Important Examination Information
Applicants are required to bring their Driver License or state-issued ID, printed copy of the statutes and rules, and two (2) sharpened pencils with erasers.
A copy of the statutes and rules will not be provided at the exam location. You can print your own copy for use during the examination by visiting /rsd/psb/docs/statutesRules.pdf.
Examinations are currently administered at the following locations: Austin, Houston, and Irving.
Company Representative Requirements
Each company representative must meet the eligibility requirements of Occ. Code Section 1702.113, meet all qualification and experience requirements listed below, and pass a written examination administered by the department. If a company representative lacks the experience to qualify in each category of service included in a license or application, the license holder must designate an additional company representative who is responsible for each service for which the primary company representative is not qualified. All company representatives must pass the examination.
Experience requirements
Guard Company Representative Experience:
Pursuant to Occ. Code Section 1702.115 and TAC 35.122 all company representatives of a guard company must be at least 21 years of age at the time of application. Additionally, all such applicants must have:
- At least three (3) years accumulated employment experience in the field in which the applicant's prospective employer is licensed; and
- At least one (1) year of experience in a managerial or supervisory position
Investigation Company Representative Experience:
Pursuant to Occ. Code Section 1702.114 and TAC 35.121, investigator experience must meet one of the following qualifications; three (3) consecutive years of investigation related experience; a bachelor's degree in criminal justice or related course of study; or a bachelor's degree with twelve (12) months of investigation related experience; or an associate degree in criminal justice or related course of study, with twenty-four (24) months of investigation related experience; or a specialized course of study directly designed for and related to the private investigation profession, taught and presented through affiliation with a four (4) year college or university accredited and recognized by the State of Texas. This course of study must be endorsed by the four (4) year college or university's department of criminal justice program and include a departmental faculty member(s) on its instructional faculty. This course of study must consist of a minimum of two hundred (200) instructional hours including coverage of ethics, the Private Security Act, and Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 35. Other combinations of education and investigation related experience may be substituted for the above at the discretion of the department or its designated representative. The degrees referenced above must be affiliated with a college or university recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, or other accreditation organization recognized by the State of Texas.
Locksmith Company Representative Experience:
Pursuant to Occ. Code Section 1702.115 and TAC 35.123 Two consecutive years of full-time locksmith-related experience; or Successful completion of a Department-approved 48-hour basic locksmith course and a 600-hour fundamentals of locksmith course, with the following curriculum content:
- Introduction to Locksmithing
- State of Texas DPS-PSP Regulations & Rules
- State of Texas & US Government business requirements Key Blank Identification
- Key Machine & Key Duplication Codes & Code Cutting
- Basic Lock Types
- Basic Picking
- Rim & Mortise Cylinders
- Key in Knob/Key in Lever Locks Deadbolts & Mortise Locks Installations
- Impressioning
- Basic Master-keying
- Basic Safe Servicing
- Small Format Interchangeable Core High Security & Key Control Cylinders Automotive Opening
- Automotive key generation & programming
- Exit/Panic device servicing, replacement, & installation
- Door Closer servicing, replacement, & installation
- Cabinet & Drawer lock servicing, replacement, & installation
- Safe installation, moving, & anchoring
- Single door access control service & installation
Successful passage of a basic locksmith proficiency examination that covers a minimum of 12 locksmith subjects and is approved by the Department; and
Successful completion of a 2000-hour internship with a locksmith company, licensed in continuous good standing in the state of Texas.
Other combinations of education and locksmith-related experience may be substituted for the above at the discretion of the Department.
Security Contractor Company Representative Experience (Class B) exception Guard Company:
Pursuant to Occ. Code Section 1702.115 Experience for any Class B (except Guard Company), Security Services Contractor license must have before the date of application, two (2) consecutive years of verifiable work experience performed on a full-time basis in each category of license for which you are applying.
Note: Texas has no reciprocal agreements with any other states for acceptance of private security licenses. Experience legally obtained in another state may meet the experience requirements for the company representative positions.
Company Representative Examination
The examination focuses on issues of general concern to company representatives of licensed companies, such as the eligibility criteria for individual licenses, pre-employment obligations and procedures, application requirements, record-keeping, and the procedures relating to disciplinary actions and administrative fines.
The open-book examination covers Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1702 and Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 35, as they relate to the overall management of licensed companies, regardless of the category of company for which the company representative is applying. The examination is a timed, two-hour test, consisting of 50 true / false and multiple-choice questions. A score of 70 percent or greater is required to pass the examination.
Examination results are sent to the applicant's email address on file. If the score is below passing and the applicant wishes to re-take the examination, a $100 re-examination fee is required. Applicants are allowed to re-test as often as the examination schedule allows within their 90-day application window.