Navigating the Path to Certification: A Comprehensive
Guide to the Texas Department of Public Safety
Private Security Bureau's Qualified Manager Exam.
A Certified Exam Study Guide by Expert current
Updated Edition 2025/2026.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.004(a) - General Provisions - ans(a) The board, in
addition to performing duties required by other law or exercising powers granted by other
law:
(1) licenses investigations companies and security services contractors;
(2) issues commissions to certain security officers;
(3) issues endorsements to certain security officers engaged in the personal protection of
individuals;
(4) registers and endorses:
(A) certain individuals connected with a license holder; and
(B) certain individuals employed in a field connected to private investigation or private
security; and
(5) regulates license holders, security officers, registrants, and endorsement holders under this
chapter.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.004(b) - General Provisions - ans(b) The board shall
adopt rules necessary to comply with Chapter 53. In its rules under this section, the board
shall list the specific offenses for each category of regulated persons for which a conviction
would constitute grounds for the board to take action under Section 53.021.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.005(a) - Department of Public Safety - ans(a) The board
created under Section 1702.021 is a part of the department. The department shall administer
this chapter through the board.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.005(b) - Department of Public Safety - ans(b) A
reference in this chapter or another law to the Texas Commission on Private Security means
the board.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.006 - Foreign Entity Registration - ansLicensure under
this chapter does not exempt a foreign entity from the registration requirements of Chapter 9,
Business Organizations Code.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.021(a) - Board Membership - ans(a) The Texas Private
Security Board consists of seven members appointed by the governor with the advice and
consent of the senate as follows:
(1) three public members, each of whom is a citizen of the United States;
(2) one member who is licensed under this chapter as a private investigator;
(3) one member who is licensed under this chapter as an alarm systems company;
(4) one member who is licensed under this chapter as the owner or operator of a guard
company; and
(5) one member who is licensed under this chapter as a locksmith.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.021(b) - Board Membership - ansb) Appointments to
the board shall be made without regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or
national origin of the appointee.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.023 - Eligibility of Public Members - ansThe board's
public members must be representatives of the general public. A person may not be a public
member of the board if the person or the person's spouse:
(1) is registered, commissioned, certified, or licensed by a regulatory agency in the field of
private investigations or private security;
,Navigating the Path to Certification: A Comprehensive
Guide to the Texas Department of Public Safety
Private Security Bureau's Qualified Manager Exam.
A Certified Exam Study Guide by Expert current
Updated Edition 2025/2026.
(2) is employed by or participates in the management of a business entity or other
organization regulated by or receiving money from the board;
(3) owns or controls, directly or indirectly, more than a 10 percent interest in a business entity
or other organization regulated by or receiving money from the board; or
(4) uses or receives a substantial amount of tangible goods, services, or money from the
board other than compensation or reimbursement authorized by law for board membership,
attendance, or expenses.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.024(a) - Membership and Employee Restrictions -
ans(a) In this section, "Texas trade association" means a cooperative and voluntarily joined
association of business or professional competitors in this state designed to assist its members
and its industry or profession in dealing with mutual business or professional problems and in
promoting their common interests.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.024(b) - Membership and Employee Restrictions -
ans(b) A person may not be a board member, and may not be a department employee whose
primary duties include private security regulation and who is employed in a "bona fide
executive, administrative, or professional capacity," as that phrase is used for purposes of
establishing an exemption to the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act
of 1938 (29
U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), and its subsequent amendments, if:
(1) the person is an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a Texas trade association in the
field of private investigation or private security; or
(2) the person's spouse is an officer, manager, or paid consultant of a Texas trade association
in the field of private investigation or private security.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.024(c) - Membership and Employee Restrictions -
ans(c) A person may not be a board member or act as general counsel to the board or agency
if the person is required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code,
because of the person's activities for compensation on behalf of a profession related to the
operation of the agency.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.025(a) - Terms; Vacancies - ans(a) The board members
serve staggered six-year terms, with the terms of two or three members expiring on January
31 of each odd-numbered year.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.025(b) - Terms; Vacancies - ans(b) If a vacancy occurs
during the term of a board member, the governor shall appoint a new member to fill the
unexpired term.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.026(a) Officers - ans(a) The governor shall designate
one board member as presiding officer to serve in that capacity at the will of the governor.
The governor shall designate the presiding officer without regard to race, creed, color,
disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.026(b) - Officers - ans(b) The board shall elect from
among its members an assistant presiding officer and a secretary to serve two- year terms
beginning on September 1 of each odd- numbered year.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.026(c) - Officers - ans(c) The presiding officer of the
board or, in the absence of the presiding officer, the assistant presiding officer shall preside at
each board meeting and perform the other duties prescribed by this chapter.
,Navigating the Path to Certification: A Comprehensive
Guide to the Texas Department of Public Safety
Private Security Bureau's Qualified Manager Exam.
A Certified Exam Study Guide by Expert current
Updated Edition 2025/2026.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.027(a) - Grounds for Removal - ans(a) It is a ground for
removal from the board that a member:
(1) does not have the qualifications required by Section 1702.021 at the time of taking office;
(2) does not maintain the qualifications required by Section 1702.021 during service on the
board;
(3) is ineligible for membership under Section 1702.023 or 1702.024;
(4) cannot, because of illness or disability, discharge the member's duties for a substantial
part of the member's term; or
(5) is absent from more than half of the regularly scheduled board meetings that the member
is eligible to attend during a calendar year without an excuse approved by a majority vote of
the board.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.027(b) - Grounds for Removal - ans(b) The validity of
an action of the board is not affected by the fact that it is taken when a ground for removal of
a board member exists.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.027(c) - Grounds for Removal - ans(c) If the chief
administrator has knowledge that a potential ground for removal exists, the chief
administrator shall notify the presiding officer of the board of the potential ground. The
presiding officer shall then notify the governor and the attorney general that a potential
ground for removal exists. If the potential ground for removal involves the presiding officer,
the chief administrator shall notify the next highest ranking officer of the board, who shall
then notify the governor and the attorney general that a potential ground for removal exists.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.028(a) - Per Diem; Reimbursement - ans(a) A board
member is entitled to a per diem as set by legislative appropriation for each day the member
engages in the business of the board.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.028(b) - PerDiem; Reimbursement - ans(b) A member
is entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses incurred while conducting board business,
including expenses for transportation, meals, and lodging, as prescribed by the General
Appropriations Act.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.029 - Meetings - ansThe board shall meet at regular
intervals to be decided by the board.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.030(a) - Training - ans(a) A person who is appointed to
and qualifies for office as a board member may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a
member in attendance at a board meeting until the person completes a training program that
complies with this section.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.030(b) - Training - ans(b) The training program must
provide the person with information regarding:
(1) this chapter;
(2) the programs operated by the board;
(3) the role and functions of the board;
(4) the rules of the board, with an emphasis on the rules that relate to disciplinary and
investigatory authority;
(5) the current budget for the board;
(6) the results of the most recent formal audit of the board;
(7) the requirements of:
, Navigating the Path to Certification: A Comprehensive
Guide to the Texas Department of Public Safety
Private Security Bureau's Qualified Manager Exam.
A Certified Exam Study Guide by Expert current
Updated Edition 2025/2026.
(A) the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code;
(B) the public information law, Chapter 552, Government Code;
(C) the administrative procedure law, Chapter 2001, Government Code; and
(D) other laws relating to public officials, including conflict of interest laws; and
(8) any applicable ethics policies adopted by the board or the Texas Ethics Commission.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.030(c) - Training - ans(c) A person appointed to the
board is entitled to
Page 7 of 44
reimbursement, as provided by the General Appropriations Act, for the travel expenses
incurred in attending the training program regardless of whether the attendance at the
program occurs before or after the person qualifies for office.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.041(a) - Chief Administrator - ans(a) The chief
administrator is responsible for the administration of this chapter under the direction of the
board. The chief administrator shall perform duties as prescribed by the board and the
department.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.041(b) - Chief Administrator - ans(b) The chief
administrator is a full-time employee of the department. A board member may not serve as
chief administrator.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.042 - Personnel; Conflict of Interest - ansAn employee
of the department whose primary duties include private security regulation may not:
(1) have a financial or business interest, contingent or otherwise, in a security services
contractor or investigations company; or
(2) be licensed under this chapter.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.043 - Division of Responsibilities - ansThe board shall
develop and implement policies that clearly separate the policy-making responsibilities of the
board and the management responsibilities of the chief administrator and staff of the
department.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.044 - Qualifications and Standards of Conduct
Information - ansThe chief administrator or the chief administrator's designee shall provide to
board members and to agency employees, as often as necessary, information regarding the
requirements for office or employment under this chapter, including information regarding a
person's responsibilities under applicable laws relating to standards of conduct for state
officers or employees.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.047 - Administrative Staff - ansThe department shall
designate a department employee who shall report directly to the board. The employee
designated under this section shall provide administrative assistance to the board in the
performance of the board's duties.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.061(a) - General Powers and Duties of Board - ans(a)
The board shall perform the functions and duties provided by this chapter.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.061(b) - General Powers and Duties of Board - ans(b)
The board shall adopt rules and general policies to guide the agency in the administration of
this chapter
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.061(c) - General Power and Duties of Board - ans(c)
The rules and policies adopted by the board under Subsection (b) must be consistent with this
Guide to the Texas Department of Public Safety
Private Security Bureau's Qualified Manager Exam.
A Certified Exam Study Guide by Expert current
Updated Edition 2025/2026.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.004(a) - General Provisions - ans(a) The board, in
addition to performing duties required by other law or exercising powers granted by other
law:
(1) licenses investigations companies and security services contractors;
(2) issues commissions to certain security officers;
(3) issues endorsements to certain security officers engaged in the personal protection of
individuals;
(4) registers and endorses:
(A) certain individuals connected with a license holder; and
(B) certain individuals employed in a field connected to private investigation or private
security; and
(5) regulates license holders, security officers, registrants, and endorsement holders under this
chapter.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.004(b) - General Provisions - ans(b) The board shall
adopt rules necessary to comply with Chapter 53. In its rules under this section, the board
shall list the specific offenses for each category of regulated persons for which a conviction
would constitute grounds for the board to take action under Section 53.021.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.005(a) - Department of Public Safety - ans(a) The board
created under Section 1702.021 is a part of the department. The department shall administer
this chapter through the board.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.005(b) - Department of Public Safety - ans(b) A
reference in this chapter or another law to the Texas Commission on Private Security means
the board.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.006 - Foreign Entity Registration - ansLicensure under
this chapter does not exempt a foreign entity from the registration requirements of Chapter 9,
Business Organizations Code.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.021(a) - Board Membership - ans(a) The Texas Private
Security Board consists of seven members appointed by the governor with the advice and
consent of the senate as follows:
(1) three public members, each of whom is a citizen of the United States;
(2) one member who is licensed under this chapter as a private investigator;
(3) one member who is licensed under this chapter as an alarm systems company;
(4) one member who is licensed under this chapter as the owner or operator of a guard
company; and
(5) one member who is licensed under this chapter as a locksmith.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.021(b) - Board Membership - ansb) Appointments to
the board shall be made without regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or
national origin of the appointee.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.023 - Eligibility of Public Members - ansThe board's
public members must be representatives of the general public. A person may not be a public
member of the board if the person or the person's spouse:
(1) is registered, commissioned, certified, or licensed by a regulatory agency in the field of
private investigations or private security;
,Navigating the Path to Certification: A Comprehensive
Guide to the Texas Department of Public Safety
Private Security Bureau's Qualified Manager Exam.
A Certified Exam Study Guide by Expert current
Updated Edition 2025/2026.
(2) is employed by or participates in the management of a business entity or other
organization regulated by or receiving money from the board;
(3) owns or controls, directly or indirectly, more than a 10 percent interest in a business entity
or other organization regulated by or receiving money from the board; or
(4) uses or receives a substantial amount of tangible goods, services, or money from the
board other than compensation or reimbursement authorized by law for board membership,
attendance, or expenses.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.024(a) - Membership and Employee Restrictions -
ans(a) In this section, "Texas trade association" means a cooperative and voluntarily joined
association of business or professional competitors in this state designed to assist its members
and its industry or profession in dealing with mutual business or professional problems and in
promoting their common interests.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.024(b) - Membership and Employee Restrictions -
ans(b) A person may not be a board member, and may not be a department employee whose
primary duties include private security regulation and who is employed in a "bona fide
executive, administrative, or professional capacity," as that phrase is used for purposes of
establishing an exemption to the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act
of 1938 (29
U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), and its subsequent amendments, if:
(1) the person is an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a Texas trade association in the
field of private investigation or private security; or
(2) the person's spouse is an officer, manager, or paid consultant of a Texas trade association
in the field of private investigation or private security.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.024(c) - Membership and Employee Restrictions -
ans(c) A person may not be a board member or act as general counsel to the board or agency
if the person is required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code,
because of the person's activities for compensation on behalf of a profession related to the
operation of the agency.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.025(a) - Terms; Vacancies - ans(a) The board members
serve staggered six-year terms, with the terms of two or three members expiring on January
31 of each odd-numbered year.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.025(b) - Terms; Vacancies - ans(b) If a vacancy occurs
during the term of a board member, the governor shall appoint a new member to fill the
unexpired term.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.026(a) Officers - ans(a) The governor shall designate
one board member as presiding officer to serve in that capacity at the will of the governor.
The governor shall designate the presiding officer without regard to race, creed, color,
disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.026(b) - Officers - ans(b) The board shall elect from
among its members an assistant presiding officer and a secretary to serve two- year terms
beginning on September 1 of each odd- numbered year.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.026(c) - Officers - ans(c) The presiding officer of the
board or, in the absence of the presiding officer, the assistant presiding officer shall preside at
each board meeting and perform the other duties prescribed by this chapter.
,Navigating the Path to Certification: A Comprehensive
Guide to the Texas Department of Public Safety
Private Security Bureau's Qualified Manager Exam.
A Certified Exam Study Guide by Expert current
Updated Edition 2025/2026.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.027(a) - Grounds for Removal - ans(a) It is a ground for
removal from the board that a member:
(1) does not have the qualifications required by Section 1702.021 at the time of taking office;
(2) does not maintain the qualifications required by Section 1702.021 during service on the
board;
(3) is ineligible for membership under Section 1702.023 or 1702.024;
(4) cannot, because of illness or disability, discharge the member's duties for a substantial
part of the member's term; or
(5) is absent from more than half of the regularly scheduled board meetings that the member
is eligible to attend during a calendar year without an excuse approved by a majority vote of
the board.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.027(b) - Grounds for Removal - ans(b) The validity of
an action of the board is not affected by the fact that it is taken when a ground for removal of
a board member exists.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.027(c) - Grounds for Removal - ans(c) If the chief
administrator has knowledge that a potential ground for removal exists, the chief
administrator shall notify the presiding officer of the board of the potential ground. The
presiding officer shall then notify the governor and the attorney general that a potential
ground for removal exists. If the potential ground for removal involves the presiding officer,
the chief administrator shall notify the next highest ranking officer of the board, who shall
then notify the governor and the attorney general that a potential ground for removal exists.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.028(a) - Per Diem; Reimbursement - ans(a) A board
member is entitled to a per diem as set by legislative appropriation for each day the member
engages in the business of the board.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.028(b) - PerDiem; Reimbursement - ans(b) A member
is entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses incurred while conducting board business,
including expenses for transportation, meals, and lodging, as prescribed by the General
Appropriations Act.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.029 - Meetings - ansThe board shall meet at regular
intervals to be decided by the board.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.030(a) - Training - ans(a) A person who is appointed to
and qualifies for office as a board member may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a
member in attendance at a board meeting until the person completes a training program that
complies with this section.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.030(b) - Training - ans(b) The training program must
provide the person with information regarding:
(1) this chapter;
(2) the programs operated by the board;
(3) the role and functions of the board;
(4) the rules of the board, with an emphasis on the rules that relate to disciplinary and
investigatory authority;
(5) the current budget for the board;
(6) the results of the most recent formal audit of the board;
(7) the requirements of:
, Navigating the Path to Certification: A Comprehensive
Guide to the Texas Department of Public Safety
Private Security Bureau's Qualified Manager Exam.
A Certified Exam Study Guide by Expert current
Updated Edition 2025/2026.
(A) the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code;
(B) the public information law, Chapter 552, Government Code;
(C) the administrative procedure law, Chapter 2001, Government Code; and
(D) other laws relating to public officials, including conflict of interest laws; and
(8) any applicable ethics policies adopted by the board or the Texas Ethics Commission.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.030(c) - Training - ans(c) A person appointed to the
board is entitled to
Page 7 of 44
reimbursement, as provided by the General Appropriations Act, for the travel expenses
incurred in attending the training program regardless of whether the attendance at the
program occurs before or after the person qualifies for office.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.041(a) - Chief Administrator - ans(a) The chief
administrator is responsible for the administration of this chapter under the direction of the
board. The chief administrator shall perform duties as prescribed by the board and the
department.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.041(b) - Chief Administrator - ans(b) The chief
administrator is a full-time employee of the department. A board member may not serve as
chief administrator.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.042 - Personnel; Conflict of Interest - ansAn employee
of the department whose primary duties include private security regulation may not:
(1) have a financial or business interest, contingent or otherwise, in a security services
contractor or investigations company; or
(2) be licensed under this chapter.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.043 - Division of Responsibilities - ansThe board shall
develop and implement policies that clearly separate the policy-making responsibilities of the
board and the management responsibilities of the chief administrator and staff of the
department.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.044 - Qualifications and Standards of Conduct
Information - ansThe chief administrator or the chief administrator's designee shall provide to
board members and to agency employees, as often as necessary, information regarding the
requirements for office or employment under this chapter, including information regarding a
person's responsibilities under applicable laws relating to standards of conduct for state
officers or employees.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.047 - Administrative Staff - ansThe department shall
designate a department employee who shall report directly to the board. The employee
designated under this section shall provide administrative assistance to the board in the
performance of the board's duties.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.061(a) - General Powers and Duties of Board - ans(a)
The board shall perform the functions and duties provided by this chapter.
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.061(b) - General Powers and Duties of Board - ans(b)
The board shall adopt rules and general policies to guide the agency in the administration of
this chapter
Texas Private Security Act CH. 1702.061(c) - General Power and Duties of Board - ans(c)
The rules and policies adopted by the board under Subsection (b) must be consistent with this
