Security Guard Jobs in Irving, Texas
Your experience. Your next opportunity.
Explore security guard and security officer jobs in Irving. Compare available roles with the schedule, experience, and type of work you want. Create your free Guardix profile and follow each employer's application instructions.
Security guard jobs in Irving: quick answers
- Are security guard jobs hiring in Irving right now?
- There are no open listings in Irving on Guardix Jobs at the moment. Reviewed employers post new security jobs here; create a free profile to get a text when one matches your license and location.
- Do I need a license to be a security guard in Irving?
- In most cases, yes. Covered unarmed guards use the non-commissioned security-officer category; covered armed guards use the commissioned category. In Texas, licensing starts with Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program.
- What kinds of security jobs are common in Irving?
- Typical posts in and around Irving include airport-area hotels, air cargo and aerospace facilities; manufacturing plants, warehouses and distribution centers; and office towers and corporate campuses. Both armed and unarmed roles exist; each listing states which it is.
- Is Guardix Jobs free for security guards?
- Yes. Guardix Jobs is free for guards and employers. Every employer is reviewed by our team before posting, and every guard’s license is reviewed by our team before employers see it. We do not check licenses live with the state.
Security guard jobs hiring in Irving, TX
No matching security jobs are currently listed in Irving. Try a different role or schedule, explore other locations, or create your free profile.
Irving at a glance
A four-part profile of the city for security officers.
Location & Geography
- Irving is in North Texas. It is centered in Dallas County.
- It lies about 10 miles west of Dallas, within that metro area.
- Major routes and hubs: SH 114, SH 183, I-635 and Loop 12; DFW Airport on its western edge.
Famous Features & Economic Identity
- Las ColinasBusiness district with corporate headquarters.Read the history
- Toyota Music FactoryEntertainment and concert venue.Read the history
- DFW AirportPart of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is in Irving.Read the history
State economy: Texas is known for energy, from oil and gas to wind.
Landmarks are shown for local context. They aren’t employers or job listings.
Security Guard Industry Landscape
Typical post types for this area, not measured demand data.
- Airport-area hotels, air cargo and aerospace facilities. Airport secure areas follow federal rules, and military bases mostly use their own or contracted security with separate screening.
- Manufacturing plants, warehouses and distribution centers: gatehouse access control, truck and trailer checks, and overnight patrol.
- Office towers and corporate campuses: lobby, concierge and access-control posts.
- Apartment communities, homeowner associations and gated neighborhoods, which need patrol and access control in most cities.
Conditions officers face
- Extreme summer heat at outdoor posts and in parked patrol vehicles.
- Spring severe-storm and tornado risk: shelter procedures for staff and visitors.
Regulatory Expectations & Compliance (Texas)
- Regulator
- Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program. Officers are licensed by the state through the TOPS online system.
- Municipal licensing
- TOPS is the state DPS system. Texas Occupations Code 1702.134 addresses exemption from additional local licensing for services authorized by the chapter. Confirm that your actual employer, role, and service fall within the applicable provisions and satisfy facility conditions.
Show Texas’s rules on training, armed work, background checks, uniforms and police reporting
- Licensing requirement
- Covered unarmed guards use the non-commissioned security-officer category; covered armed guards use the commissioned category. Applications are handled through Texas Online Private Security, or TOPS.
- Training minimums
- DPS requires Level II training for the covered officer categories. Commissioned officers also need Level III training, which DPS lists as a minimum forty-five-hour course, subject to authorized exceptions.
- Armed versus unarmed
- An armed assignment requires the commissioned category, firearms proficiency, and the other DPS application conditions. A License to Carry does not replace the commissioned-officer process. Personal possession or carry authority and authorization to perform armed security services are different questions. Check the exact licensing category, firearms requirements, facility restrictions, and employer authorization.
- Background checks
- Follow the current Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program application instructions for required criminal-history checks and any fingerprint submission. Prints or screening from a different employer or credential may not automatically be reusable.
- Proof of authorization on duty
- Use the DPS proof required for your status. Commissioned officers and PPOs awaiting an issued card have a specific ACTIVE-status alternative; it does not apply to an unapproved application.
- Uniform, badge and equipment
- Check the applicable Texas rules and the employer's lawful post instructions. Do not use an insignia or title that falsely represents a police or government appointment. Confirm required protective equipment and who supplies it. Check Texas law, the applicable licensing category, required equipment training, and employer policy. An unarmed job title or ordinary guard credential is not blanket permission to carry batons, sprays, electronic devices, handcuffs, or firearms.
- Authority and police reporting
- A guard credential does not grant blanket police powers. Any detention, arrest, search, or use of force depends on the actual law, role, and circumstances. Special appointments have their own limits. Follow lawful training and post orders, and involve the appropriate authorities when needed. Call 911 for emergencies; for everything else, report incidents to the Irving Police Department and the client as your post orders direct.
From Texas’s licensing answers, checked October 18, 2026. General career information, not legal advice.
Know the assignment before you apply
Read the actual post duties, armed or unarmed status, worksite, employment type, shift pattern, posted compensation, and required qualifications. Role categories describe what to look for; live listings show what is currently open.
Ask which credentials are DPS requirements and which are customer-specific access conditions.
Bring your qualifications into focus
Add relevant experience, availability, location preferences, and accurate credential status to your profile. New to security? Look for listings that explicitly welcome entry-level applicants or describe employer-supported training.
Use the Texas FAQs on this page to check the next step for your role. Confirm the actual worksite and lawful start status with the relevant authority and hiring employer.
Local job-search FAQs
What should I check before accepting a security post in Irving?
Ask which credentials are DPS requirements and which are customer-specific access conditions.
How should I compare pay for security jobs in Irving?
Use the compensation and benefits in the actual listing or written offer. Compare duties, schedule, travel, and required credentials. A city page is not a promise of a particular wage or offer.
Which licensing rules should I check for a post in Irving?
Start with Texas DPS and TOPS for the applicable state officer category. A city name does not create a different TOPS system. Ask the employer to confirm the actual duties, lawful start status, affiliation, equipment, and any facility conditions for this post.
Texas licensing and work FAQs
Licensing starting point: Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program. These answers cover ordinary private-security applicant questions; the actual role and worksite determine which conditions apply.
Do I need a license or registration for security work in Texas?
Covered unarmed guards use the non-commissioned security-officer category; covered armed guards use the commissioned category. Applications are handled through Texas Online Private Security, or TOPS.
What training should applicants check in Texas?
DPS requires Level II training for the covered officer categories. Commissioned officers also need Level III training, which DPS lists as a minimum forty-five-hour course, subject to authorized exceptions.
What changes if I want an armed security job in Texas?
An armed assignment requires the commissioned category, firearms proficiency, and the other DPS application conditions. A License to Carry does not replace the commissioned-officer process.
Can I apply before my credentials are complete, and when can I start work?
You may apply for jobs while preparing credentials. The employer must confirm your TOPS status and any lawful pending-application authority before assigning covered duties.
Can I use a credential from another state or a previous employer?
Ask DPS and the receiving employer about TOPS employment updates. A registration or armed card from another state does not itself authorize Texas security work.
Who checks eligibility, and what should I keep current?
DPS reviews background and application eligibility. Keep your TOPS record, training documents, license renewal, and any firearms proficiency current.
Which authority should I use, and where do I apply?
The starting authority is Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program. Use the official links below and confirm the correct employee, individual, or local category. Guardix is a jobs marketplace and does not issue the credential.
What age and role requirements should I check?
Texas has category-specific eligibility rules. The DPS statutes compilation identifies eighteen in the general company-license or security-commission qualifications; personal-protection-officer licensing has a separate twenty-one-year condition. Confirm current category and lawful firearms conditions with DPS.
Can I apply with no previous security experience?
Look for Texas listings that explicitly welcome entry-level applicants or describe training support. An employer may consider new candidates, but all legal eligibility, training, screening, and lawful-start conditions still apply.
Do I need a high-school diploma or GED?
Read the individual role and current Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program requirements. A job may specify a diploma, equivalent education, or relevant skills; agency-owner qualifications should not be treated as the requirements for every employee opening.
Can a criminal record affect my eligibility?
Yes. Review the official Texas rules for the exact category. Some histories are disqualifying by law; other situations may require review. Provide accurate requested information through a secure process. Guardix cannot determine individual eligibility.
Will I need fingerprints or a background check?
Follow the current Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program application instructions for required criminal-history checks and any fingerprint submission. Prints or screening from a different employer or credential may not automatically be reusable.
What documents should I prepare?
Use the current Texas application or employer checklist. Common categories include identity, training proof, credential status, work or employer information, and any required background or firearms documents. Provide sensitive records only through the appropriate secure channel.
How much does licensing or registration cost?
Use the current official fee schedule for the relevant Texas category. Training, fingerprints, examinations, firearms qualifications, and local permits can be separate costs. The marketplace being free does not make those third-party charges free.
Does the employer pay for my training or license?
Ask before accepting or paying. Get clear information about employer-paid costs, reimbursement, any lawful deductions, and any repayment terms. Fee responsibility is separate from whether a credential or course is legally required.
Can I complete the required training online?
Confirm that the school and instructor are currently authorized and that the course meets DPS requirements. DPS states that handgun-proficiency and self-defense components, and all Level IV training, must be completed in person with an approved on-site instructor.
How long does approval take?
Check current processing information from Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program or the relevant local office. Timing depends on the application, background response, documents, and category. A provider's estimated approval date is not a guarantee or work permit.
Do I need an employer before applying for the credential?
TOPS can process an application before company affiliation. Card issuance and work authority have additional conditions. See the detailed TOPS answers below before relying on an unaffiliated application.
Can I work for more than one security company?
Confirm that each required business affiliation is properly recorded in TOPS and that your license category and qualifications cover every duty. Do not use affiliation with one company as authority to solicit independent guard contracts.
What happens when my credential expires or needs renewal?
DPS permits online renewal beginning 180 days before expiration. A late-renewal option does not itself authorize work while expired. Commissioned renewal requires current firearms-proficiency documentation and the other current DPS conditions.
Can I move from unarmed to armed security?
Check the current Texas armed route. Additional application, training, firearms qualification, eligibility, and employer conditions may apply. Continue only the duties your current authority permits while the new category is being reviewed.
What proof of authorization should I carry on duty?
Use the DPS proof required for your status. Commissioned officers and PPOs awaiting an issued card have a specific ACTIVE-status alternative described below; it does not apply to an unapproved application.
Does my personal gun permit qualify me for armed guard work?
Do not assume that it does. Personal possession or carry authority and authorization to perform armed security services are different questions. Check the exact licensing category, firearms requirements, facility restrictions, and employer authorization.
Can I carry handcuffs, pepper spray, a baton, or another device?
Check Texas law, the applicable licensing category, required equipment training, and employer policy. An unarmed job title or ordinary guard credential is not blanket permission to carry batons, sprays, electronic devices, handcuffs, or firearms.
Does a guard credential give me police or arrest powers?
It does not grant blanket police powers. Any detention, arrest, search, or use of force depends on the actual law, role, and circumstances. Special appointments have their own limits. Follow lawful training and post orders, and involve the appropriate authorities when needed.
Are school, hospital, airport, maritime, and government jobs different?
They can be. A facility may impose extra screening, orientation, access credentials, or a different legal appointment. An ordinary private guard credential does not automatically establish a police, federal, transport-screening, or other specialized role.
Can a person who is not a U.S. citizen apply?
Check both federal employment authorization and the exact Texas credential requirements. Citizenship, residency, firearms eligibility, and work authorization are different issues. Do not assume every job is citizen-only or that one immigration document meets every licensing category.
Can I take my own clients or work as an independent contractor?
An individual employee credential does not automatically authorize operating a security business. Check any company-license, insurance, supervision, and local requirements before offering services. Calling a role independent or using a 1099 label does not remove licensing duties.
Who decides the uniform, badge, and equipment I can use?
Check the applicable Texas rules and the employer's lawful post instructions. Do not use an insignia or title that falsely represents a police or government appointment. Confirm required protective equipment and who supplies it.
Do I need a driver's license or my own vehicle?
Read the job's actual driving duties. Mobile patrol may require a valid license, acceptable driving record, and employer authorization. A fixed post may have different requirements. Ask whether a vehicle is supplied and how work travel is handled.
What is TOPS, and is it the same thing as Guardix?
TOPS means Texas Online Private Security, the DPS licensing system. Guardix is the jobs marketplace. Creating a Guardix account does not create a TOPS profile or issue a DPS license.
Who regulates private security in Texas?
The Texas Department of Public Safety administers the Private Security Program. Use DPS official guidance and the applicable Texas Occupations Code and administrative rules for licensing questions.
Are Level II, Level III, and Level IV the same qualification?
No. DPS identifies Level II training for the covered officer categories, Level III for commissioned officers and PPOs, and additional Level IV training for personal protection. Match the course and license to the actual job.
Does a Level II certificate itself let me work as a guard?
It is training proof, not a substitute for the required DPS license or lawful application-based authority. Confirm your TOPS category, employer arrangement, and permitted start status before duties begin.
How long is the current Level III course?
DPS lists a minimum forty-five-hour Level III course and test, including the course of fire, for commissioned officers and PPOs, subject to authorized exceptions. Use a currently licensed school and instructor.
When would I need Level IV training?
DPS lists a minimum fifteen-hour Level IV course for personal protection officers in addition to the other applicable requirements. Do not treat an ordinary commissioned assignment and a PPO role as interchangeable.
Is the MMPI required for commissioned officers?
DPS requires original and renewing commissioned applicants to satisfy the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory requirement. Its notice allows the MMPI on file to satisfy commissioned renewal for a person currently licensed as both a PPO and commissioned officer. Follow the current documentation and qualified-provider requirements.
What psychological or emotional-health document does DPS request?
The individual-license FAQ lists the Declaration of Psychological and Emotional Health with the Level II and Level III documents for a commissioned application. Use the current DPS checklist and required form; a generic letter is not automatically equivalent.
Can an ACTIVE commissioned officer work before the pocket card arrives?
DPS permits commissioned officers and PPOs with ACTIVE TOPS status to work while awaiting the card, carrying the specified TOPS screenshot or printout. Once delivered, the pocket card must be carried on duty.
Is submitted or pending the same as ACTIVE in TOPS?
No. A submission, payment, course certificate, or fingerprint receipt does not by itself show an approved ACTIVE armed license. Use the actual DPS status and the rules for your precise category.
Can I complete TOPS without selecting a company at first?
DPS allows an application without company affiliation and describes a complete status after the required review. A pocket card is withheld until affiliation, and the license cannot be renewed if unaffiliated for two years. That does not authorize independent guard contracts.
What does the employer do in TOPS?
DPS provides business employment-verification and affiliation functions. The employer must handle the required relationship and approvals; being offered a shift does not itself complete the DPS affiliation process.
Can a company pay my individual TOPS application fee?
TOPS supports requests for company payment, and DPS provides a business approval process. Confirm the arrangement with the employer. The company can approve payment or return the request for the individual to pay.
Can I use fingerprints from a different Texas license?
Follow the private-security fingerprint instructions and your TOPS checklist. DPS specifies a fingerprint-based FBI check and the approved submission route; do not assume prints for a different profession or permit automatically satisfy it.
Can I convert an unarmed application to commissioned or move the fee?
DPS states that changing to a new license type requires a new application and the applicable fees. Its miscellaneous FAQ says fees are non-refundable and non-transferable under the stated rule.
What should I do if I lose my pocket card?
DPS directs individuals to request a duplicate through TOPS. Use the current on-duty proof rules while resolving the issue; an old training certificate is not automatically a replacement license.
Can DPS require court records for an old arrest?
Yes. For an original individual application, the eligibility FAQ requests court documents establishing the disposition of felony and Class A or B misdemeanor arrests. Follow the current document checklist and keep these records out of your public job profile.
When can I apply for a Texas renewal?
The DPS individual-license FAQ allows renewal beginning 180 days before expiry and describes late renewal with additional fees. A late-renewal route does not itself authorize duties during an expired period.
How recent must commissioned firearms-proficiency proof be?
DPS states that the demonstration of firearm proficiency must fall within ninety days of the application date for the relevant initial or renewal process. Use the current required certificate and licensed instructor.
Do Dallas, Houston, Austin, and other Texas cities issue separate TOPS licenses?
TOPS is the state DPS system. Texas Occupations Code 1702.134 addresses exemption from additional local licensing for services authorized by the chapter. Confirm that your actual employer, role, and service fall within the applicable provisions and satisfy facility conditions.
Official licensing references
- DPS individual-license FAQsdps.texas.gov
- DPS current training and continuing educationdps.texas.gov
- DPS TOPS FAQsdps.texas.gov
- DPS fingerprinting instructionsdps.texas.gov
- DPS eligibility and compliance FAQsdps.texas.gov
- DPS miscellaneous license FAQsdps.texas.gov
- DPS current private-security noticesdps.texas.gov
- DPS official statutes and rules compilationdps.texas.gov
Licensing information last checked October 18, 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the authority before you rely on it.
Take the next step
Find the assignment that fits your experience and availability in Irving. Search actual openings or build your free profile for your next application.
General career information. Confirm current licensing and work requirements with the relevant authority and hiring employer. Guardix does not issue security licenses or guarantee an applicant's eligibility.