Hiring security in Florida? Here's who regulates it, what a company and its guards must be licensed to hold, how armed guards are permitted, and how to verify a license yourself in minutes.
Hiring a security company in Florida? Confirming its license is the single most important check you can make — it's what tells you the provider is lawful, insured, and accountable, and it shields you from the negligent-hiring liability that comes with putting an unvetted, uninsured operation on your property. This guide covers who regulates security in Florida, what a company and its guards must hold, how armed work is permitted, and exactly how to verify a license yourself.
In Florida, security is regulated by FDACS. A company must hold a Class “B” Security Agency license, and guards hold a Class “D” Security Officer license. Verify a license through Florida FDACS — Division of Licensing.
What makes Florida different
Florida uses a clear letter-class system — Class “B” for the agency, Class “D” for the guard, and Class “G” for armed — and requires an annual firearm requalification for armed officers.
Florida runs one of the clearest licensing systems in the country through its letter classes: Class "B" is the agency, Class "D" is the unarmed officer, and Class "G" is the statewide firearm license. The Class G is notable — it takes a 28-hour course plus a 4-hour annual requalification, and a Class D holder who is 21 with a Class G may carry concealed on duty, not just openly. FDACS's Division of Licensing runs separate public searches for agencies and for individuals, so verifying a Florida provider means checking both the Class B company and the Class D and G officers you'll actually get on site.
Who regulates security in Florida
Private security in Florida is regulated at the state level by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Licensing. A legitimate firm holds a Class “B” Security Agency license from FDACS, meaning it has cleared the state's ownership, background-check, insurance, and record-keeping requirements. That license number is the first thing to confirm — ask for it in writing and verify it yourself on Florida FDACS — Division of Licensing rather than trusting a certificate on the wall. The licensing authority can also suspend or revoke a license for misconduct, so a live status check tells you not just whether a firm is licensed, but whether it's in good standing.
What each security credential authorizes in Florida
"Licensed" alone doesn't tell you what an officer is actually cleared to do — Florida uses more than one credential, and they aren't interchangeable. Here's what each one authorizes:
| Credential | What it authorizes |
|---|---|
| Class B | Security agency (company) license — required to operate a private security business and contract out guards |
| Class D | Unarmed security officer license — the base credential for the large majority of guards (40-hour course, min. age 18) |
| Class G | Armed add-on to an active C/CC/D/MA/MB/M license — statewide firearm authority while on duty, min. age 21, 28-hour initial course + 4-hour annual requalification |
| Class K | Firearms instructor certification — required to teach and administer the Class G initial and annual requalification courses |
Guards and training
Individual officers in Florida generally must hold a Class “D” Security Officer license, and the state requires 40 hours of training for the Class “D” license. A valid company license doesn't guarantee every officer on the roster is credentialed and trained, so confirm the guards actually assigned to your site hold current registrations — verifying the company and the people are two separate checks.
Armed guards and firearms in Florida
Arming a guard in Florida takes more than the base credential: an armed officer needs Class “G” Statewide Firearm License, with a minimum age of 21. Armed coverage also raises your exposure — a firearms incident can reach the client through vicarious-liability and negligent-hiring theories, and standard general-liability policies often exclude firearms — so confirm the specific armed credential (not just the base registration) and the firm's firearms coverage, and reserve armed posts for a documented threat. Our armed vs. unarmed guide covers the decision in depth, and you can compare armed security services directly.
Florida's Class G is an employment-tied, security-specific armed credential, not a general concealed-weapon license — it authorizes carry only while performing regulated security duties for a licensed agency, not off-duty civilian carry. The default under F.S. 493.6115 is open carry (the firearm carried in a holster and in view) by a uniformed officer; concealed carry is a narrow exception under 493.6115(4), available only to a Class C, CC, or D licensee who is 21 or older and holds a Class G, and only while performing his or her duties. Only specific firearms are approved (493.6115(6)): a 9mm, .380, .40, or .45 semiautomatic pistol, or a .38 revolver (or a .357 revolver firing .38 ammunition). Initial licensure requires a 28-hour range/classroom course taught by a Class K instructor; thereafter a 4-hour annual requalification (again under a Class K instructor) is mandatory or the Class G license is suspended and the full 28-hour course must be retaken. Batons, OC spray, and tasers carry no separate state permit — their carry turns on employer authorization and applicable use-of-force training.
| On-duty carry | Open carry in a holster/in view by a uniformed officer by default; concealed carry only under F.S. 493.6115(4), available to a Class C/CC/D licensee age 21+ who holds a Class G, while performing regulated duties |
| Armed permit | Class G Statewide Firearm License — a security-specific add-on tied to active employment under a Class C/CC/D/MA/MB/M license, not a general civilian CCW/LTC |
| Requalification | 4-hour annual requalification with a licensed Class K firearms instructor; missing it suspends the Class G license and requires retaking the full 28-hour initial course |
| Other weapons | No separate state permit for baton/OC spray/taser; their carry depends on employer authorization and applicable use-of-force training |
What security guards can and can't do in Florida
Florida grants private security officers no police powers — there is no state "special police officer" designation for private guards. Their authority to detain rests on three narrower doctrines. Under the merchant's privilege (F.S. § 812.015), a merchant or its employees or contracted security who have probable cause to believe a person committed retail theft may detain that person in a reasonable manner for a reasonable time, with statutory immunity from false-arrest liability when the conditions are met. Separately, Florida recognizes the common-law citizen's-arrest power to arrest for a felony committed in the person's presence. Finally, F.S. § 493.631 (enacted 2013) lets a Class D or MB officer who also holds a Class G, is on duty and in uniform at a designated critical-infrastructure facility (electrical power plants, water/wastewater and pump stations, natural-gas compressor and LNG facilities, telecom switching offices, and gas-processing plants), and who has probable cause that a person committed a crime against the client or a patron, temporarily detain that person — but only until law enforcement arrives, with a duty to notify police and transfer custody. In every case force must be reasonable and proportional.
How to verify a security license in Florida
Verification takes only a few minutes and is the check that protects you:
- Get the license number in writing from the provider — don't accept a logo or a verbal claim.
- Open the official source — Florida FDACS — Division of Licensing, not a third-party directory.
- Confirm the record is active, unexpired, matches the exact legal business name and address, and shows no disciplinary action.
- Verify the officers — confirm each holds a current Class “D” Security Officer license, plus the armed credential for any armed post.
- Confirm insurance and subcontracting — request a current certificate of insurance and confirm it meets or exceeds $300,000 combined single-limit coverage, plus workers' compensation, and ask in writing whether any of your posts will be subcontracted to another firm.
Re-verify at renewal. Renewal in Florida: every two years. A credential can also be suspended between renewals, so a check isn't one-and-done — re-check at renewal time and before signing a new contract.
Our national guide on how to verify a security company's license explains what to look for on the record; our hiring guide and cost guide cover the rest of vetting and pricing.
First-degree misdemeanor (first offense), escalating to a third-degree felony for a second or subsequent offense. A first violation of Florida's private-security licensing law (operating or being employed as an unlicensed Class B agency or officer) is a first-degree misdemeanor; a second or subsequent violation is a third-degree felony, and FDACS may also seek a civil penalty of up to $10,000, with anyone convicted of a chapter 493 violation ineligible for licensure for five years. (Fla. Stat. § 493.6120). And the exposure isn't only the provider's — an operator who puts an unlicensed, uninsured guard on site inherits the negligent-hiring liability, which is exactly what a two-minute license check prevents.
Find and compare licensed security companies in Florida
Once you know what Florida requires, comparing licensed providers is the next step. Browse security companies in Florida by city — Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Fort Myers, and check each firm's license status on its profile before you shortlist.
Get free quotes from licensed Florida security companies, or estimate pricing first with our security cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Who licenses security companies in Florida?+
How do I verify a security company's license in Florida?+
What do armed security guards need in Florida?+
Can security guards carry guns in Florida?+
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What's the penalty for hiring an unlicensed security company in Florida?+
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