you must have finished all required firearms training, and a preliminary criminal history check must come back clean. There’s an added processing fee of up to $25. The temporary license stays valid until FDACS issues or denies the full Class G.7Florida Senate. Florida Code 493 – Chapter 493
Renewal and the Class G Annual Requalification
Both licenses run for two years. FDACS recommends filing your renewal at least 90 days before expiration to avoid any gap.8Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Renewing Your Private Security License Miss the renewal date and you cannot perform any security work until the license is renewed, and you’ll owe a late fee equal to the license fee. Let it lapse for three months or more and you lose the right to renew at all; you have to start over with a brand-new application.9Florida Senate. Florida Code 493 – 493.6113
The Class G has an extra trap: an annual firearms requalification. During each year of the two-year term, you must complete at least four hours of requalification training with a licensed Class K instructor and submit proof to FDACS. Miss the requalification in year one and your Class G is automatically suspended; to get it back, you have to redo the full 28-hour initial firearms course, not just the 4-hour session. Miss it in year two and FDACS will require the same 28-hour redo before processing your renewal.9Florida Senate. Florida Code 493 – 493.6113 Put the deadline on your calendar the day the license arrives.
Penalties for Working Without a License
Doing licensed security work without holding a license is a first-degree misdemeanor on the first offense, carrying up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. A second or later violation becomes a third-degree felony, with up to five years in prison, and FDACS can pursue a civil penalty of up to $10,000 on top of the criminal charges.10Florida Senate. Florida Code 493 – 493.6120 Violations; Penalty
There’s one narrow carve-out: if your license recently expired, you won’t face those criminal penalties for work performed within 90 days of the expiration date.10Florida Senate. Florida Code 493 – 493.6120 Violations; Penalty Working on an expired license still violates the renewal statute, though, so FDACS can still pursue administrative action even when the criminal penalty doesn’t apply. Keep the card current.