I’m looking at the USCCA Certified Instructor Workshop, which says “Upon successfully completing this course, you will become USCCA Certified Instructor, uniquely authorized to teach the USCCA course, Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals.”
Is the Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals class a qualifying class for my potential students to get their CCW Permit in Florida.
I’m looking to set up a new side business to teach a Florida CCW Permit class and make some side money.
@todd30 is right on target.
Many new instructors struggle to find a range.
The next big struggle is insurance, not to be confused with the USCCA insurance.
In TX where I’m at, yes this course of teaching would be more than enough for the classroom portion of the state requirements. But, you also need to be a certified instructor with the state of Texas for the student to actually use their certificate of completion to apply for their LTC.
Do you need FL state certification?
Teaching is the next step in your firearms journey. It is immensely rewarding to be able to sincerely help other folks.
Do you have prior teaching or at least public speaking experience?
Find out if you can do classes at the ranges. Some ranges already offer training and bringing in your own class would be a conflict in interest. Getting a good insurance will be a bonus for the ranges to protect you and the range. Get to know your range and how they work as well as, the people that work there. This will help you and them feel comfortable while you are using their range.
I have training experience, and I am pretty good at public speaking. I have experience giving lectures in class like environments.
The Florida requirements are confusing. USCCA claims the class that the instructor class prepares you to teach qualifies for our permit, but does taking the class and becoming a USCCA class instructor qualify me to as an instructor for our carry permit.
Also if anyone knows about Florida law, does this instructor training qualify me for class K instructor license.
Lots of different classes go to the public range at the state park. The range is free to get in and it’s first come first served outdoor range. You just need to pay by the car to enter the state park.
This would be my range of choice.
That sounds dicey, what if you have a class of like 12 people, you go out there and the public range is booked, first come first serve. You’re screwed.
Now, with a bunch of this said, don’t be discouraged. Find a way, make a plan, it’s all part of a process. Maybe this is meant to be because it will motivate you to buy 5 acres somewhere, you’ll use it for shooting and then someday retire and live out in the awesome-ness of the country.
No, it does not. You are barking up 2 different trees. A Type G firearms license is for licensed investigator and security personnel. A Type K instructor license is required to conduct the training for the Type G license. You must possess a valid PI license in FL to apply for Type G or K licensure, and Apprentice licenses do not count. The Type G license only allows one to carry concealed and restricts one’s choices of firearms. For example, you cannot carry .357 magnum ammo in a .357 magnum revolver and you cannot carry a 41 or 44 magnum revolver. In semi-auto handguns, you are restricted to .380 ACP, 9mm, 40 S&W, or 45 ACP. And you must be qualified on the specific type and caliber of firearm you carry. The Type G allows one to carry FOR ASSIGNED WORK in places that are not permissible for a citizen with a CWP to carry.
To teach a basic firearms course sufficient to meet the prerequisite training for a FL CWP one needs to be an NRA certified or USCCA certified basic pistol instructor. That is all. You provide a course completion certificate to each student, which they submit with their application packet. The CWP is for private citizens. It is not sufficient for a PI or contract security worker. And it has no restrictions on type or caliber of firearm and allows the concealed carry of impact, edged, electro-shock, and chemical irritant weapons.
I strongly suggest that you find a mentor…someone who is actually doing successfully what you would like to do. Offer to help them with their classes for free. Good luck.
@Fizbin It’s not bad. The park opens after sunrise, and there are a bunch of lanes, so if you get there early, it’s easy to get a lane.
If I keep my classes small it should be fine. I’ve been putting a lot of thought into this. I think it can work. Only problem is, permit classes are all over there place here. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is teaching the course, so I have to figure out how to stand out above the riff raff.
I really want people to walk away really understanding Gun Safety and respect the power they hold with a gun. Most instructors around here just wanna make a quick buck and really don’t prepares people for the responsibility of carrying.
You would have to take the concession permits to operate these type ranges in FL from the Florida Wildlife Commission in order to charge anyone for training on them. These are generally called Special Use Permits. In the federal properties (NWR, National Forest, National Park, etc.), there are serious penalties for operating for “commercial purposes” without a Special Use Permit. They even fine photographers for taking pictures of a bird or tree on federal land and then selling the image to a magazine or what not. In FL, FWC operates the public shooting ranges on federal property. So the State of Florida would be your competition for such permits. There are some concession shooting facilities inside some STATE parks in FL, too. Again, you would have to defeat the current permit holder in an open bidding contest in order to teach CWP classes on those ranges as well.
I’m sorry to be “the guy” who has to tell you this, but everyone else here is just being polite. You seem to be the poster child for not knowing what you don’t know.
@Ken38 , polite yes, that’s always nice to be. But I think @Todd30 and myself are not professing to know FL law, we’re providing info based on our experiences.
Regardless, you have some great insight into the specifics about Florida. And, like our answers, we aren’t trying to pop his balloon either, I felt the same when talking about insurance and finding a range.
Stay inspired @Paul-Michael , we’re all here to try and help you be successful. Keep asking questions.
Well here’s a hint to help you along your pilgrimage of professional development:
Don’t trash the very people who will have to grant you permission to become one of their competitors on the Internet. In fact, don’t do that at all.
You will need to learn how to stand out (hopefully in a positive way) after you actually achieve parity. Slandering the gatekeepers to a profession you wish to enter is a very, very bad way for you to start.
By the way, I am NOT a FL CWP instructor. I am retired now. But I was a cert and licensed firearms instructor in multiple states for decades and in a couple different disciplines and have been the Rangemaster of 3 different shooting sports facilities and a commercial hunting outfitter across 4 states. I am also a former federal gov’t vendor (ie contractor) in the field of outdoor recreation. So I am not taking any sort of personal offense to your characterization of FL CWP instructors. I don’t even know any of them. But I did learn not to go to indoor ranges near me on Monday mornings, because the instructors do not clean up after themselves and the ranges are trashed following their weekend classes. As a range operator, I would not allow that. But that’s just me.
@Ken38 I’m not sure if you are trying to turn this thread into an “internet keyboard warrior” debate.
You’re last post seems a little on the defensive.
It’s not my intention to slander anyone or cause anyone’s feelings to be hurt. I’m just trying to research and get information on what the proposed path before me might be.
As far as standing out amongst the competition, I know how to treat customers like family. I have run a very successful business in the service trade, but I recently injured my back and I have to give it up. Now I’m looking to other things I know and have experience in to continue in my local economy.
So, if I crossed some line, I am sorry. If I’m reading too much into your last post them again, I apologize.
I’m not looking to get trolled here or cause people to get buthurt, just answers about becoming an instructor in my state.
