Class D Security License: Requirements, Training, and Application

The Florida Class D security license is the state credential you need to work as an unarmed security officer, issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) under Chapter 493 of the Florida Statutes. The license itself costs $45, plus fingerprint processing fees, and is valid for two years.¹ Before you apply, you must finish 40 hours of approved training; once licensed, you must work for a licensed Class B security agency rather than freelance.

Who Must Hold a Class D License

Anyone performing security officer services in Florida needs the Class D, and must either own or be employed by a licensed Class B agency.² Independent contracting is not allowed with a Class D alone.

Working security without a valid license is a first-degree misdemeanor on the first offense. A second violation is a third-degree felony with a civil penalty of up to $10,000, and any conviction under Chapter 493 bars you from licensure for five years.³

Eligibility Requirements

You must be at least 18 and either a U.S. citizen, a permanent legal resident, or hold current employment authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.⁴ FDACS also screens for what the statute calls “good moral character,” which in practice means a review of criminal history, substance abuse, and mental health commitments.

The disqualifiers are specific:

A felony conviction bars you unless your civil rights have been fully restored and at least 10 years have passed since final release from supervision.
A felony with adjudication withheld bars you for three years after final release from supervision.
A controlled substance conviction or commitment for substance abuse within the past three years disqualifies you, unless you can show completed rehabilitation and no current use.
Habitual alcohol use that impairs your normal faculties, or two or more DUI convictions within the three years before filing, requires proof of rehabilitation.

These rules apply regardless of when the underlying offense occurred.⁴ A detail worth paying attention to: the 10-year felony clock runs from final release from supervision, not from the conviction date. If you were on probation for years, the clock starts when probation ended. Applying too early is one of the most common reasons for denial.

The 40-Hour Training

Before filing, you must complete at least 40 hours of professional training at a security officer school or training facility licensed by FDACS.⁵ Forty hours is the statutory floor; some schools run slightly longer.

Coursework covers the legal boundaries of your authority as a security officer, liability, emergency response, de-escalation, ethics, observation, and report writing. The school issues an original completion certificate that you submit with your application. Keep that original safe. A photocopy will not satisfy FDACS.

Application Documents and Fees

FDACS provides the official Class D application on its website. You will disclose your name, date of birth, Social Security or alien registration number, current address, and every criminal conviction, guilty plea, or no-contest plea, including those where adjudication was withheld.⁶ False statements are fraud and are grounds for denial, fines, suspension, or revocation.

Your package must include:

One passport-style color photo taken within six months of submission.
A full set of fingerprints with processing and retention fees paid. Most applicants use electronic Live Scan at an approved vendor.
The original 40-hour training completion certificate.
A signed personal inquiry waiver authorizing background investigation.

The license fee is $45, set by statute.⁷ FDACS does not charge a separate application fee on top of that.⁶ Fingerprint costs vary by vendor, so plan on roughly $50 to $80 total out of pocket for the license plus fingerprinting. Training tuition is a separate expense that depends on the school.

Working While Your Application Is Pending

Florida lets you begin working as soon as a complete application has been filed. The statute is explicit: upon filing, you may start employment or perform security duties for a licensed Class B agency.⁶ If FDACS later denies the application, your security employment must end immediately unless the agency reassigns you to duties that don’t require a license.

Once your license arrives, carry it on your person while on duty. Until then, keep proof of submission accessible.²

What the License Lets You Do

The Class D covers unarmed security work: observing, patrolling, monitoring access points, checking credentials, and writing incident reports. Officers typically work at residential communities, retail centers, office buildings, hospitals, and event venues. Plain-clothes assignments are permitted on a limited basis when the job specifically calls for it, but uniformed duty is the default.²

You must work under a licensed Class B agency. The agency holds the business license; you hold the individual one. You cannot accept independent contracts with only a Class D.

Detention Authority

Security officers are not law enforcement. Under Florida common law, a security officer has the same authority as any private citizen to detain someone they personally witness committing a felony or a breach of the peace, hold that person for a reasonable time, and transfer custody to police on arrival. Excessive force is not permitted.

Authority is somewhat broader at critical infrastructure sites such as deepwater ports, refineries, and power plants. Licensed, uniformed officers at those locations may temporarily detain anyone they have probable cause to believe is committing a crime, using only reasonably necessary force, and must contact law enforcement promptly.

Uniform and Equipment

Your uniform and any insignia must clearly distinguish you from police. Badges or patches that resemble law enforcement insignia can trigger discipline for impersonating an officer, which is listed under Chapter 493’s grounds for revocation. Your license must be visible or on your person while on duty. As an unarmed officer, your equipment is generally limited to non-lethal, observational tools such as flashlights, radios, and body cameras. Carrying a baton, pepper spray, or any weapon without proper authorization can lead to license suspension or criminal charges.

Carrying a Firearm Requires a Class G

The Class D alone does not authorize you to carry a firearm on duty. A Class D holder who also obtains a Class G Statewide Firearm License may carry a firearm, but only when the employer specifically authorizes it for the assignment.⁸ Without that authorization, the firearm stays home even with a valid Class G.

Class G training is 28 hours of combined classroom and range work covering legal use of firearms, mechanical operation and safety, and live-fire qualification with 144 rounds. Applicants must be at least 18 and meet the same citizenship rules as Class D. Concealed carry on duty requires age 21. The Class G also carries a four-hour annual requalification requirement.⁹

Renewal

The Class D is valid for two years. FDACS mails a renewal notice about 95 days before expiration, but tracking the date is your responsibility.¹⁰ You file a renewal application, pay the renewal fee and the fingerprint retention fee, and your license continues for another two-year cycle. After the first renewal, you generally don’t resubmit fingerprints, since your prints stay in the statewide biometric system.

Working on an expired license is unlicensed activity, carrying the misdemeanor and felony penalties described earlier. There is a 90-day grace period after expiration during which those penalties don’t apply, but you still cannot legally work during that window.³ Miss the renewal window by three months or more and the license is dead. You will have to start over with a new application and pay all fees again.¹⁰

If Your Application Is Denied

FDACS denial letters identify the specific grounds, usually a criminal history issue or a moral character finding. You can request a formal administrative hearing where a judge reviews the evidence. Certified copies of court records, proof of rehabilitation, and letters of reference carry weight at this stage. Applicants with an old conviction or a withheld adjudication where the waiting period may already have run often consult an attorney who handles professional licensing cases before deciding whether to reapply or contest the denial.

1
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 493 – Private Investigative, Private Security, and Repossession Services
2
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Security Officer Handbook
3
Florida Senate. Florida Code 493.6120 – Violations; Penalty
4
Online Sunshine. Florida Code 493.6106 – License Requirements
5
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Class D Security Officer License Requirements
6
Florida Senate. Florida Code 493.6105 – Initial Application for License
7
Florida House of Representatives. Florida Code 493.6302 – License Fees
8
Online Sunshine. Florida Code 493.6115 – Weapons and Firearms
9
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License Requirements
10
Online Sunshine. Florida Code 493.6113 – Renewal of License