Sheriff

Instructor Verification

  • Image Woman target shooting on a firing range
    Woman target shooting on a firing range
HB24-1174 Update

HB24-1174 changes are now live for instructors. The portion of the bill requiring citizens to take a class from a verified instructor will go live July 1, 2025. Details for instructors are below; further information for CHP applicants will be shared the closer we get to the July 1st date.
 

Effective August 7th, 2024, firearms instructors are now required to undergo a verification process by their local county sheriff in order to teach the required class for a citizen to receive a concealed handgun permit (CHP). The portion of the bill requiring citizens to take a class from a verified instructor will go live July 1, 2025, and this requirement is waived until this date. A list of all current, verified instructors can be found here.

 

This is a brand new process, so systems and procedures may change. Please be patient as we work to optimize this process.

Information for Instructors

There are three steps you need to take in order to become a Verified Firearms Instructor:

  1. Fill out the Application Form, available online here or via PDF here, and initial the Requirements Form
    1. If you choose to submit your application online, be sure to attach all required documentation. If you do not attach all necessary documentation, our CHP staff will reach out to you 
  2. Submit your completed forms & required documents via the online form, via e-mail to sheriff-chp@co.larimer.co.us or bring them in person to 2501 Midpoint Drive, Fort Collins, CO
    1. Required documents include...
      1. Your current concealed handgun permit (CHP)
      2. A copy of your Colorado Driver's License
      3. A copy of your course curriculum for each course you are instructing
      4. Signed copy of the Requirements form
  3. Bring your payment ($100 for a new application, $50 for a renewal application) to 2501 Midpoint Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525 or call (970) 498-5157 to submit payment over the phone
    1. Payable via cash, check, or credit card
    2. Online payment is not currently available, but is coming soon

Sheriff's Office staff may follow up with you regarding your application. If approved, your certificate and verification status is valid for 10 years. 

Looking for more information? See below for a complete list of requirements.

Information for CHP Applicants

Beginning July 1, 2025, residents looking to apply for a CHP will be required to take a handgun course with a Verified Firearms Instructor. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office Concealed Handgun Unit maintains a list of all current, verified instructors, which can be found here.

 

FAQs

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  1. What are the requirements to become a Verified Firearms Instructor?

    To become a verified instructor, a person must hold a valid concealed carry permit and be certified as a firearms instructor by one of the following: 

    • Law enforcement agency
    • College or university
    • Nationally recognized organization that customarily offers firearms training, or 
    • Firearms training school

    The firearm instructor's principal place to conduct firearms training must be in Larimer County.

    Denial, suspension, or revocation of an instructor verification is subject to judicial review. It is a deceptive trade practice for a person to claim to be a verified instructor for a concealed handgun training class unless the person is verified as a firearms instructor by a county sheriff.

  2. I want to become a Verified Firearms Instructor. What do I need to do?
    1. Fill out the Application Form, available online here or via PDF here, and initial the Requirements Form
    2. Submit your completed forms & required documents to sheriff-chp@co.larimer.co.us or bring them in person to 2501 Midpoint Drive, Fort Collins, CO
      1. Required documents include...
        1. Your current concealed handgun permit (CHP)
        2. A copy of your Colorado Driver's License
        3. A copy of your course curriculum for each course you are instructing
    3. Bring your $100 payment to 2501 Midpoint Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525 or call (970) 498-5157 to submit payment over the phone
      1. Payable via cash, check, or credit card
      2. Online payment is not currently available, but is coming soon
  3. Where can I find these documents?
  4. What are the general requirements for the Initial and Refresher Handgun Training Classes?

    Yes. Every class taught by a Verified Firearms Instructor must follow these guidelines:

    1. The class is held in person with the instructor at the same location as the students and no part of the class is conducted via the internet.
    2. The class includes a live-fire shooting exercise that is conducted on a range, and that requires discharging at least fifty (50) rounds of ammunition and the student to achieve a minimum seventy percent (70%) accuracy score.
    3. The class includes a written concealed handgun competency exam, which must be administered as an open book exam (on the topics listed in the Initial training class question below, number #2) and requires that a student achieve a passing score of at least eighty percent (80%) on such exam.
    4. The class complies with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.
    5. The instructor provides any student completing the class a training certificate that includes the student’s printed name and the instructor’s original signature and clearly indicates the type of class the student completed.

     

    You can also view this information in a Word document, which can be found here.

  5. What are the requirements for the Initial Concealed Handgun Training Class (for new applicants)?
    1. The class provides a minimum of eight (8) hours of instruction (must be in person).
    2. The class includes instruction on each of the following elements:
      1. Knowledge and safe handling of firearms and ammunition.
      2. Safe storage of firearms and child safety.
      3. Safe firearms shooting fundamentals.
      4. Federal and state laws pertaining to the lawful purchase, ownership, transportation, use, and possession of firearms, including instruction on extreme risk protection orders described in article 14.5 of title 13 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, requirements for reporting lost or stolen firearms described in C.R.S. § 18-12-113, secure firearms storage requirements described in C.R.S. § 18-12-114, and any other state law enacted within five (5) years before the class that pertains to the purchase, ownership, transportation, use, and possession of firearms;
      5. State law pertaining to the use of deadly force for self-defense.
      6. Best practices to ensure concealed handgun permit holders safely interact with law enforcement personnel who are responding to an emergency; and
      7. Techniques for avoiding a criminal attack and how to manage a violent confrontation, including conflict resolution
        and judgmental use of lethal force.

    You can also view this information in a Word document, which can be found here.

  6. What are the requirements for the Refresher Concealed Handgun Training Class (for returning applicants)?
    1. The class must provide a minimum of two (2) hours of instruction.
    2. The class requires the student to demonstrate safety and competence with a handgun.
    3. The class includes instruction on changes to federal and state laws related to firearms within five years before the refresher class.

    You can also view this information in a Word document, which can be found here.

  7. I'm an instructor. What information needs to be printed on my student's certificate?

    You must provide any student completing the class a training certificate that includes:

    • Student’s printed name 
    • Date the class was taken
    • Instructor’s original signature, and 
    • Type of class the student completed
  8. Where can I go to read more about the new legislation update?
  9. If a business has multiple instructors, does each instructor need to be verified?

    Yes.  Each instructor needs to be verified and the instructor teaching the class is required to sign the student's certificate.

  10. Where can I find the list of verified instructors?