Jordan sells pretzels at a Fort Worth arena on concert nights. Between rushes, he watches the security team. A dropped bottle, a lost kid, a guy who’s had one drink too many. They handle it quietly, and Jordan thinks, I want that job. So what does he need? For armed work, the Level III course, then a state application.

That’s not a long answer, but the details are where people get lost. A Level 3 Security License Texas is only one piece of the picture, and events have their own feel. Nighthawk Alliance, based in Fort Worth, teaches the licensing side and also advises venues. Jordan wanted to know how both fit together.

Why Venues Care About Training

The people behind the program

Keith Gilbert, the academy’s founder, built the security program at Ariat Arena in Fort Worth from scratch. Before that, he spent ten years in the Navy, from 2008 to 2018, and he earned the Master Training Specialist designation along the way. Jordan read that and kind of grinned.

Keith also served as Team Base Camp Security Director for the Czech national team at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Big venues and big events are part of his world. That doesn’t guarantee a job for Jordan, of course. It does mean the instructor knows what the work looks like on a busy night.

The consulting side

The academy also does security consulting for organizations, including arenas, houses of worship, warehouses, and Fortune 500 teams. It assesses risk, hardens facilities, and builds practical security plans. It’s nationwide, and the team travels to your site, so venues outside Texas can hire them too.

Per the academy’s brief, the consulting includes physical security risk assessments and penetration testing for businesses and event venues. Jordan thought that was interesting but a little beyond him for now. Still, it told him the academy understands how venues think about risk, not just how individuals pass a course.

Getting Jordan Ready

Picking the right level

Level II is the unarmed course. It costs $50 and it’s fully online. Level III is the armed course at $200, and the combo is $230. Jordan had never held a security license, so he considered the combo, since starting unarmed and going armed later would cost more.

Level III is online plus in person range time in Dallas Fort Worth, and the range fee is included. For a college student with classes and a part time job, that mattered. He didn’t have to rebuild his week around a classroom calendar, and range booking is available as soon as the next day.

Where the license comes from

Here’s the part Jordan almost missed. Finishing the course doesn’t hand you a card. You apply to Texas DPS through the TOPS portal, and that’s how a Level 3 Security License Texas gets issued. Jordan blocked out a Saturday morning for it and made coffee first.

He also learned the academy doesn’t place guards or hire them out. It trains people and advises organizations. So the job hunt would be his, which honestly felt fair. He updated his resume that same weekend, even before the course started.

Beyond the License

Skills event work leans on

Keith is a CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention instructor, and the academy teaches defensive tactics. Event crowds are unpredictable, and Jordan figured a calm voice does as much as a holster. The academy also offers First Aid for Gunshot Wounds online, which he put on his list for later.

Armed work isn’t for everyone, and that’s fine. Level II exists for people who’d rather start unarmed, and Level III is there when the plan includes carrying. Jordan kept going back and forth until he sat down and wrote his actual goals. That cleared things up fast.

Keeping the license current

Licenses need upkeep. The academy offers a recertification and continuing education course for $65, so Jordan made a note on his phone. A school that thinks about what happens after the first class is usually a school that wants you to stay licensed, not just get licensed.

For anyone picking a Level 3 Security Training Texas school, it helps to check the credentials. The academy lists Texas Security Academy License #F31198401 and has a verification page. Jordan checked it twice, because he’s that kind of person.

What Jordan Decided

He picked the combo, booked the range for a weekday morning, and kept selling pretzels in the meantime. His plan for Level 3 Security Training Texas is simple: finish the online work, shoot at the range, apply through DPS, and then start talking to venues. A Level 3 Security License Texas won’t land the job alone, but it opens the door.