Dallas College’s Security Course prepares women and men for service as Security Officers in the State of Texas. Students can be certified in Security Officer Levels II, III and IV in less than two weeks.
Tuition for the Corrections Course Levels II, III and IV is $550. This includes the entrance course for non-armed security officers which is $50.00 (Level II) and then the armed security officer training (Level III) course which costs an additional $200. Lastly, tuition for the follow-up Level IV, private protection license is $300. Combined this comes to $550.00.
The state requires a pre-admittance Medical Evaluation ($135.00) and a Psychological Evaluation ($150.00); there’s an additional criminal history check that’s required, done through a Fingerprint ($39.99). The course’s training manual costs $36.00. Tuition can be paid out in installments.
Financial Assistance and
Veterans’ Assistance is available.
The Security Officer Levels II, III and IV Course consists of less than two weeks of instruction totaling sixty-nine instructional hours. Dallas College delivers that plus adds an additional four hours of instructional training in ethics and professionalism. There are a variety of program start date options. Once one decides on a class, it is best one attends to all the pre-admission particulars as soon as possible. Contact the office for particulars. Seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. The full-time classes run Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
A prospective Security Officer must be a U.S. citizen whether by birth or naturalization. He or she must have attained the age of at least 18 and must hold a high school diploma or equivalency certificate.
An applicant for a security officer commission must be at least must not:
- at the time of application be charged under an information or indictment with the commission of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor or felony offense determined to be disqualifying by commission rule;
- have been found by a court to be incompetent by reason of a mental defect or disease and not have been restored to competency;
- have been dishonorably discharged from the United States armed services, discharged from the United States armed services under other conditions determined by the commission to be prohibitive, or dismissed from the United States armed services if a commissioned officer in the United States armed services; or
- be required to register in this or any other state as a sex offender.
If these criteria are met, in order to become a licensed security guard in the state of Texas, you must first complete the Level II Training Course and Test. See below.
Level II
Pursuant to TAC 35.141 the Level II Training Course and test is required of all non-commissioned security officers, commissioned security officers and personal protection officers. (Certain Peace Officers may be exempt per TAC 35.141(b)) To become a commissioned (armed) security officer, you must complete the Level II and Level III Training.
Level III
The Level III Training Course and test (including course of firearms fire) is required for all commissioned security officers and personal protection officers. The demonstration of firearm proficiency must be completed within 90 days of the application date. Certain Peace Officers may be exempt per TAC 35.14.)
Level IV
The Level IV Training Course and test is required for all personal protection officers. Certain Peace Officers may be exempt per TAC 35.141(b)).
The Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Bureau (PSB) regulates the private security industry in the state of Texas. The Licensing section of the PSB handles all applications for a registration.
Contact the academy office. We’re here to help.
The Law Enforcement Academy will need the following documents. In some cases, the original or certified copy must be presented.
- Birth certificate or naturalization certificate (For U.S. citizenship, an original or certified copy must be presented; a copy will be made by the academy staff.)
- Valid Texas driver's license (Applicants with an out-of-state driver's license must be prepared to comply with Texas law regarding obtaining a valid Texas driver's license.)
- Driver's History Statement (Applicants will follow directions given by the academy to obtain the correct form.)
- High school diploma or GED (Academy staff will copy the original or certified copy.)
In addition to meeting the qualification standards established per the above, every person applying to the Dallas College Law Enforcement Academy must have a bacterial meningitis vaccination. This requirement will be reviewed with you during the initial interview. Exceptions are only made if: (1) You have received the bacterial meningitis vaccination within the last five years or (2) You are 22 years old or older.
Yes. Dallas College Law Enforcement Academy doesn’t demand perfection and realizes people make mistakes. We realize applicants don’t lead perfect lives prior to making application. Applicants are required to be honest about their situation(s), however, with anything less being grounds for dismissal from the process. You’ll want to discuss your situation when you come in for the required interview. See below and contact the office for more information.
You must be 18 years old to be hired by an agency.
Security Officers must have a high school diploma or equivalency to enter into the academy.
Interested persons are encouraged to begin the application process as early as possible—usually forty-five days in advance of a class start date. Registration ends two weeks before start dates. Once paperwork is in hand, the academy commences with one-on-one interviews—which are by appointment only.
Assistance:
The first step to applying for federal financial aid is completing a FAFSA form online at
studentaid.gov. Once you have submitted your FAFSA, you should contact the Financial Aid office to obtain a Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG) application. Be sure to apply for assistance as soon as possible, as it takes time for financial aid to be processed. For more information on courses for which grant money can be applied, contact the Financial Aid Office at
Financial Aid Office.
How to Apply for Financial Aid:
-
File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at
studentaid.gov.
- Fill out and submit the
TPEG Application for Continuing Education as soon as possible eight weeks before the beginning of the course, or when you complete your CJTC enrollment packet.
- You will receive an email notification stating the status of your financial aid application from the financial aid office.
- Once you have been approved for financial aid, bring your approval paperwork with you when you are notified by the Criminal Justice Training Center to register for the Basic Peace Officer course.
- Though there may well be exceptions, be prepared to pay for the first Basic Peace Officer course phase you enroll in, plus books, uniforms and equipment. It could take some time for the financial aid award to be approved.
Please note: Dallas College charges a higher tuition rate to students registering the third or subsequent time for certain courses, including some Continuing Education courses. For more information, visit the
Third Course Attempt page.
Applying for Veterans' Assistance:
If you are interested in applying for VA benefits, please contact MilitaryDist@dallascollege.edu.
College Credit:
The academy’s certification courses can do more than provide vocational certification. Through Dallas College’s “Pathway Program”, certificate programs can lead to college credits, enabling students to earn college hours toward a degree.
The journey of a lifetime begins with the first step. We realize there are a few steps here and it can be a bit confusing. The academy’s staff is here to assist you with every step in the process, or with any questions you may have before taking those steps. Email the academy at
4Justice@DallasCollege.edu or call the academy at 972-391-1084 to schedule an interview and receive the paperwork via email. Paperwork will be sent to you.