How to Become a Bounty Hunter in Texas - TX | Texas Bounty Hunter School and License Requirements

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Step 1. Meet Basic Qualifications for Bounty Hunters in Texas

There are three paths to becoming a bounty hunter in Texas:

Become a licensed peace officer through the state by completing educational and licensure requirements
Obtain a private investigator’s license, which also requires that you are sponsored by a licensed private investigation company or complete specialized state training and pass their exam
Become a commissioned security officer after completing 30 hours of specialized professional training that is approved by the Private Security Board (PSB) of Texas

All three pathways require that you:

Possess U.S. citizenship
Pass a criminal background investigation, including (but not limited to):
- Not currently be addicted to alcohol or drugs
- Have no convictions or probations for Class A misdemeanors or felonies
- Have no Class B misdemeanors in the past five years (10 years for peace officer)
Are mentally competent
Can legally operate a motor vehicle
Can legally possess a firearm
Are at least 21 years old
Have a high school diploma or GED with 12 hours of college credit (more college is desirable, as you will see in Step 2)

Step 2. Complete Education and Training Requirements for Texas Bounty Hunters

While a college education is not a requirement to become a bounty hunter in Texas (unless you have a GED instead of a high school diploma, in which case you must have 12 hours of college credit), obtaining a certificate, associate’s degree or even a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related field can help you to stand out from other bounty hunter candidates. In fact, having a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related area negates the work experience requirement necessary to become a licensed private investigator. Degrees and certificates available in Texas and online that can give you an advantage when becoming a bounty hunter include:

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Step 3. Pass the Required Texas Exams

While there are no bounty hunter exams per se in Texas, you must pass an examination for certification as a peace officer, commissioning as a security officer, or licensure as a private investigator (depending upon the route you have taken to get this far).

The basic peace officer certification examination is administered in almost 70 exam sites across Texas (many of which are within training academies). It consists of 250 multiple-choice questions, and you are given two hours and 45 minutes to complete it.

Level 2, 3 and 4 testing sites will administer any necessary examinations to become commissioned as a security officer or licensed as a private investigator in Texas.

Step 4. Submit an Application to Become a Bounty Hunter in Texas

As there is no formal licensure for bounty hunters in Texas, there is no application to submit for bounty hunter licensure. You will be working as a peace officer, commissioned security officer or licensed private investigator when legally performing bounty hunter duties in Texas. Therefore, you must apply for either peace officer licensure, security officer commissioning, or private investigator licensure.

If you are a peace officer, you have already gained law enforcement employment and completed basic peace officer certification. You must meet these additional requirements:
- You must be employed at least 32 hours per week with a Texas law enforcement agency
- You must submit a Peace Officer Training Certificate and Fingerprint Waiver
- You may either submit the application required for commissioned security officers below, checking the appropriate boxes, or an application for private investigators (see below)
If you are applying to become a commissioned security officer, you may apply online or submit the Original Commission Application. You must also submit:
- $55 via check or money order payable to the Texas Department of Public Safety with a PSB-50 form attached
- $25 FBI fingerprint fee and two FBI-issued completed fingerprint cards or an IBT FAST receipt from electronic fingerprinting (follow these fingerprinting instructions and consult this list for Texas electronic fingerprinting sites)
- Certificate of completion of your Level 2,3,4 training (whichever is applicable)
- Mail the completed application, fees and above documentation to Texas Department of Public Safety-Private Security Bureau, P.O. Box 15999, Austin, TX 78761-5999.
If you are applying to become a licensed private investigator, you may apply online or use the Private Security Original Registration Application. You must also submit:
- $33 via check or money order payable to the Texas Department of Public Safety along with a PSB-50 form
- $25 FBI classification fee and two completed fingerprint cards or an IBT FAST receipt from electronic fingerprinting (follow these fingerprinting instructions and consult this list for Texas electronic fingerprinting sites)
- Mail the above to Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security MSC 0242, P.O. Bo 15999, Austin, TX 78761-5999

Step 5. Now that You’re a Bounty Hunter in Texas

Congratulations! You have become a bounty hunter in Texas! Make sure to maintain the license or commission that allows you to bounty hunt legally. You must complete continuing education (CE) to ensure you remain legally eligible to be a Texas bounty hunter.

If you are a peace officer, you must complete 40 hours of CE biannually and submit them at certification renewal time every two years. CE must include a state and federal law update course, cultural diversity, special investigative topics and crisis intervention training.