Armed Class G Security License: Eligibility, Training, and FDACS Application

The Florida Class G license requirements include an underlying security or investigator license, U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, a clean enough background to pass a firearms-focused review, 28 hours of approved training with a live-fire qualification, and an annual four-hour requalification to keep the license usable. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) issues the license under Chapter 493 of the Florida Statutes, and it authorizes certain security professionals to carry a handgun on duty.

Who the License Is For

A Class G is not a standalone credential. You need it on top of one of the underlying Chapter 493 licenses whenever your job involves carrying a firearm: Class D (security officer), Class M or MB (security agency manager or branch manager), Class C or CC (private investigator or intern), or Class MA (private investigative agency manager).¹

The license is only in effect while you are actually employed under one of those qualifying license types.¹ Leave the industry and your Class G sits dormant, whether or not the printed expiration date has passed.

Eligibility

You must be at least 18 and either a U.S. citizen or a permanent legal resident alien.² Applicants under 24 have to disclose any juvenile adjudication for an act that would have been a felony if committed by an adult.³

Criminal History

A felony conviction is a disqualifier unless three things have happened: your civil rights have been restored, at least 10 years have passed since you completed supervision, and Florida has specifically restored your right to possess, carry, or use a firearm.⁴ That last piece is the one applicants often miss. General restoration of civil rights alone does not get you there.

If adjudication of guilt was withheld on a felony charge, you are still barred for three years after your final release from supervision.⁴ On top of felony rules, FDACS denies anyone who is prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm under state or federal law. That sweeps in domestic violence misdemeanor convictions, active restraining orders, certain drug offenses, and dishonorable military discharges.

What You Submit With the Application

Your application must include a passport-style color photograph taken within the previous six months, a full set of fingerprints, a personal inquiry waiver authorizing FDACS to investigate your background, and statements regarding any mental health adjudication or involuntary commitment.³

Training

Before applying, you have to complete 28 hours of combined classroom and range training.² Every instructor must hold a Class K firearms instructor license.⁵

Up to 20 of the 28 hours may be done in a live online classroom. At least 8 hours have to be in-person range training covering safe handling and storage.³ The classroom portion covers firearm safety, marksmanship fundamentals, Florida firearms and use-of-force law, and the civil and criminal liability tied to using a firearm on the job.²

Live-Fire Qualification

On the range you fire 144 rounds total: 48 practice rounds followed by two 48-round qualification cycles, and you must pass the qualification.² You may only carry on duty the specific firearm type and caliber you qualified with during training.¹ If you expect to carry a 9mm at work, qualify on a 9mm.

Approved Firearms

Florida law limits on-duty handguns to the following:

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

FDACS may approve additional firearms beyond this list. Whatever you are qualified to carry, you may not have more than two firearms on your person while performing security duties.¹

How You Carry on Duty

A Class G is not a concealed carry permit. By default the law requires your firearm to be carried openly and encased in view at all times while you are on duty.¹

There is a concealed-carry exception for certain roles who are at least 21. Private investigators with a Class C or CC and a Class G may carry concealed while performing their duties. Class D security officers who are at least 21 and hold a Class G may also carry concealed, but only under the conditions set in the statute, and the Class G license itself must clearly indicate that concealed-carry authority has been granted.¹ If your license does not carry that notation, you carry openly.

Applying Through FDACS

Applications go through the FDACS Division of Licensing. You can file online, by mail, or in person at a regional office. Submit your application form, training completion certificate, passport-style photo, fingerprints, and the fingerprint processing fee.²

Class G and Class D applicants are exempt by statute from the standard application fee that other Chapter 493 licensees pay.³ You still owe fingerprint processing and retention fees, and FDACS maintains a separate licensing and renewal fee schedule, so check the current numbers on the FDACS site before you file.

Keeping the License Active

The Class G is valid for two years, but you cannot wait two years between training sessions. Every year you must complete a four-hour requalification course covering the same curriculum areas as the initial training plus any recent legal changes.²

The annual requalification includes a 48-round live-fire test. If you fail after three attempts, you are directed to seek remedial training and come back later.² Skip a year entirely and you can invalidate the license, which may force you back through the full 28-hour initial course.

Working Without a Valid License

Carrying a firearm on a security job without a valid Class G is a crime. A first violation is a first-degree misdemeanor. A second or subsequent violation is a third-degree felony, and FDACS can pursue a civil penalty of up to $10,000 on top of the criminal charges.⁶

There is one narrow cushion: if your license recently expired and you keep working within 90 days of the expiration date, the criminal penalties do not apply. Renew immediately in that window. A conviction for any Chapter 493 violation makes you ineligible for licensure for five years.⁶

If You Fire Your Weapon

Discharge your firearm during your duties and both you and your employing agency must submit an explanation to FDACS within five working days. The report must describe what happened, why using the firearm was necessary, and include any law enforcement report from the incident. Failing to file gives FDACS grounds to revoke your Class G and the agency’s license.¹

Arrests and Automatic Suspension

An arrest or charge for a firearms-related crime triggers an automatic temporary suspension of your Class G. FDACS suspends on written verification from a law enforcement agency, a court, or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. If the case ends in a non-disqualifying outcome, submit a certified copy of the final resolution and FDACS lifts the suspension. A disqualifying outcome keeps the suspension in place and starts revocation proceedings.⁴ Arrests for forcible felonies carry the same automatic suspension even when the charge is not specifically firearms-related.

1
Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 493 – Section 493.6115
2
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License Requirements
3
Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 493.6105 – Application for License
4
Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 493.6118 – Grounds for Disciplinary Action
5
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Class K Firearms Instructor License Requirements
6
Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 493 – Section 493.6120