FAQ
Straight answers
The general questions, answered plainly. Course-specific questions (what to bring, timing rules, prerequisites) live on each course page, where they belong.
Is a course certificate the same thing as a license?
No — and this is the single most important thing to understand about Texas licensing. Training earns your course completion certificate. The license, registration, or commission is issued by Texas DPS after you apply through the state. We train you and guide you through every state step, but only DPS issues licenses.
Can I get my Level 3 (armed) certification completely online?
No — nobody can offer that. Texas law requires the firearms and defensive-tactics portion in person with an approved instructor, including a live demonstration of proficiency. The classroom portion may be completed online; the range portion may not. We build both into your plan from day one — and we warn students loudly about online-only providers that sell the cheap classroom half with no firearms instructors to finish the job. A certificate you cannot complete is not a bargain.
What is the process to get my Level 3 (armed security) license?
Five steps, in order: complete the Level 3 online classroom course (the Level 2 course is built in); complete the in-person Firearms & Defensive Tactics course; complete your MMPI psychological evaluation (documented on form PSP-13); apply through the state TOPS portal with or through a licensed employer; and DPS issues your commission. The Level 3 course page maps the whole sequence, including the 90-day timing rule most people trip on.
Where can I get my MMPI (psych) exam for Level 3 or 4?
Your commission application needs an MMPI psychological evaluation, documented on form PSP-13, and this is the one step we cannot do for you. Neither Go Strapped nor DPS vets, controls, or endorses MMPI providers — choosing one is entirely up to you. The links below are references only, offered because students keep asking where to start, not as recommendations. Confirm whoever you pick meets your needs, and book early: this is the step that most often stalls an application.
drdarienzo.comtransformationalpsyc.commmpiexam.comlegacypsychology.comfwpsychworks.comsecurityguardtesting.com
What is the process to get my Texas License to Carry (LTC)?
Two training halves, then the application: complete the classroom course (online at your pace, or in person with us — one day, both halves done in the same visit), complete the in-person range proficiency with a qualified LTC instructor (allowed before or after the classroom portion), then apply to Texas DPS online with your certificates and DPS issues the license. The LTC hub lays out both paths side by side.
What is the process to get my Level 2 (unarmed security) certification?
The simplest pathway we offer: complete the self-paced online Level 2 course — most students finish the same day — then apply through the state TOPS portal with or through a licensed employer, and DPS issues your non-commissioned security officer registration. The course page shows each step.
Texas has permitless carry now — is an LTC still worth it?
Permitless carry did not end the LTC program, and DPS itself lists the benefits a license still carries: it can serve as an alternative to the NICS background check when purchasing, it enables carry in states with Texas reciprocity agreements, and it comes with premises-related provisions under Texas law. Whether that is worth it is your call — but before you decide, read the next answer, because carrying without a license also leaves real legal protections on the table.
What are the risks of carrying without a license (permitless carry)?
Permitless carry is legal for eligible Texans — but the limits are where people get hurt, and the penalties are steep. Texas law still prohibits firearms in a specific list of places — school premises, polling places, courts, racetracks, secured airport areas, bars deriving 51% or more of income from alcohol, and more — and carrying in most of them is a third-degree felony, license or not. Federal law adds a trap most people have never heard of: the Gun-Free School Zones Act makes it a federal crime, punishable by up to five years, to knowingly possess a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school unless you hold a state-issued license like the Texas LTC or the gun is unloaded and locked up. A thousand feet is a couple of blocks — without a license, an ordinary drive past a school with a loaded handgun in the console can put you inside that federal zone. Knowing the map of where you can and cannot carry is exactly what the LTC class teaches.
How do I know Go Strapped is a real, licensed school?
Look us up — seriously. We're a Texas DPS-licensed training school, license #F24121701, and you can verify that yourself on the state's TOPS portal at tops.portal.texas.gov. We'd encourage you to run the same check on any school you consider.
Where do classes happen?
Online courses run anywhere, instantly — access arrives by email the moment you enroll. In-person classes and range sessions run in North Richland Hills by scheduled session, and online Level 3 students finishing the in-person portion outside DFW can be routed through our statewide network of vetted partner instructors.
I live in Houston, San Antonio, or elsewhere in Texas — can I still train with you?
Yes, and a lot of our online students do. Every online course runs from anywhere in the state with instant access by email: Level 2, the Level 3 classroom portion, Level 3 renewal CE, OC/pepper spray, and the online LTC classroom. Houston, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso or the Valley — same course, same certificate, no travel. The only parts that require showing up are the ones Texas will not let anyone finish online: the in-person Level 3 Firearms & Defensive Tactics day (which also completes a renewal requalification) and the LTC range proficiency. For the firearms day we keep a vetted referral list so you are not guessing: North Texas and DFW is us; for Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Waco, Killeen and South Texas generally we recommend Go Heeled Firearms Training; for East Texas, Freedom Defense Training. If you pick an instructor who is not on that list, it is your responsibility to verify their credentials and that they are affiliated with a licensed DPS training school before you pay.
Houston · San Antonio · Austin · Waco · Killeen · South Texas — Go Heeled Firearms TrainingEast Texas — Freedom Defense TrainingNorth Texas & DFW — our Firearms & Defensive Tactics courseBrowse the online courses
Do you offer financing or payment plans?
Yes. If you can't pay for the whole class up front, you can choose CashApp Afterpay (buy now, pay later) to make payments — just look for the Afterpay option in the checkout.
I already took my online course — how do I get back into it?
Through the student portal at online-training.gostrapped.com — the same login you received by email when you enrolled. Bookmark it; every online course lives there.
Do you offer school safety training? What about Armed First Responder?
Both have their own dedicated homes. School safety certification training runs through its own site at schoolsafetycertification.com — everything for that program is there. The Armed First Responder program likewise has a dedicated site at armedfirstresponder.com with cohorts, curriculum, and rates.
I'm brand new to firearms. Am I going to be in over my head?
You're exactly who we built this for. Most of our students start as beginners, courses assume no experience, and no one needs to own a firearm to start. If you're unsure where to begin, the Intro to Handguns + LTC combo or a quick phone call are both great first steps.
Which course do I actually need?
Two-minute answer: use the "Which license do I need?" selector, or call or text (817) 841-9042 and describe what you want to do — work armed security, work unarmed, carry personally, or train a team. Matching people to the right course is the part of the job we like most.
Didn't find it?
Try the two-minute selector first — it answers "which course?" for most people. Still stuck? Ask a person: call or text (817) 841-9042. Our instructors answer the phones themselves between classes — texts get the fastest reply on teaching days — and licensing questions are the job, so you will not be bothering anyone.