2.2 Class D, Class G & Related License Classes

2.2 Class D, Class G & Related License Classes

Quick Answer: A Class “D” license authorizes unarmed security officer duties after 40 hours of training at a Class “DS” school; adding a firearm requires a separate Class “G” license earned through a 28-hour course taught by a Class “K” instructor. Class “DI” licenses the instructors who teach at Class “DS” schools, and every Class “D” officer must own or work for a licensed Class “B” security agency. Related classes — Class “A” private investigative agencies, Class “C”/“CC” investigators, and Class “M”/“MA” managers — follow the same firearm add-on logic but sit in a parallel branch of Chapter 493.

Class “D”: The Unarmed Security Officer License (s. 493.6301, F.S.)

Section 493.6301(5), F.S. states plainly: “Any individual who performs the services of a security officer shall have a Class 'D' license.” This is the license every contract security guard in Florida must hold before reporting for duty. To qualify, an applicant must submit proof of completing a minimum of 40 hours of professional training at a school or training facility licensed by FDACS as a Class “DS” facility.

A Class “D” licensee does not work independently. Section 493.6301(4), F.S. requires that a Class “D” licensee “shall own or be an employee of a Class 'B' security agency or branch office.” In other words, holding a Class “D” card is not enough on its own — the officer must also be attached to a licensed agency, or one of its licensed branches, before performing paid security work. The one narrow exception covers individuals who are otherwise exempt under s. 493.6102(4) — proprietary in-house employees — but who choose to hold a Class “D” license solely so they can also qualify for a Class “G” firearm license.

Class “G”: The Statewide Firearm License (s. 493.6115, F.S.)

A Class “D” license alone never authorizes carrying a weapon. Section 493.6301(6), F.S. limits firearm authority to Class “M,” “MB,” or “D” licensees, and requires that “any such licensee who bears a firearm shall also have a Class 'G' license.” The Class “G” license is a statewide add-on, not a stand-alone credential — under s. 493.6115(5), it “shall remain in effect only during the period the applicant is employed” as one of the eligible license classes.

To earn a Class “G” license, an applicant must complete a 28-hour course of classroom and range training from a licensed Class “K” firearms instructor within the preceding 12 months. Rule 5N-1.132, F.A.C. breaks the curriculum into three graded components:

Once licensed, a Class “G” officer must complete 4 hours of requalification training every year to keep the license active, and any discharge of a firearm on duty must be reported to FDACS in writing within 5 working days. Under s. 493.6115(6), a Class “G” licensee may carry no more than two firearms at a time, limited to specific approved calibers (for example, a .38 revolver, 9mm semiautomatic, .40 caliber, or .45 ACP handgun), and only in the caliber for which the officer trained and qualified.

Class “DI” Instructors and Class “DS” Schools (s. 493.6301(7)–(8), F.S.)

Training has to come from somewhere licensed. Section 493.6301(7), F.S. requires anyone who “operates a security officer school or training facility” to hold a Class “DS” license. Section 493.6301(8), F.S. requires anyone who “teaches or instructs at a Class 'DS' security officer school or training facility” to hold a Class “DI” license. Firearms instruction runs on a parallel track: anyone providing classroom or range instruction to Class “G” applicants must hold a Class “K” license under s. 493.6115(7). If a Class “DS” school or its officers are fined and the fine goes unpaid for 30 days, the school's license — and the licenses of its owners and officers — is automatically suspended under s. 493.6118(6).

The Agency Structure: Class “B,” “BB”/“AB,” and “MB”

The agency that employs Class “D” officers must itself be licensed. Section 493.6301(1), F.S. requires any business that “engages in business as a security agency” to hold a Class “B” license, valid for one location only. Each additional location is a branch office: a Class “BB” branch belongs to a stand-alone Class “B” agency, while a Class “AB” branch belongs to a combined private-investigative-and-security agency holding both Class “A” and Class “B” licenses. The individual who manages a Class “B” agency or “BB” branch needs a Class “MB” license — unless a Class “M” licensee, or a Class “D” licensee with at least 2 years of licensure, is designated manager instead.

Related License Classes at a Glance

Chapter 493 mirrors this same D/G/DS/DI/B structure on the private-investigative side of the statute (Part II):

Just as Class “D” and “M”/“MB” licensees need a Class “G” add-on to carry a firearm, Class “C,” “CC,” “M,” and “MA” licensees on the investigative side follow the identical rule under s. 493.6201(7), F.S. Recognizing this parallel structure — rather than memorizing each class in isolation — is the fastest way to master license-class questions on the exam.