Level 3 Security Officer Class in Waco, Texas

Answers to what Waco officers on non-commissioned posts actually ask before going armed: what Level III is, who can teach it, and why the range day is booked separately.

“I’ve already got my Level 2: isn’t Level 3 just a bit more of the same online?” It is the most common misconception Waco officers bring to this, and it is worth clearing up before you enrol.

So What Is Level 3, Exactly?

It is the training course 37 TAC §35.141(a)(2) requires of anyone seeking a security officer commission, the credential that allows an officer to carry a firearm on duty, and of personal protection officers. It is the armed step, not an extended version of the unarmed one. And it is not the commission itself; DPS issues the commission when you apply, and §35.81(a) requires that application to include copies of both your Level 2 and your Level 3 certificates of completion, along with the other items the department lists. Your Level 2 certificate stays relevant for as long as you are in this industry.

Can I Do the Whole Thing Online?

No, and this is the answer people most need to hear early. Level 3 comes in two parts. Part 1 is the classroom material, the law governing armed security work, use of force, the duties that attach to a commission, and the written exam, and we deliver that 100% online. Part 2 is in person: defensive tactics, firearms handling, and a firearms proficiency exam.

The online course price covers the online training only. The in-person firearms qualification is scheduled separately and is not included, and no part of the online half involves handling a firearm. Two purchases, two calendar commitments, in that order. Anyone telling you otherwise has not read the structure.

Can My Company Run It Like They Ran My Level 2?

Also no, and it is the cleanest difference between the two courses. Level 3 material is prepared by and obtained from DPS, and the course may only be taught by a DPS-approved school using a DPS-approved instructor. Unlike Level 2, a licensed company cannot have its own designee deliver it in-house. Whatever your employer’s training department can do for you, this is not on the list. Licensing runs through the Texas DPS Private Security Bureau.

How Hard Is the Test?

Harder than the one most people are comparing it to. §35.144(c) sets the minimum passing grade on Level 3 and Level 4 school examinations at 75%, above the written threshold for a Texas License to Carry. Students who hold an LTC tend to arrive relaxed about the classroom half and find the statutory material denser than expected.

On the range, the LTC comparison is fair: the firearms proficiency exam is close to identical in format to the LTC proficiency exam, and under §35.145 the qualification may use the DPS Primary Issued Handgun Qualification Course or the DPS Approved LTC Course. There is also a shotgun course of fire for commissioned security officers in §35.146, so you have the option to qualify with a shotgun in addition to a handgun. All of it is readable in 37 TAC Chapter 35 if you like checking sources.

Should I Just Take Level 4 Instead?

Only if you want to be a personal protection officer. Level 4 is the PPO, the bodyguard credential, a separate course with a minimum of fifteen classroom hours under §35.141(a)(3). It is not a higher grade of commissioned security officer and it does not replace Level 3. Different job, different course. For armed security posts, Level 3 is the one you want.

Is the Armed Work Actually There in Waco?

Waco sits squarely on I‑35 between the Dallas–Fort Worth and Austin–San Antonio markets, and the distribution and manufacturing space that logistics position attracts is a meaningful share of the local security demand. Alongside hospital and medical district contracts, a large university presence, bank and credit union branches, municipal and courthouse work downtown, and the tourism traffic that fills hotels and event space most weekends. Commissioned officers are the ones a lot of those clients specify, and because Waco draws workers from McLennan County and the surrounding towns, a commission widens the radius of posts you can realistically take.

What Do I Walk Away With?

A certificate of completion, referred to as the PSP 30.
Under §35.147, the approved school issues the original to a qualifying student within seven days of qualifying.
The school retains training records for 24 months under the same rule.
Keep the certificate filed with your Level 2 one. The commission application needs both.

From there the commission is kept current through the renewal course rather than by repeating Level 3. Anything not covered here is usually on the FAQ page, and the class list lays out the full progression side by side.