Class G License in Florida: Training, Fees, and Renewal

A Class G license in Florida is a statewide firearm authorization issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) under Chapter 493 of the Florida Statutes. It lets security officers, private investigators, and certain agency managers carry a handgun while on duty. To get one, you must already hold a qualifying Chapter 493 license, complete 28 hours of firearms training with a Class K instructor, pass a fingerprint-based background check, and submit an application to FDACS.¹ The license runs for two years and requires annual range re-qualification to stay active.

Who Needs a Class G License

The Class G is an add-on, not a standalone credential. You must already hold a Class C (private investigator), Class CC (private investigator intern), Class D (security officer), Class M, Class MA, or Class MB (agency manager) license before FDACS will approve a Class G application.² Without one of those, your Class G application will be rejected no matter how much training you’ve completed.

Most people entering the industry start with a Class D unarmed security officer license, which has its own 40-hour training requirement, and then upgrade to armed work by adding a Class G.

Eligibility Requirements

Beyond the prerequisite license, Section 493.6105 of the Florida Statutes sets several personal qualifications.³

You must be at least 21 years old.
You must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident alien, or hold a work-authorized visa, and provide either a Social Security number or alien registration number.
You must disclose every criminal conviction, guilty plea, and nolo contendere plea, regardless of whether adjudication was withheld. Applicants under 24 must also disclose juvenile acts that would have been felonies for an adult. A felony conviction or a disqualifying misdemeanor involving violence or controlled substances will bar licensure.
You must disclose any adjudication of incompetence or commitment to a mental institution. A substance abuse history or an active domestic violence injunction can lead to denial.

FDACS runs fingerprints through the statewide automated biometric identification system, so leaving past offenses off the form is both pointless and an independent ground for denial.

The 28-Hour Firearms Training

Every applicant must complete 28 hours of combined classroom and range instruction before applying. The statute allows up to 20 hours of classroom work, which may be delivered online through a secure, verified platform, and requires a minimum of 8 hours of in-person range training on safe firearm handling and storage.³

Classroom instruction covers Florida’s use-of-force rules, including Section 776.012, which permits deadly force only when reasonably necessary to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm, or a forcible felony.⁴ All instruction must be delivered by a licensed Class K firearms instructor, who verifies your identity, attendance, and completion.⁵ You must qualify on the range with each specific type and caliber of firearm you plan to carry. The instructor then issues the training certificate you’ll include in your application.

When FDACS Will Waive the Training

FDACS can waive the 28-hour requirement if you are currently certified as a Florida law enforcement or correctional officer, completed law enforcement certification training within the past 12 months, or are currently certified as a federal law enforcement officer with agency-administered firearms training.³ If any of those fit you, contact FDACS before paying for a course.

Application Documents and Fees

The Class G Statewide Firearm License Application is available on the FDACS website.¹ You’ll need to assemble:

Full legal name and any aliases, date and place of birth, SSN or alien registration number, and current residence and mailing addresses.
A complete criminal history disclosure and mental health disclosure.
One passport-style color photograph taken within the six months immediately before submission.
A full set of electronic fingerprints submitted through a law enforcement agency, FDACS regional office, or approved tax collector location.
The original 28-hour completion certificate signed by your Class K instructor.

Fingerprint processing costs about $35 at a law enforcement agency, or $42 at a FDACS regional office or approved tax collector; tax collectors may add a convenience fee of up to $9.⁶ A separate application fee applies; the current amount is on the FDACS Class G requirements page. Training tuition is additional and typically runs a few hundred dollars depending on the provider.

You can submit the package by mail to FDACS in Tallahassee, in person at a regional office, or through the online portal. FDACS also issues a temporary Class G that remains valid until the permanent license is issued or denied, so you may be able to begin armed work before the final card arrives.²

Approved Firearms and On-Duty Carry Rules

Class G holders may only carry specific handgun types and calibers on duty:⁷

.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

Two further limits catch people out. You may only carry a firearm of the exact type and caliber you qualified with in training; if you trained on a 9mm, you cannot carry a .45 ACP without a separate qualification. And you may carry no more than two firearms on your person while performing your duties.⁸

A critical boundary: the Class G authorizes you to carry only while performing duties regulated under Chapter 493. The statute says no employee shall carry a firearm except in connection with those duties.⁸ Once you clock out, the Class G stops authorizing anything. For personal off-duty carry, you need a separate Florida concealed weapon license and must follow the same rules as any other civilian.

Annual Re-qualification

Each year, you must complete four hours of firearms re-qualification training with a Class K instructor.⁹ The course reviews the legal and safety material from your initial training, covers recent changes in the law, and includes a live-fire qualification of 48 rounds.¹

You must re-qualify with every type and caliber you carry. If you fail the range portion, you get up to three attempts; after a third failure, you need remedial training before trying again. Proof of completion goes to FDACS annually, and letting the deadline slip can put your license status at risk.

Two-Year Renewal

The Class G renews every two years.⁹ FDACS mails a renewal packet with instructions about 95 days before the license expires.¹⁰ Renewal requires the renewal fee, a fingerprint retention fee, and proof of both years of annual re-qualification. Miss the expiration and you can still renew by paying a late fee, which by statute cannot exceed the license fee itself.

Active-duty military members and their spouses qualify for a fee waiver. The same applies to veterans who served on active duty within the two years before expiration and received an honorable discharge, and to surviving spouses of service members who died on active duty within that same window.⁹

Penalties for Working Armed Without a Valid Class G

Carrying a firearm on security or investigative duty without a valid Class G is a criminal offense under Section 493.6120. A first violation is a first-degree misdemeanor. A second or later violation becomes a third-degree felony, and FDACS can seek a civil penalty of up to $10,000 on top of the criminal charge.¹¹ One narrow exception: if your license expired within the past 90 days, the criminal penalty does not apply, though you still have to complete renewal before returning to armed work.

The exposure runs to employers too. If your re-qualification has lapsed or your license has expired, step out of armed assignments until your paperwork is current.

1
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License Requirements
2
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 493.6115 – Weapons and Firearms
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 493.6105 – Initial Application for License
4
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 776.012 – Use or Threatened Use of Force in Defense of Person
5
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Private Security Licenses
6
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. What Is the Cost of the Electronic Fingerprint Submission
7
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Approved Firearms for Class G License Holders
8
Florida Senate. Florida Code 493.6115 – Weapons and Firearms
9
Florida Senate. Florida Code 493.6113 – Renewal of Licenses
10
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Renewing Your Private Security License
11
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code Chapter 493 – Private Investigative, Private Security, and Repossession Services