The Class G license in Florida is the statewide firearm credential that allows private security officers, private investigators, and related professionals regulated under Chapter 493 to carry a firearm while performing their duties. It is issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and requires a 28-hour training course, a fingerprint-based background investigation, and fees of about $154.1Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License Requirements Without it, you cannot legally carry a weapon in any of these roles, no matter what other license or permit you hold.
Who the License Is For
The Class G is an add-on, not a standalone credential. You can only qualify if you already hold one of the underlying Chapter 493 licenses: Class C (private investigator), Class CC (private investigator intern), Class D (security officer), Class M (private investigator manager), Class MA (private investigator agency), or Class MB (branch agency manager).2Florida Statutes. Florida Statutes 493.6115 – Weapons and Firearms If your assignment calls for armed work, such as armored car transport, executive protection, or armed patrol, you need the Class G stacked on top of whichever base license fits your role.
Who Qualifies
Florida Statute 493.6106 sets the baseline. Every applicant must be at least 18 and must be either a U.S. citizen or a permanent legal resident alien. The residency rule bites harder for Class G than for other Chapter 493 licenses: a Class D applicant can qualify with a USCIS work authorization, but a Class G applicant specifically has to hold permanent resident status.3Florida Senate. Florida Code 493.6106 – License Requirements; Posting You also cannot be prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm under state or federal law.
FDACS runs a background investigation on every Class G applicant. That includes a fingerprint-based criminal history check through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI. The department additionally investigates each applicant’s mental health history and current emotional fitness, and can deny the license based on a history of mental illness or drug or alcohol abuse.4Florida Statutes. Florida Code 493.6108 – Investigation of Applicants by Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Disqualifiers to Know About
The grounds for denial and revocation sit in Florida Statute 493.6118. The ones that catch people most often:
- A felony conviction disqualifies you unless your civil rights have been restored by Florida or an acceptable state and at least 10 years have passed since your final release from supervision. For a Class G, your specific right to possess, carry, or use a firearm must also be restored; general restoration of civil rights alone is not enough.
- Even a felony with adjudication withheld disqualifies you until 3 years after final release from supervision.
- An arrest or charge for a disqualifying firearms-related crime, or for any forcible felony, triggers an automatic temporary suspension once FDACS receives verified notice from law enforcement or the courts.
- Committing violence or using force on anyone, outside lawful self-defense or defense of others, is grounds for discipline.
- Failing to complete annual firearms requalification on time is independently listed as grounds for action against your license.
Federal law adds a permanent bar that state licensing cannot work around. The Lautenberg Amendment prohibits anyone convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense from possessing firearms, and there is no professional-duty exception. That prohibition applies retroactively and ends your ability to hold a Class G no matter when the conviction occurred.
The 28-Hour Training Course
Before you can apply, you have to complete a 28-hour firearms training course taught by a licensed Class K instructor. No more than 8 of those hours can be range time; the balance is classroom instruction.1Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License Requirements The curriculum is set by FDACS rule and covers the lawful use of firearms in regulated security and investigative work.2Florida Statutes. Florida Statutes 493.6115 – Weapons and Firearms
Your instructor issues a certificate of completion. Keep it. You will need it for the application, and FDACS verifies it during processing. Tuition varies, but Florida courses generally run between $100 and $500.
How to Apply and What It Costs
The application is FDACS form 16008, available on the FDACS website or through the department’s forms page.6Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Forms – Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services You’ll submit your existing professional license number, personal identification information, your training certificate, and two passport-style color photographs.
Fees total $154:
- License fee: $112
- Fingerprint processing fee: $42
Fingerprints must be submitted electronically through a Livescan provider, which transmits them to FDLE. You can send your completed package to FDACS by mail to Tallahassee or deliver it in person at a regional office. Regional offices accept walk-ins but prioritize scheduled appointments, which you can book online.8Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Regional Offices FDACS also runs an online portal that accepts digital document uploads and credit card payment.
How Long It Takes
FDACS states on the application that processing takes one to three months once your documentation and criminal history check are complete.7Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License Application The statutory clock pauses while FDLE or the FBI is reviewing your fingerprints, so background-check delays sit outside the department’s normal timeline.4Florida Statutes. Florida Code 493.6108 – Investigation of Applicants by Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services You cannot carry a firearm in your professional capacity until the license is issued and in your hand. There is no temporary or provisional authorization during the wait.
What You Can Actually Carry
The Class G does not authorize you to carry any firearm you happen to own. Florida Statute 493.6115 limits you to specific handguns, and you can only carry the type and caliber you 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 line trips people up. You can carry the revolver, but loading it with .357 Magnum rounds while on duty violates the statute. The department can approve additional firearms, but that takes separate departmental authorization.9Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Approved Firearms for Class G License Holders
Open Carry, Concealed Carry, and On-Duty Only
The default rule is open carry. Your firearm must be “encased in view” while you perform regulated duties. You may not carry or be furnished a weapon unless your duties require it, and you may not carry outside those duties.2Florida Statutes. Florida Statutes 493.6115 – Weapons and Firearms The statute does not expressly authorize carrying during your commute, so talk with your employer and a qualified attorney about how to transport the firearm to and from your post lawfully.
Concealed carry is allowed in limited circumstances for Class G holders who are 21 or older:
- Class C and CC private investigators and interns may carry concealed when their duties require it and their employing agency approves.
- Class D security officers may carry concealed while performing limited special-assignment duties.
- Security officers performing executive protection or bodyguard services may carry concealed, but only in nonuniform status.
Carrying outside your authorized duties, open or concealed, can bring both license revocation and criminal charges.
Where Your License Doesn’t Reach
A Class G does not override federal firearms law, and two federal rules catch armed security professionals regularly.
Under 18 U.S.C. § 930, bringing a firearm into any federal building where federal employees regularly work is a crime punishable by up to a year in prison. The exceptions are narrow: law enforcement officers on official duty, federal officials, and members of the Armed Forces. Licensed private security is not on that list, even if your employer contracts with a federal agency.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act (18 U.S.C. § 922(q)) prohibits firearm possession within 1,000 feet of a school. There’s an exception for individuals acting under a contract between the school and the individual or the individual’s employer, so armed security on a school contract can be lawful. If you’re simply passing through a school zone on a different assignment, the Class G is not a listed exemption.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
The license is also Florida-only. There is no multi-state armed security credential. If your work takes you into Georgia, Alabama, or any other state, you need that state’s armed security authorization, and requirements vary widely. A handful of states have limited reciprocity for security licenses, but it is negotiated case by case and never automatic. States like New York and New Jersey generally do not accept out-of-state security credentials at all. Verify the destination state’s rules before you accept any cross-border assignment.
Keeping the License: Renewal and Annual Requalification
Your Class G is valid for two years, but renewal is not just mailing a check. Every year during the license period you must complete at least four hours of firearms requalification training with a Class K instructor, requalify on each specific type and caliber you carry on duty, and submit proof of completion to FDACS.12Florida Senate. Florida Code 493.6113 – Renewal
Miss requalification and the consequences stack fast:
- Miss year one and your license is automatically suspended. To restore it you must complete the full 28-hour initial training again and submit proof to FDACS.
- Miss year two and you must again complete the full initial training before FDACS will process your renewal.
- Let the license expire and you may still renew with a late fee, but you cannot work in any regulated capacity between the expiration date and the renewal date.
- Go three or more months past expiration and the license is dead. You start over with a brand-new application and pay all fees again.
Put the requalification and renewal dates on a calendar the day the license arrives. More Class G holders lose their credential to a missed deadline than to any disciplinary issue.