There is no state-issued taser certification in Texas. The Texas Department of Public Safety has said plainly that neither the Private Security Act nor its administrative rules address taser certification, and no state program exists for civilians, security officers, or peace officers to become “taser certified” through a government agency.1Texas Department of Public Safety. Non-lethal Weapons (Club, Pepper Spray, Tasers) When an employer, a recruiter, or an online listing tells you to “get certified,” they mean a private credential from the manufacturer or an in-house course, not a license from the state.
Who is usually asking this question falls into three groups: private security guards whose company requires training before issuing a device, police officers whose department mandates a manufacturer course, and civilians who want to know what the law expects before they carry one. The answer differs for each, but none of them will find a DPS certification to apply for.
Why Texas Has No State Taser Certification
Texas removed stun guns and tasers from its list of prohibited weapons over a decade ago. Penal Code Section 46.05 lists prohibited weapons — explosive devices, machine guns, armor-piercing ammunition, chemical dispensing devices, zip guns, tire deflation devices, and improvised explosives — and stun guns and tasers do not appear on it.2State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 46.05 – Prohibited Weapons
Tasers are also not classified as firearms. Section 46.01 defines the state’s weapon categories, and stun guns and tasers fall outside all of them: not firearms, not clubs, not location-restricted knives, not chemical dispensing devices.3State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 46.01 – Definitions Because most Texas weapons rules are written to apply to those specific categories, they simply don’t reach tasers.
The practical result is that Texas requires no background check, no permit, no registration, and no state-mandated training to buy or carry a taser. You can carry one openly or concealed. That absence of regulation is exactly why no state certification exists to attain.
What Security Employers Mean by “Taser Certified”
This is where most of the confusion starts. Private security companies routinely tell officers to become “taser certified” before carrying the device on shift, and officers then search for a state credential that doesn’t exist. DPS has addressed this directly: “Neither the Private Security Act nor the related administrative rules address the carrying of a CED by a security officer. There is no certification in the Private Security Act for the use of such weapons.”1Texas Department of Public Safety. Non-lethal Weapons (Club, Pepper Spray, Tasers)
Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1702, which governs private security licensing, covers firearms training, background checks, and continuing education. It is silent on tasers. There is no DPS-issued taser credential and no requirement to file taser training through the Texas Online Private Security portal.
When an employer says “get certified,” they almost always mean one of two things: complete Axon Academy’s user course (Axon is the company that makes TASER-branded devices), or complete the company’s internal training, which is typically taught by an Axon-certified instructor. Both are employer requirements. Failing to complete them can get you fired, but it is not a violation of state law.
How Axon Training Works
Axon Academy runs user and instructor courses covering device operation, probe deployment, battery management, de-escalation, and the medical risks of electrical discharge. Its instructor certification is the industry standard — when a department or security company references “taser certification,” this is generally the credential they have in mind. Because it’s a private program, there is no state fee schedule and no state processing timeline. The certificate comes from Axon or your employer.
Law Enforcement Officers
Peace officers fall under the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) rather than the Private Security Board. TCOLE sets minimum training standards but does not mandate a specific taser certification by statute. Individual agencies set their own policies, and nearly every department that issues tasers requires officers to complete Axon’s course before carrying the device on duty.
Agency policies typically require recertification every one to two years, often with a refresher course and a live-fire qualification. Some departments still require officers to experience a taser exposure during initial training, though that practice has become more controversial and is no longer universal. Your specific requirements come from your department’s use-of-force policy, not from TCOLE’s minimum curriculum.
Should Civilians Take a Training Course Anyway?
Nothing in state law requires it. But improper probe placement can cause serious injury, and misunderstanding how the device cycles can lead to accidental discharges. Training also strengthens your legal position if you ever use the device in self-defense and need to show a jury or prosecutor that you handled it responsibly. A manufacturer course is worth the time even when no one is making you take it.
Where You Still Can’t Carry a Taser
Penal Code Section 46.03 lists locations where certain weapons are prohibited — schools, polling places, courthouses, racetracks, secured airport areas, bars that earn most of their revenue from alcohol, correctional facilities, and sporting events.4State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 46.03 – Places Weapons Prohibited The statute applies to “a firearm, location-restricted knife, club, or prohibited weapon listed in Section 46.05(a),” and because tasers fall into none of those categories, 46.03 does not technically reach them under state law.
That is not permission to walk into a school or courthouse with one. Individual institutions set their own rules, and a school district, court, or government building can ban any item through written policy. Violating those rules can get you removed, trespassed, or charged. Treat any secured government building, school, or courthouse as a no-taser zone unless you have confirmed otherwise in writing.
Federal Buildings
Federal facilities apply a stricter standard. The Interagency Security Committee classifies electronic control weapons, including TASERs and stun guns, as prohibited items in all federal buildings regardless of whether a screening checkpoint is in use.5National Archives and Records Administration. Items Prohibited in Federal Facilities – An Interagency Security Committee Standard That includes federal courthouses, Social Security offices, VA buildings, and post offices. Carrying one in can lead to confiscation, criminal charges, or both.
Airports and Air Travel
TSA prohibits tasers and stun guns in carry-on luggage. You may pack one in checked baggage, but the device must be transported in a way that prevents accidental discharge.6Transportation Security Administration. Stun Guns/Shocking Devices Lithium batteries add another layer: FAA rules require spare lithium-ion batteries to stay in carry-on baggage rather than checked bags.7Federal Aviation Administration. PackSafe – Lithium Batteries If your taser’s battery is removable, you may need to pull it, carry it in the cabin, and protect the terminals against short circuits. Call your airline before you travel.
Age and Felon Possession
Penal Code Section 46.06 makes it illegal to transfer certain weapons to anyone under 18, listing firearms, clubs, and location-restricted knives. Tasers and stun guns are not listed. Even so, most retailers and the major manufacturer enforce an 18-and-over policy as a company rule, so a minor will have a hard time buying one from a legitimate seller.
Felon possession is murkier than most people expect. Section 46.04 prohibits felons from possessing firearms, but tasers are not firearms under Texas law, and no separate state statute currently bars felons from owning stun guns or tasers. Probation or parole conditions can still restrict possession of any weapon, and a supervising officer who finds a taser may not read the statute the way you do. If you have a felony conviction, review your specific terms of supervision before buying one.
Legal to Own Is Not the Same as Legal to Use
Penal Code Chapter 9 governs when force is justified in self-defense. You can use force, including deploying a taser, when you reasonably believe it is immediately necessary to protect yourself against another person’s unlawful use of force.8State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Chapter 9 – Justification Excluding Criminal Responsibility The operative word is “reasonably.” Tasing someone over a verbal argument or minor shove is unlikely to clear that bar.
Texas law also distinguishes ordinary force from deadly force. A taser is generally treated as non-deadly, but context matters. If the target falls and strikes their head, or has a cardiac condition that leads to death, prosecutors can argue the force was deadly in effect. Deploying a taser against someone walking away from you is much harder to justify than using one against someone actively attacking you.
Medical Risks Worth Knowing Before You Carry
Research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation has documented cases where TASER exposure caused sudden cardiac arrest, including in subjects with no obvious cardiovascular symptoms beforehand. Some who died after exposure were found to have underlying heart disease at autopsy; others had conditions such as alcohol dependency or mental health disorders that may have contributed.
Fall injuries are the other major risk. When someone’s muscles lock up from an electrical discharge, they drop wherever they are standing, and on concrete, stairs, or near hard edges that fall can cause traumatic brain injuries, fractures, or lacerations. Training courses teach officers to aim for the lower body and to read the target’s surroundings for that reason. If you deploy a taser and the person is hurt, call emergency medical services immediately. It’s the right response, and failing to seek medical help can weaken any self-defense claim you later need to make.