Security Officer Level II & III — Online

The Level 2 non-commissioned course is the 6-hour entry training every security career in Texas begins with, set by the Texas DPS Private Security Bureau. You complete it fully online, on your own schedule.

• The Texas Private Security Act and the rules that govern the industry
• The role, authority, and legal limits of a security officer
• Use of force basics and when it does and does not apply
• Field notes, incident reporting, and professional conduct
• Public relations and how to de-escalate on a post

The Level 3 lecture training is the 35-hour classroom portion of the commissioned (armed) officer course. It goes deep on the law and judgment that come with being armed on a post. The live-fire range work is a separate, in-person phase and is not part of this online program.

• Texas law on the use of force and deadly force by a commissioned officer
• Firearm safety, handling, storage, and maintenance
• Judgment, de-escalation, and when force is and is not justified
• The added legal responsibility that comes with being armed on a post

First, the Level II Non-Commissioned Security Officer certificate. This is the full Level 2 training credential — you submit it with your application for a non-commissioned security officer registration, which is what legally lets you work as an unarmed guard in Texas.

Second, the Commissioned Security Officer Lecture Training certificate. This documents completion of the 35-hour didactic (lecture) portion of the Level 3 course. Per Texas Administrative Code §35.141, completion of the lecture training alone does not satisfy the full Level III training course requirement — a security officer commission also requires the hands-on firearms proficiency and range qualification phase, completed in person. When you are ready to finish commissioning, the lecture certificate is your head start.

This program is funded through the TPSTA Scholarship's income-based pathway, so seats are covered for students who qualify. Eligibility is determined by a short income-based screening built into the application — answer a few questions and you will know where you stand before you commit to anything.

If you qualify, the training itself costs you nothing. A $25 application fee applies, and that is the only out-of-pocket cost.

Hit the apply button, complete the eligibility screening, and pay the $25 application fee. Because the program is 100% online with open enrollment, there is no cohort date to wait on — once you are approved, you start the coursework and move at your own pace. A real person from the Bastrop team follows up on every application, usually within one business day.