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Tactical Medical Professional

Tactical Medical Professional handgun course

For the physicians and EMS personnel who support law enforcement tactical units. A separate course from Armed First Responder, created by H.B. 4995 in 2025.

What it is

Texas Government Code §411.1884 created a handgun training course and a DPS certificate of completion for tactical medical professionals. The law took effect September 1, 2025, DPS adopted the course rules effective January 1, 2026, and the course could not be offered before that date.

It is taught only by instructors who have completed the separate DPS Tactical Medical Professional instructor course. Tactical Medical Professional training is delivered privately for your agency, at your classroom and range, anywhere in Texas.

Who the law covers

Under §411.1884(a), a tactical medical professional is a person who is:

  • A physician licensed in Texas, or
  • Emergency medical services personnel — an emergency care attendant, EMT, advanced EMT, EMT-paramedic, or licensed paramedic

and who is employed or otherwise appointed by the head of a law enforcement agency to provide direct support to a tactical unit of the agency responding to a high-risk incident, by providing medical services to victims, officers, and other persons at the incident.

Participants must also hold a Texas License to Carry. DPS issues the certificate only to a tactical medical professional who is a license holder.

Volunteers and sworn officers: check first

The statute's definition — which DPS's own course materials repeat — does not mention volunteers. DPS's application form (LTC-105A), however, prints the exclusions from the first-responder definition: volunteer emergency services personnel, EMS volunteers, and peace officers performing law-enforcement duties. If that describes anyone you plan to send, confirm with DPS and your legal counsel before you enroll them.

How it differs from Armed First Responder

The two programs sit under different statutes. The differences matter when you plan who attends.

Topic Armed First Responder Tactical Medical Professional
Training statute Government Code §411.1883 Government Code §411.1884
Who it is for Paid fire and EMS first responders employed or supervised by a covered municipality or county Physicians and EMS personnel employed or appointed by a law enforcement agency to support its tactical unit
Population limits Municipality of 30,000 or fewer, or county of 250,000 or fewer, that has not adopted Chapter 174 None in the statute
Employer carry policy Required (Local Government Code §179.052) Not required by the statute; agency policy may still apply
Liability insurance $1 million in some circumstances (§179.053) Not required by the statute
When carry is covered On duty, with a Texas LTC, an unexpired certificate, an authorizing policy, and required insurance In the actual discharge of TMP duties, concealed or in a shoulder or belt holster, with an unexpired certificate (Penal Code §46.15(s))
Certificate Issued by DPS; expires on the first anniversary Issued by DPS; expires on the first anniversary

"Not required by the statute" means the TMP section does not contain the requirement. Your agency's own policies, and your legal counsel's advice, still apply.

What the course requires

  • Taught only by a DPS-certified Tactical Medical Professional instructor, using the curriculum, materials, and examinations DPS sets for the course
  • Classroom training and field instruction in the use of handguns
  • Physical demonstrations of proficiency in the techniques learned
  • A score of 90% or better on both the final written examination and the proficiency demonstration
  • Standards set by DPS in consultation with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement
Length
28 hours / 3 days
Class size
3–6 personnel
Ammunition
400 rounds

How the class runs

  • 28 hours of in-person instruction over three days, including an evening low-light session
  • Taught in person in Texas; no recorded presentations and no guest instructors
  • Held as its own class — DPS directs instructors to run Tactical Medical Professional and First Responder courses separately
  • Classroom modules on Texas law and self-defense, concealed and secure carry, the use of handguns, low-light work, de-escalation, the consequences of improper use, and tactical thinking about cover and concealment
  • Field instruction in instinctive or reactive shooting, shooting while moving, low-light shooting, and tactical shooting

To complete the course, each participant must

  • Hold a current Texas License to Carry
  • Attend 100% of the class
  • Score at least 90% on the day-one written pre-test and the day-one handgun proficiency demonstration to continue
  • Score at least 90% on the final written examination
  • Complete the required physical demonstrations of proficiency and follow all range safety rules
  • Provide official documentation of tactical medical professional status when applying to DPS

Class size and ammunition are this program's requirements, the same as for the Armed First Responder course. Completion is not guaranteed.

Course-specific tactical content is taught in class and is not published here.

Participant equipment checklist

Each participant brings the following — the same list as the Armed First Responder course. DPS also bars pistol-mounted optics such as red-dot and holographic sights on the proficiency demonstration.

Handgun

  • Handgun chambered in .38 / .380 or larger, in good working condition. A semi-automatic with at least a 10-round magazine capacity is strongly recommended.
  • At least three magazines or two speed loaders.
  • No optical sights (scopes, lasers, or holographic sights).
  • Handguns are subject to instructor inspection before and during training, and are transported in a closed case or bag.

Ammunition

  • A minimum of 400 rounds of appropriate training ammunition. Bringing extra is recommended.

Holster

  • A belt or paddle holster that retains the handgun with a mechanism or enough friction to overcome gravity.
  • No shoulder or cross-draw holsters, and no holsters released with the index (trigger) finger.

Handheld flashlight

  • A duty-grade LED handheld light: at least 200 lumens (500 or more preferred), no longer than six inches, with a tail-cap switch.
  • Spare batteries. If the light is rechargeable, bring a second light as a backup.
  • A weapon-mounted light is optional; bring a holster that fits it.

Protection and range wear

  • Over-the-ear hearing protection and eye protection (clear lenses required; tinted optional).
  • Collared shirt, long pants, closed-toe footwear, and a brimmed cap.
  • Inclement-weather gear appropriate to the season.
  • A hand towel to rest handguns and ammunition on during qualification.

Certificate and annual renewal

  • Within five business days of the class, the instructor reports each participant's results to DPS (LTC-11).
  • The instructor and participant complete the proof-of-training form (LTC-105). The participant then emails it to DPS with the certification application (LTC-105A) and official documentation of their tactical medical professional status.
  • The proof of training must be submitted to DPS within one year of the class.
  • DPS issues the certificate of completion. It expires on the first anniversary of issuance.
  • It is renewed each year through an annual continuing education course taught by a certified TMP instructor — 4 hours in this program. The continuing education proof of training is valid for six months and must still be valid on the date the current certificate expires — so take CE in the six months before expiration. DPS then issues a new one-year certificate.
  • The statute makes the participant responsible for paying the course provider.

What the certificate does under Texas law

Penal Code §46.15(s) says the offenses of unlawfully carrying a weapon (§46.02) and carrying in places where weapons are prohibited (§46.03) do not apply to a tactical medical professional who:

  • carries the handgun concealed or in a shoulder or belt holster;
  • holds an unexpired §411.1884 certificate of completion; and
  • is engaged in the actual discharge of tactical medical professional duties.

The same bill added a defense to prosecution under Penal Code §§30.06 and 30.07 on the same conditions, and provides that a governmental unit is not liable in a civil action arising from a handgun discharge by a tactical medical professional licensed to carry.

Training is one condition, not the whole picture

We cannot determine whether a particular person meets the definition or how these provisions apply to your agency. Confirm with your legal counsel and current DPS materials.

Primary sources

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