A question we hear constantly from San Antonio students: “I already have firearms experience — can I skip ahead to the armed class?” In a city with this much military history, it is a fair thing to ask. The answer is no, and the reason has nothing to do with your marksmanship.

Level 2 Is a Legal Prerequisite, Not a Skills Test

The Level 2 course is not there to teach you how to handle a weapon — it contains no firearms component at all. It exists to teach you the law you will be working under and the boundaries of the badge you will be wearing. 37 TAC §35.141(a)(1) makes it mandatory for every non-commissioned security officer applicant and every security officer commission applicant, without exception for prior training. Twenty years in uniform does not substitute for it.

Who in San Antonio Needs It

• Anyone taking an unarmed post — River Walk hotels, the medical center, downtown venues, school district facilities, distribution sites along I-35
• Anyone planning to go armed later, since Level 2 comes before Level 3 and the commission
• Transitioning service members and veterans entering civilian security work for the first time

Inside the Coursework

Texas DPS prepares or approves the material, and it centers on the practical legal knowledge an officer uses on shift: Texas private security law, the professional and ethical standards licensees are held to, emergency response procedures, and a clear-eyed look at the limits of a non-commissioned officer’s authority. That last piece is where most new officers get into trouble in the field, and where an hour of study pays for itself many times over.

Why “DPS-Approved School” Is Worth Checking

Texas regulates the schools and the instructors, not just the students. Under §35.142 and §35.143, a training school has to hold a current letter of approval and use the department’s most current manual, and every instructor has to be individually approved. If a provider cannot tell you they are approved, a certificate from them is worth exactly nothing at the DPS window. Verify before you pay.

What You Walk Away With

Pass the exam and you receive your PSP 36 certificate of completion, which goes to the DPS Regulatory Services Division with your license application. Keep a copy for yourself; your employer is required to keep your training records on file, and you will want your own set when it is time to move up to Level 3.

Start It Tonight

East Texas Security Training Academy runs Level 2 fully online as a DPS-approved school, so San Antonio students never drive to a classroom or wait for a scheduled start date. Work through it at your own pace, take the exam when you are ready, and download your certificate the same day.