Bailiffs & Warrant Officers
Online Court Security Officer Course (10999)
TMCEC is pleased to offer the Court Security Officer Certification Course (10999) online through our Online Learning Center (OLC): online.tmcec.com. This course is open to court security officers who serve in municipal courts in Texas.
This course will begin on the first day of every month and end on the last day of the month. Registration for the months of January-August 2021 is open. To register, complete a registration form and email it to 10999@tmcec.com or mail or fax it to TMCEC.
Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with an enrollment key. Go to the OLC and click on Courses. The title of the course is TMCEC Court Security 10999. You will be prompted to enroll. Click on Enroll and enter the enrollment key.
There is no cost to take this course. A TCOLE PID is required in order for TMCEC to report your credit to TCOLE.
Completion of this course satisfies the mandate in S.B. 42 (85th Legislature) that all court security officers be certified. This platform is perfect for bailiffs who are unable to attend live training. The course can be completed at the student’s own pace. Registration is open at any time; however, regardless of the date of registration, the course must be completed by the last day of the month in which the student registers in order to receive credit and certification.
If you have questions related to this course, email 10999@tmcec.com.
Court Security Specialist Certification (TCOLE Courses 21001 - 21007 40 hours)
(Note: Though the Court Security Specialist Certification (TCOLE course #21001-21007) also satisfies the training mandate in S.B. 42 (see above) for persons performing court security in courts in Texas, it should not be confused with the new court security officer training - Course 10999, which is the minimum requirement for all court security officers.)If you would like a training added to the list, please contact Elizabeth Rozacky (Elizabethr@tmcec.com).These courses are not offered by or affiliated with TMCEC. The TMCEC office cannot answer questions regarding these trainings.
Around the State: News and Updates
Effective September 1, 2017, a person may not serve as a court security officer for an appellate, district, statutory county, county, municipal or justice court in this state unless the person holds a court security certification issued by a training program approved by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). However, a court security officer is not required to hold a court security certification to provide security to a court before the first anniversary of the date the officer begins providing security for the court. A court security officer is defined as a constable, sheriff, sheriff's deputy, municipal peace officer, or any other person assigned to provide security for an appellate, district, statutory county, county, municipal, or justice court in this state. (See, S.B. 42, 85th Legislature, 2017.)
The changes in law regarding court security certification are a result of S.B. 42 from the 85th Legislative Session in 2017 (See also, the TMCEC bill summary and commentary). Note that the bill provides that a person serving as a court security officer on the effective date of the Act (September 1, 2017) was not required to receive the required certification before September 1, 2019 (See Section 30 of the bill). TCOLE, in consultation with OCA, developed a model court security curriculum for court security officers (Course 10999), which is now available on the TCOLE website. This course should not be confused with the court security specialist certification (see below). Course 10999 is required for all persons performing court security in any court in Texas. The court security specialist certification is not required, but does satisfy the mandate in S.B. 42.
Other News
- For information on OCA's security division and how to secure privacy protections for judges, see this OCA brochure or OCA's Court Security webpage.
- Helping drafting your city's citations?
- Download this document to view all of the legal requirements for notices to appear.
- For resources, visit the Court Security Resources page.
General Information
The Texas Legislature, the Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Texas Municipal Courts Association recognize the importance of training and allocating funds for training the people who maintain courtroom security, serve process for the court, and assist in fine collection and enforcement. Bailiff/Warrant Officer seminars offered by TMCEC always contain a court security component, making costs for attending reimbursable through the Municipal Court Building Security Fund. (See Article 102.017 of the Code of Criminal Procedure).
Note: Commissioned peace officers licensed by TCOLE are mandated by the Texas Legislature to receive 40 hours of continuing education every training unit (two years). Currently, officers must receive these 40 hours between September 1, 2015 and August 31, 2017. All officers, regardless of proficiency certificate level (i.e., basic, intermediate, or master peace officer designation), must complete at least two hours of instruction in Course Number 3184 (State and Federal Legal Update). For more information on all training requirements, go to the website for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
TMCEC contracts with Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) to provide training courses. For example, TMCEC offers an Annual Bailiffs & Warrant Officers Conference. Some courses offered by TMCEC may be submitted to TCOLE for credit. Participants are eligible for 12 hours of TCOLE credit, for those bailiffs or warrant officers who also maintain a Texas peace officer license. Four additional mandatory TCOLE hours may be gained by attending the optional pre-conference session.
All Texas peace officers, jailers, and telecommunicators have a PID number. You must provide your TCOLE PID number and date of birth during registration to receive TCOLE continuing education credit for completed coursework, as social security numbers are no longer being used. Contact the TCOLE Credentialing Department at 512.936.7700 if you do not know your TCOLE PID number. The PID number is mandatory only for licensed Texas peace officers; if you are not a licensed Texas peace officer, you do not need to fill in the TCOLE PID information.
Waiver of Registration Fees
If an individual, city, or court is unable to pay the registration fee, please write a letter explaining the financial difficulty to the Board of Directors for consideration 45 days prior to the event. Address your letter to TMCEC Board of Directors, c/o Ryan Kellus Turner, Executive Director, 2210 Hancock Drive, Austin, Texas 78756.
Cancellations and Refunds
Should you need to cancel or transfer a registration, or to request a refund, please download the corresponding form and fax it to us at 512.435.6118.