Florida G License Renewal: Requalification, Filing, and Lapses

To renew a Florida Class G Statewide Firearm License, you must complete four hours of firearms re-qualification training every year of the two-year license period and then submit the Certificate of Firearms Proficiency, a recent passport-style photo, the renewal notice mailed by the Division of Licensing, and the renewal and fingerprint retention fees before your expiration date. The Florida G license renewal requirements run on an annual training clock inside a two-year licensing cycle, and missing either part has serious consequences.

The Annual Re-Qualification Inside the Two-Year Cycle

The license itself is good for two years, but Florida treats each year separately for firearms proficiency. During every year of the cycle, you must complete at least four hours of re-qualification training that combines classroom instruction with live-fire range work.¹ The classroom portion covers use-of-force law, recent legal changes, and defensive tactics. On the range, you fire a 48-round qualifying course and must achieve a passing score.²

A licensed Class K Firearms Instructor must conduct the entire session. You qualify separately for each type and caliber of firearm you carry on the job, though a Class K instructor may cover up to two calibers in a single four-hour session if you complete a separate course of fire for each.¹ After you pass, the instructor sends proof of completion to the Division of Licensing and gives you a completed Certificate of Firearms Proficiency (Form FDACS-16005), which records the caliber and type of firearm you qualified with.³

What You Need to Submit

FDACS mails a renewal notice to your last known address roughly 90 days before your license expires.¹ A complete renewal package includes:

The Division of Licensing renewal notice.
Your Certificate of Firearms Proficiency (Form FDACS-16005) from your most recent four-hour re-qualification.³
A passport-style color photo taken within the last six months. A copy of your driver’s license or passport photo will not be accepted.³
The renewal fee and a separate fingerprint retention fee. Check the FDACS online renewal portal for current amounts, since fees are set by department rule.¹

One fingerprint wrinkle to watch for: if your license was originally issued before January 1, 2017 and this is your first renewal, you must submit a full set of fingerprints along with a fingerprint processing fee. Future renewals after that first submission do not require new fingerprints.¹

How to File the Renewal

Online

The fastest route is the FDACS portal at cwrex.fdacs.gov. Log in or create an account, upload a scanned copy of your FDACS-16005 certificate and your passport-style photo, and pay with a credit card, debit card, or electronic check. A 2.5% convenience fee applies to card payments, or $0.50 for an e-check.³ Once you start an online renewal and submit payment, you cannot finish the process at a regional office or tax collector office, so have every document ready before you begin.

By Mail

Send the renewal application, FDACS-16005 certificate, photo, and payment to:

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Division of Licensing
P.O. Box 5767
Tallahassee, FL 32314-5767⁴

Use a tracked service so you have proof of delivery. Your renewal must reach the Division of Licensing on or before your expiration date to avoid a late fee. Keep in mind that you cannot perform any armed security duties between the date your license expires and the date it is actually renewed, even if your paperwork is pending.¹ Submit early.

What Happens If You Miss a Deadline

Florida does not offer a soft grace period for missed training, and the penalties escalate fast.

Miss your year-one re-qualification and your license is automatically suspended. Reinstatement requires completing the full 28-hour initial training course, the same program you took when you first qualified, and submitting proof to the Division of Licensing.¹

Miss your year-two re-qualification and the Division will not process your renewal until you complete the full 28-hour initial training course and submit proof.¹

File late but within 90 days of expiration and you can still renew. You may be required to pay a late fee on top of the standard renewal fee, and the late fee cannot exceed the license fee itself. You cannot legally perform any regulated activity during this window.¹

More than 90 days past expiration, renewal is off the table. You must start over with a new application, pay all initial fees, and complete the full 28-hour training program as if you had never been licensed.¹

Working While Your License Is Expired

Performing armed security duties without a valid Class G license is a criminal offense, not just a paperwork problem. A first violation is a first-degree misdemeanor. A second or subsequent violation is a third-degree felony, and the department can seek a civil penalty of up to $10,000.⁵

There is one narrow carve-out: the criminal penalties do not apply if the unlicensed activity occurs within 90 days after expiration.⁵ That is not permission to work. The statute separately prohibits any regulated activity between expiration and renewal, so the 90-day window only means the state will not file criminal charges in that period. Administrative action by the Division of Licensing is still on the table, and your employer, clients, and insurance carrier will treat an expired license as a disqualifier. Treat your annual re-qualification and renewal deadlines as hard stops, and send your paperwork well before your expiration date.

1
Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 493.6113 – Renewal Application for Licensure
2
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License
3
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Class G Statewide Firearm License Renewal
4
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Contact the Division of Licensing
5
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 493 – Private Investigative, Private Security, and Repossession Services