Level 4 Security License in Texas: Evaluation, Training, and Fees

A Level 4 security license in Texas is the personal protection officer (PPO) endorsement issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and it authorizes you to work armed as a bodyguard for a licensed security company. To qualify you must be at least 21, hold or concurrently apply for a commissioned security officer (Level III) license, pass a psychological evaluation, complete a 15-hour Level IV training course, and submit a $57 application through the TOPS portal.

Who Qualifies

The minimum age is 21. That is higher than the 18-year threshold for other private security credentials in Texas. You also need to either already hold a valid Level III security officer commission or file for one alongside your PPO application; the administrative rules allow both applications to move together.¹

You have to be employed by a company that holds a valid DPS company license. The statute ties the commission to employment by a “company license holder,” so freelancing without a licensed agency is not permitted.²

Disqualifying History

Under Texas Occupations Code 1702.163, you cannot receive a security officer commission if you are prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law, are a fugitive with outstanding warrants for a felony or Class A or B misdemeanor, or are subject to a court-issued protective or restraining order affecting a spousal relationship beyond property-only orders. Two or more alcohol- or drug-related convictions at the Class B misdemeanor level or higher within the ten years before you apply create a statutory presumption of chemical dependency, which also disqualifies you.² A single old Class B misdemeanor does not automatically end the process; the ten-year lookback is specific to substance offenses.

Military discharge matters too. A dishonorable discharge, or a dismissal in the case of a commissioned officer, disqualifies you from any private security license in Texas. DPS may also treat other discharge conditions as prohibitive on a case-by-case basis.³

The Psychological Evaluation

This step is what sets the Level IV process apart from every other private security license in the state. You must complete the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and the requirement is written into the statute itself.²

The results must be documented on a DPS-prescribed form called the Declaration of Psychological and Emotional Health. The administrative rules specify that a licensed psychologist must administer the test, evaluate the results, and sign the form.¹ A form signed by a psychiatrist or another mental health professional will not satisfy the rule. Budget for this separately from the state fees, because MMPI evaluations are handled by private practices and prices vary.

Training Course

You must complete a Level IV training course of at least 15 classroom hours, followed by a state-prepared examination.⁴ The course must be taught at a DPS-approved Level IV school by a DPS-approved Level IV instructor, and the instructor must be physically present for every hour of instruction.⁵ Online-only courses do not qualify. The material covers personal protection tactics, threat assessment, and the legal boundaries of working as a private bodyguard rather than a law enforcement officer. When you pass, the school issues a certificate of completion showing its license number and the instructor’s signature.

Firearms proficiency is handled on the Level III side, not in the Level IV course. The commissioned security officer process requires a demonstrated course of fire and marksmanship standards set by DPS.² If you already have Level III, you have already cleared that hurdle. If you’re applying concurrently, plan to qualify with a handgun as part of that track.

Application and Fees

With your training certificate and signed Declaration of Psychological and Emotional Health in hand, submit everything through the Texas Online Private Security (TOPS) portal.⁶ Log in, go to individual licensing, select the personal protection officer endorsement, and upload both documents.

The total application cost is $57, made up of a $50 license fee, a $5 pocket card fee, and a $2 subscription fee.⁷ You also need to complete an electronic fingerprint appointment through IdentoGO, which generates the background check DPS links to your file. Schedule that at identogo.com or by calling 888-467-2080. IdentoGO charges its own fee separate from the $57.

Carry Rules on the Job

Texas draws a sharp line based on what you’re wearing while on duty. In a security officer uniform, you must carry your firearm openly and in plain view. In plainclothes, you must conceal it, even if another law would otherwise allow you to open carry.⁸ Since most protective work is done in plainclothes, the practical rule is concealed carry.

You are only authorized to carry while actively performing PPO duties for the employer named on your license, or while traveling to and from an assignment. Off-duty carry under the PPO endorsement alone is not authorized. Whenever you’re armed on duty, both your security officer commission card and your personal protection officer license must be on you and produced if asked.⁸

Renewal Every Two Years

The PPO license renews every two years. Renewal requires six hours of continuing education that includes classroom defensive tactics and a firearms proficiency demonstration, and the firearms qualification must be completed within 90 days of your renewal application date.⁹ Only CE hours completed within the two-year window before your current expiration count. Courses taken earlier will not.

The renewal fee is the same $57. Late renewal adds a $25 penalty within the first 90 days past expiration, and $50 after that.⁷ While the license is lapsed, you cannot legally work as a PPO.

Penalties for Working Without a License

Operating as a personal protection officer without the proper license is a criminal offense under Chapter 1702. A first violation is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000. A prior conviction for failing to hold a required license or commission under the chapter raises the charge to a third-degree felony, punishable by two to ten years in prison.¹⁰

1
Texas Department of Public Safety. Private Security Administrative Rules – Rule 35.91
2
State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code 1702.163 – Qualifications for Security Officer Commission
3
State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code 1702.113 – General Qualifications for Company License or Security Officer Commission
4
Texas Department of Public Safety. Training and Continuing Education – Section: Level IV
5
Texas Department of Public Safety. Private Security Administrative Rules – Rule 35.141
6
Texas Department of Public Safety. Getting Started with TOPS
7
Texas Department of Public Safety. Private Security Fee Schedule
8
State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code 1702.206 – Limited Authority to Carry Firearms
9
Texas Department of Public Safety. Continuing Education Requirements by Individual Private Security License Type
10
CaseMine. Texas Occupations Code 1702.388