(G License) Armed Security Officer

Eligibility Requirements to become an Armed Security Officer in the State of Florida

. To apply for a Class "G" license, you must be at least 18 years old.

Citizenship Requirements

You must be either a U.S. citizen or a permanent legal resident alien to qualify for a Class "G" license, and you must provide documentation confirming your citizenship status.

• If you were born in the United States, submit a copy of your birth certificate, U.S. passport, Social Security card, driver license, state-issued ID card, or voter registration card.
• If you are a naturalized citizen, submit a copy of your U.S. passport or the official document issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services indicating that you are a naturalized citizen.
• If you are not a U.S. citizen, submit a copy of your Permanent Legal Resident Alien card.

Training/Experience

An applicant for a Class “G” license must submit proof of having completed an initial course of instruction that includes 28 hours of classroom and range training pertaining to the use of firearms in connection with duties regulated under Chapter 493, Florida Statutes (F.S.).

The 28-hour course curriculum is outlined below:

Legal Aspects of Use of Firearms — 12 hours

This section of the course covers applicable portions of chapters 493, 775, 776 and 790, F.S., as well as civil and criminal liability issues in connection with the use of firearms.

Operational Firearms Safety and Firearms Mechanical Training — 8 to 11 hours

This portion of the curriculum is intended to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical operations of a firearm and how to handle firearms safely. A written examination of 100 questions will be administered covering the portions of the curriculum dealing with legal use and operational/mechanical training.

Firearms Qualification — 8 hours*

This segment of the training course includes practical exercises in the handling of firearms — stance, grip, sighting, etc. — as well as topics pertaining to range safety and range commands. The instructor will require students to fire 144 rounds as part of the firearms qualification for initial licensure (48 rounds of practice fire plus two cycles of 48 rounds for initial qualification). No more than eight hours of the 28 hours of training shall consist of range training.

*A Class “K” instructor can, at their discretion, administer as few as five hours of range qualification training if the student demonstrates sufficient mastery of the core principles of safe firearms handling (to include shooting a qualifying score) without the full eight hours of range training. However, reducing the number of hours of range training will require teaching additional hours elsewhere in the curriculum so that the cumulative total of firearms training amounts to 28 hours as required by Section 493.6105(5), F.S.

Annual Renewal Training

To maintain licensure, the Class “G” license holder must complete  four hours of requalifying training each year [ 504.5 KB ] . The annual training course shall consist of a review of the curriculum topics listed above as part of the initial training requirements to include any recent changes in the law. License holders will be required to achieve a passing score on a cycle of fire consisting of 48 rounds. If the license holder fails to achieve a passing score after three attempts, they will be instructed to seek additional remedial training and schedule another requalification attempt at a later date.

TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY DELAYS IN THE PROCESSING OF YOUR APPLICATION, ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS AND SUBMIT ANY DOCUMENTATION NECESSARY TO SUPPORT YOUR ELIGIBILITY.