Requirement to retain your USCCA firearms instructor

Firearm Training
1

Let me first say, I did search the community and did not see this anywhere and I may be jumping the gun on this. I am taking my USCCA Instructor Course this weekend and have been reading a ton of information. I there a set number of students you are required to train to retain your Cert?

Thanks

5 Likes
2

Yes, you must train at least 20 students each year by the anniversary of your certification date to retain active instructor status.

That is not as difficult as you might think, even for a brand new instructor running a side-gig instead of a full time business. Here is what I posted on this issue earlier today in the Instructors closed forum:

Here are tips to help build your count.

  1. One student for a one hour mini-class counts the same as one student for a long day full seven-lesson CCHDF class.
  2. The same person counts as a different student for each class taken.
  3. You have three half day or less CCHDF classes and nine one-hour mini classes available:
    Basic Handgun, about 2.5 hours
    Home Defense, about 2.5 hours
    Concealed Carry, about 4 hours
    Each of the 7 CCHDF lessons can be taught as a one-hour mini-class.
    Two additional one-hour mini-classes are Permitless & Constitutional Carry and Real Estate Agent Safety.
    Several of the mini-classes can work remotely in a Zoom, FaceTIme, Google Meet, or M$ Teams meeting.
  4. If you are a CCW/CCL instructor, you may be able to adapt and include two or more USCCA mini-classes into the curriculum required by your state.

Good luck and enjoy your class.

7 Likes
3

Thank you so much Craig

4

Scott, I just looked at your short bio here. Congrats & thanks on your service. I can relate, having retired from the Ark ANG just up the road from you.

More to know… once you are certified as a CCHDF instructor, you can add a USCCA qualification to instruct in Emergency First Aid, also, by taking an online course from USCCA. With your professional credentials you ought to consider adding that to your basket.

Next, do not rely on your USCCA Instructor page for potential students to find you. You must use other marketing tools, possibly a FaceHook page for your instructor status, and maybe another standalone web site. As a cybersecurity & privacy specialist I abhor FaceHook, but I do have an independent instructor site at DCS Trains, D. Cragin (Craig) Shelton, Arkansas.

Finally, if you are not already an NRA pistol instructor, consider taking the NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting (BoPS) class, then the NRA Instructor class for that course. While I like the USCCA CCHDF curriculum better, the reality is that the general public is more aware of NRA as a training source than they are of USCCA. Having both credentials makes your marketing stronger.

Interestingly, as long as you pay your biennial fee to NRA to renew your instructor certification, they do not require a minimum number of classes or students to retan the certification. You do not have to be an NRA member to be an NRA certified instructor, but it does make it easier.

3 Likes
5

Great info and tips.
I did spend some time around Little Rock for TALON (Texas Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico) for some joint NG training.

2 Likes
6

I did my first mini course on Friday and had 3 students (that’s 3 of my 20)
It went well, but I talked faster than I expected, so I had to fill about 10 extra minutes.
Class was on The Legal Use of Force.

2 Likes