Florida Class G license
28-hour course
The statewide firearm license that lets you work an armed post in Florida. Twenty-eight hours of classroom law, safety doctrine, and a live-fire qualification you have to pass — taught in Miami by a Class K licensed instructor who has done the job for three decades.
To work armed security in Florida you need a Class “G” statewide firearm license, and to get one you must complete 28 hours of training with a licensed Class “K” firearms instructor and pass a live-fire qualification.
The Class G sits on top of the unarmed Class “D” license — it does not replace it. And once you have it, you must requalify every 12 months to keep it active.
Who needs a Class G
Anyone who wants to carry a firearm while working as a security officer in Florida. If the post is armed, the officer standing on it holds a Class G. There is no version of this where a Class D alone is enough for an armed assignment.
It is also the single clearest way to raise what you earn in this industry. Armed security work in Miami pays meaningfully more per hour than unarmed, and there is consistently more of it posted — Miami-Dade has hundreds of armed openings at any given time, and many list the Class G as a hard requirement rather than a preference.
The licensing order
Florida licensing runs in sequence, and getting this wrong wastes weeks.
- Class “D” — the unarmed security officer license. This comes first, and it is the prerequisite for everything else. Alpha One does not teach the Class D. A separately licensed partner company handles it; call us and we will tell you who to contact.
- Class “G” — the 28-hour armed course on this page. This is where we pick you up.
- Annual requalification — four hours and a 48-round qualification, every 12 months, for as long as you hold the license.
What the 28 hours cover
The state sets the curriculum. What varies between schools is whether you are taught it or read it to.
- Legal instruction. Florida statute, the law of self-defence, and the use-of-force framework you will be held to. This is the block that matters most and gets rushed most often.
- Safety doctrine. The rules, the reasoning behind them, and the habits that keep them intact under stress.
- Mechanical operation. How your firearm works, how it fails, and what you do when it does.
- Marksmanship. Fundamentals built properly, because a qualification is a floor, not a finish line.
- Written examination. You have to pass it.
- Live-fire qualification. Scored, on the range, with an instructor next to you.
- Classroom — statute, use-of-force law, and the reasoning behind every decision you will later be asked to defend.
- Simulator lab — laser dry-fire. Real mechanics, real repetitions, zero live ammunition, so mistakes cost nothing while the habits are still forming.
- Live range — indoor and outdoor ranges across South Florida.
- Government-issued photo identification
- Your Class D license, if already issued
- A duty-appropriate handgun in good working order
- A quality duty or strong-side holster
- Minimum three magazines and a magazine carrier
- Eye and hearing protection
- Ammunition per the course requirement
- Closed-toe shoes, a baseball cap, and water
How we run it
Twenty-eight hours is normally scheduled across multiple days. Every Alpha One course moves through three environments rather than sitting in one:
Class size is capped at ten students per instructor. That is a hard ceiling, not a goal — it is the difference between being corrected while you are making the mistake and being corrected three drills later.
What to bring
Missing something? Call ahead instead of guessing — some items we can loan.
After the course
Alpha One provides the training and the documentation. The license itself is issued by FDACS, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Licensing — the application goes to the state, and we walk you through it. Fees are set by the state and listed on our officer resources page.
Your training record is documented, stored, and available to you. In Florida those records carry legal weight, which is why we keep them properly rather than on a sign-in sheet that disappears.
Then the clock starts. Your first annual requalification is due within 12 months, and we will remind you at 90, 60, and 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Florida Class G course?
28 hours of training with a licensed Class K firearms instructor, including classroom legal instruction, safety doctrine, a written examination, and a live-fire qualification you must pass.
Do I need a Class D license before the Class G?
Yes. The unarmed Class D security officer license is the prerequisite. Alpha One does not teach the Class D — a separately licensed partner company provides it. Call us and we will point you to them, then handle your armed training when you are ready.
How much does a Class G license cost in Florida?
There are two separate costs: state licensing fees set by FDACS, and training tuition. The state fee schedules are published by FDACS and linked from our officer resources page. For current Alpha One tuition, call 305.458.8429 — rates depend on the course and any group arrangement.
How often do I have to requalify?
Every 12 months. Florida requires four hours of requalification training and a 48-round qualification during each 12-month period of your two-year license term. Missing the first-year requalification triggers automatic suspension.
Is a “security guard licence” the same as a Class G?
Same job, different word. Florida's official term is security officer — that is what appears on the licence and throughout Chapter 493 — but in everyday speech almost everyone says security guard. The unarmed licence is the Class "D"; the armed one is the Class "G". So if an employer told you they need a "guard with a G", they mean a Class D holder who also holds a Class G.
Can I take the Class G course in Spanish?
Yes. Frank teaches in both English and Spanish. Let us know which you prefer when you book. Ver esta página en español.
Where is the training held?
Classroom and simulator work runs at our Miami facility. Live fire runs at partner ranges across South Florida, including Florida Gun Center in Hialeah and an outdoor range in Homestead. The exact range is confirmed when your class is scheduled.