- What You're Actually Paying For
- Company License Fee Schedule
- Additional Costs Beyond the License Fee
- Retake Costs and the 90-Day Window
- Registration Mechanics Through TOPS
- Renewal Costs: Annual vs. Two-Year Cycles
- Hidden Costs: Time, Study Materials, and Eligibility
- Cost Comparison by License Class
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Class A costs $361, Class B costs $412, and Class C costs $556, including subscription charges, for the company license.
- One examination attempt is included in the original company license fee - you don't pay separately unless you retake.
- Each retake of the 50-question exam costs $100 and depends on appointment availability inside a 90-day application window.
- Fingerprinting, insurance, and applicant fees are separate from the license fee and add to your real out-of-pocket total.
What You're Actually Paying For
Anyone researching the "TX-QM" designation in 2026 needs to start with a clarification, because it changes what you're budgeting for. Texas Qualified Manager as a standalone credential was retired by the Texas Department of Public Safety Private Security Program on September 1, 2019. What exists today is the company representative designation, tested through the DPS Company Representative Examination. It's not a separate license or a pocket card - it's a role assigned within a licensed security company, and the exam fee structure reflects that reality.
If you're still seeing the term "Texas Qualified Manager" or "Texas QM" in job postings or forum threads, treat it as legacy language for the same underlying exam. The pricing conversation below applies to that current company representative exam, administered under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1702 and Texas Administrative Code Chapter 35. For a broader orientation to what this credential actually is today, see What Is TX-QM? and TX-QM Meaning before you commit money to the process.
Company License Fee Schedule
The core cost driver is the company license fee schedule posted by DPS. This fee covers the license itself and includes one examination attempt for the designated representative. The current published amounts are:
| License Class | Fee (Includes Subscription Charges) | Exam Attempts Included |
|---|---|---|
| Class A | $361 | 1 |
| Class B | $412 | 1 |
| Class C | $556 | 1 |
Note the class you're licensing under determines the fee, not the individual sitting for the exam. If your company operates across multiple service categories - guard, investigations, alarm, and so on - you may need additional qualified representatives, and each of those roles ties back into the company's licensing structure rather than generating a wholly separate exam fee for the individual.
Why the Fee Varies by Class
Class designations reflect different scopes of licensed activity under Chapter 1702. Before assuming your cost, confirm which class your employer or your own company license falls under, since this single variable swings your total cost by nearly $200.
- Class A, B, and C fees are distinct and non-interchangeable
- Subscription charges are already baked into the posted number
- The exam attempt included is a single sitting - not unlimited retries
Additional Costs Beyond the License Fee
The license fee is the headline number, but it is not the full financial picture. DPS treats several cost categories as separate from the company license fee:
- Applicant fees tied to individual processing through TOPS (the Texas Online Private Security portal)
- Fingerprint processing fees, which are billed independently and required for background checks
- Insurance costs, which the company must carry and which are not part of the DPS fee schedule at all
Because these costs are billed by different vendors and processes, they don't appear as a single combined number anywhere on a DPS fee page. Candidates who budget only for the $361/$412/$556 license fee are routinely surprised by the additional applicant and fingerprint charges that show up during TOPS processing. If you're mapping out your full financial and eligibility picture before you apply, cross-reference this against TX-QM Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify, which lays out the experience and documentation prerequisites that run parallel to these costs.
Key Takeaway
Budget for the license fee plus separate applicant, fingerprint, and insurance charges - not the license fee alone. Ask your employer or licensing company representative for the current itemized total before applying.
Retake Costs and the 90-Day Window
The exam itself is a 50-question, multiple-choice/true-false, open-book test with a two-hour time limit and a 70% passing threshold. One attempt is bundled into the original license fee. If a candidate does not pass on that first attempt, each subsequent retake costs $100.
Retakes are not unlimited in timing - they depend on appointment availability within a 90-day application window tied to the original application. This means the true cost risk isn't just the $100 fee itself; it's the scheduling pressure of needing to secure and pass a retake before that window closes. Missing the window can mean restarting elements of the application process, which reintroduces earlier fees.
This is exactly why understanding the exam's actual difficulty and structure matters more than it might for a lower-stakes test. If you want a realistic sense of what makes candidates fail on the first attempt, read How Hard Is the TX-QM Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and check the data-driven view in TX-QM Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows before you assume a retake is a minor inconvenience.
Registration Mechanics Through TOPS
All applications - company and individual representative - run through TOPS, the Texas Online Private Security system. This is where the fee schedule, fingerprint submission, and documentation requirements converge. Because the exam is open-book, candidates are expected to bring printed copies of the relevant statutes and rules (Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1702 and Texas Administrative Code Chapter 35), a driver license or state-issued ID, and two sharpened pencils with erasers to the testing appointment.
None of those preparation materials carry a mandatory fee from DPS, but they represent a real, if small, out-of-pocket cost if you don't already own current printed statute copies. The compilation commonly referenced for study is the 2023-2024 edition, and candidates preparing in 2026 should specifically account for Chapter 35 amendments, including licensing-document changes effective July 2, 2026, when assembling their printed reference materials. Missing an update isn't a cost in dollars, but it can cost you points on the exam if the open-book material you bring doesn't reflect current rule text.
For a structured breakdown of exactly what to bring, how the open-book format works, and how the 70% threshold is scored, see TX-QM Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Renewal Costs: Annual vs. Two-Year Cycles
Cost planning doesn't stop at the initial exam and license. Company licenses renew annually, meaning the fee schedule above isn't a one-time cost - it recurs every year for the licensed company. Individual licenses, by contrast, generally run on a two-year cycle, with continuing education requirements tied to the individual's licensed role rather than to a separate Qualified Manager credential (since that standalone credential no longer exists as of 2019).
This asymmetry matters for budgeting: a company absorbs the license fee every year, while an individual representative's personal renewal cadence is longer. If you're an owner or manager responsible for both, plan your annual cash flow around the company renewal date and separately track your two-year individual renewal deadline so you don't let either lapse.
Continuing Education Cost Planning
Because continuing education is tied to your licensed role, not a QM-specific track, the cost and hours required depend on which license category you hold. Confirm your specific renewal requirements directly through TOPS rather than assuming a flat number applies across all roles.
Hidden Costs: Time, Study Materials, and Eligibility
Money isn't the only resource at stake. Before the fee schedule even becomes relevant, a candidate has to meet eligibility requirements that carry their own time cost. Guard-company representatives must be at least 21 years old, with three years of relevant accumulated employment and one year of managerial or supervisory experience. Investigation-company eligibility is more varied - three consecutive years of investigative experience, a qualifying criminal-justice-related bachelor's degree, specified degree-plus-experience combinations, or a qualifying university-affiliated specialized course of at least 200 instructional hours.
None of these paths are optional shortcuts around the fee schedule; they're prerequisites that must be documented through TOPS alongside your company application. If you're not sure which eligibility path applies to your background, the detailed breakdown in TX-QM Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify is worth reading before you spend a dollar on the license fee.
The other "hidden cost" is study time relative to the exam's actual content. The written exam draws heavily from individual-license eligibility rules, pre-employment procedures, application processes, employee and business recordkeeping, and disciplinary actions and administrative fines under Chapter 1702 and Chapter 35. If you're unclear on how these content areas are weighted and tested, the full breakdown is in TX-QM Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 0 Content Areas.
Statute Familiarization
- Read through Chapter 1702 sections on licensing eligibility and disciplinary actions
- Print your working copy, checking for the July 2, 2026 document changes
Records and Procedures
- Focus on employee and business recordkeeping rules under Chapter 35
- Review pre-employment procedure requirements likely to appear as scenario questions
Practice and Timing
- Run timed 50-question practice sessions to simulate the two-hour, open-book format
- Use tabbed statute sections so lookups during the real exam don't cost you time
For a more complete walkthrough of study sequencing tied specifically to this exam's content, see TX-QM Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And if you just need the condensed reference sheet the night before, the TX-QM Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is built for that purpose. You can also run full-length timed simulations on our practice test platform to see how your pacing holds up against the real two-hour limit.
Cost Comparison by License Class
Putting the numbers side by side helps clarify where your money actually goes and where it doesn't:
| Cost Item | Who Pays | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Class A Company License | Licensed company | $361 (includes 1 exam attempt) |
| Class B Company License | Licensed company | $412 (includes 1 exam attempt) |
| Class C Company License | Licensed company | $556 (includes 1 exam attempt) |
| Exam Retake | Individual/company, per attempt | $100, subject to 90-day window |
| Applicant/Fingerprint Fees | Individual, separate billing | Not included in license fee |
| Insurance | Company, separate requirement | Not included in license fee |
Once you understand this breakdown, it's easier to evaluate whether pursuing the credential makes financial sense relative to the roles it opens up. That broader return-on-investment question is covered in Is the TX-QM Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026, and if you're weighing this against expected compensation, the figures in TX-QM Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis provide useful context. Employers hiring for company representative roles are typically established guard or investigation companies filling required management positions under Chapter 1702 - a landscape you can explore further at TX-QM Jobs.
If you're still confirming scheduling logistics before locking in a budget, review TX-QM Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling so your fee timing lines up with your application window. And for training providers or courses that can shorten your prep timeline, see TX-QM Training.
Frequently Asked Questions
No standalone exam fee exists for the first attempt. One examination is included in the original company license fee ($361 Class A, $412 Class B, or $556 Class C, including subscription charges). You only pay separately - $100 - if you need to retake it.
DPS treats applicant processing, fingerprint fees, and insurance as separate cost categories from the company license fee schedule. They're billed through different channels within the TOPS application process rather than bundled into the posted license fee.
Retakes cost $100 each but depend on appointment availability within the 90-day application window tied to your original application. If that window closes before you retake and pass, you may need to restart parts of the application process, which can reintroduce earlier fees.
No. The standalone Qualified Manager registration requirement ended September 1, 2019. Today's company representative role is a designation within a licensed company, not a separate license with its own independent fee structure.
Company licenses renew annually, so the class-based fee schedule recurs each year for the company. Individual licenses generally run on a two-year cycle, with continuing education tied to the individual's licensed role rather than a separate credential fee.