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Keith B wrote:I am currently digging into this with some contacts I have. Hang loose as I hope to have a solid answer in a day or so.

Thanks Keith. I'll be following this closely. DPS has had my money and complete package since september 2012. I stated on my CHL-90 I needed the complete class. I got the same email as stated earlier. If they are changing the rules after taking my money, I'll be beyond frustrated.

I have gotten word back from DPS, and they ARE requiring anyone who attends new instructor classes to already be certified as a handgun instructor and provide proof of such before attending. It has been required per the statutes all along, but was not being enforced previously. Here is a portion of an email that is being sent to new applicants:

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In order to be considered for either (date) of these classes, you must submit additional documentation as proof that you hold a current firearm instructor certificate as per Government Code §411.190. The following items are acceptable:
• NRA certified firearm instructor - please submit a copy of certificate of training and a copy your unexpired NRA identification card.
• TCLEOSE firearm instructor - please submit a copy your TCLEOSE firearm instructor certificate. (Please note, that “basic instructor” is not sufficient.)
(clip)

And per the statues, it states handgun instructor, so if you are only an NRA rifle, shotgun or something other than pistol instructor then it will not be acceptable.

As for renewals, since the legislature is in session year there may be changes due to pending bills, so they do not know what may or may not be required at present until the 6 month time frame where they will start issuing the renewal certificates.

Keith -- wouldn't that make ALL new instructors qualified for the short class? Why even have the long one.

sjfcontrol wrote:Keith -- wouldn't that make ALL new instructors qualified for the short class? Why even have the long one.

They are not scheduling an abbreviated course at present time. Don't know if they will in the future. The ones I have heard about will be 5 days; 4 days classroom (M-T) and Friday at range.

Keith B wrote:I have gotten word back from DPS, and they ARE requiring anyone who attends new instructor classes to already be certified as a handgun instructor and provide proof of such before attending. It has been required per the statutes all along, but was not being enforced previously. Here is a portion of an email that is being sent to new applicants:

(clip)
In order to be considered for either (date) of these classes, you must submit additional documentation as proof that you hold a current firearm instructor certificate as per Government Code §411.190. The following items are acceptable:
• NRA certified firearm instructor - please submit a copy of certificate of training and a copy your unexpired NRA identification card.
• TCLEOSE firearm instructor - please submit a copy your TCLEOSE firearm instructor certificate. (Please note, that “basic instructor” is not sufficient.)
(clip)

And per the statues, it states handgun instructor, so if you are only an NRA rifle, shotgun or something other than pistol instructor then it will not be acceptable.

As for renewals, since the legislature is in session year there may be changes due to pending bills, so they do not know what may or may not be required at present until the 6 month time frame where they will start issuing the renewal certificates.

So does this mean I need to run out and take the NRA class before I can attend the class? It was my understanding at the time of my submission that I would need to take the long class as I indicated on the CHL-90. Am I just out $100 unless I can come up with a class and the money to pay/ammo to shoot? It is beginning to look like myself and probably others are just out of luck.

2firfun50 wrote:So does this mean I need to run out and take the NRA class before I can attend the class? It was my understanding at the time of my submission that I would need to take the long class as I indicated on the CHL-90. Am I just out $100 unless I can come up with a class and the money to pay/ammo to shoot? It is beginning to look like myself and probably others are just out of luck.

Have you received an email from them scheduleing a class date? If so, it should have stated the above in it. If not, then you probably have time to schedule an NRA pistol instructors class. It will be required before you can take the CHL instructors class. If you have other quesitons you will need to contact DPS; I am just passing along info that I have received and confirmed.

Keith B wrote:I have gotten word back from DPS, and they ARE requiring anyone who attends new instructor classes to already be certified as a handgun instructor and provide proof of such before attending. It has been required per the statutes all along, but was not being enforced previously. Here is a portion of an email that is being sent to new applicants:

(clip)
In order to be considered for either (date) of these classes, you must submit additional documentation as proof that you hold a current firearm instructor certificate as per Government Code §411.190. The following items are acceptable:
• NRA certified firearm instructor - please submit a copy of certificate of training and a copy your unexpired NRA identification card.
• TCLEOSE firearm instructor - please submit a copy your TCLEOSE firearm instructor certificate. (Please note, that “basic instructor” is not sufficient.)
(clip)

And per the statues, it states handgun instructor, so if you are only an NRA rifle, shotgun or something other than pistol instructor then it will not be acceptable.

As for renewals, since the legislature is in session year there may be changes due to pending bills, so they do not know what may or may not be required at present until the 6 month time frame where they will start issuing the renewal certificates.

I spent the better part of 30 minutes on the phone with DPS today, and yes, you must have handgun certification as Keith states above. And because the CHL-90 is currently being modified, new instructor candidates cannot mail in all the paperwork to get in the 'line' for class. So I have an email address, given to me by DPS, to request a place in 'line' for class even though the CHL-90 hasn't been completed (through no fault of ours). As I do not have a NRA instructor certification, I will be completing that ASAP, so that I can have my instructor certificate by the time DPS gets back to me with my place in 'line'. In all fairness, this requirement has been in place all along, so my fault for not recognizing that aspect. But nowhere, other than the legal code, does DPS ask or require you to provide the proof of meeting this requirement BEFORE they take your money for the online application. Again, my fault for not looking. You have 1 yr. from the date of activity of the application to get your stuff together before the application expires and you are out your money. So I am going to get my NRA certification as fast as I can, and hope that I can get into a CHL Instructor class this summer. Here's to wishful thinking........

2firfun50 wrote:

Keith B wrote:I am currently digging into this with some contacts I have. Hang loose as I hope to have a solid answer in a day or so.

Thanks Keith. I'll be following this closely. DPS has had my money and complete package since september 2012. I stated on my CHL-90 I needed the complete class. I got the same email as stated earlier. If they are changing the rules after taking my money, I'll be beyond frustrated.

Hang in there they have had my money since Aug. 2012 I was told over the phone to that I would get an email in that night or the next morning (that was at the begining of this week) and have not, so I am hopeing to get into the march class.

Keith B wrote:

sjfcontrol wrote:Keith -- wouldn't that make ALL new instructors qualified for the short class? Why even have the long one.

They are not scheduling an abbreviated course at present time. Don't know if they will in the future. The ones I have heard about will be 5 days; 4 days classroom (M-T) and Friday at range.

When I went through, the "short" class was still 5 days, it's just those that had existing instructor certs got to leave at 5 and those that didn't had to stay an extra couple hours each night to get generic "how to teach" training. that was my understanding of the "short" and "long" classes. is that what you're taking about sjfcontrol?

jsenner wrote:

Keith B wrote:

sjfcontrol wrote:Keith -- wouldn't that make ALL new instructors qualified for the short class? Why even have the long one.

They are not scheduling an abbreviated course at present time. Don't know if they will in the future. The ones I have heard about will be 5 days; 4 days classroom (M-T) and Friday at range.

When I went through, the "short" class was still 5 days, it's just those that had existing instructor certs got to leave at 5 and those that didn't had to stay an extra couple hours each night to get generic "how to teach" training. that was my understanding of the "short" and "long" classes. is that what you're taking about sjfcontrol?

No, recently they had a 4 & 5 day class. The full class was 5 days and they taught you how to instruct on teh first day. The abbreviated class was only 4 days for those who were already certified instructors and they skipped the first day.

The abbreviated class is no more. All classes will be 5 days. Days 1-4 are in the classroom 8am - 5pm. Day 5 is range time to run through the qualification course with a revolver and a semi-auto. Day five on the range is usually over by 11:30 at which time if you have passed everything you will be going home with your certificate and can teach a class the next day.

You will also need to be certified instructor; either POST, NRA or Military before being accepted to attend the class. They don't teach you how to teach or handle firearms. You will already need to know that before coming to the class.

As I understand it, they have changed this as they were having a number of various problems with instructors not being qualified or safe with the guns or very knowledgable. So, they went back and reviewed the statutes which they follow.

They are in the process of changing the application forms, etc...... of course this may all change again come September depending upon what happens this legislative session that ends in May.

And do we know anything about renewals? We have our NRA instructor certs, but know others that do not. Will this be required for renewal?

Crossfire wrote:And do we know anything about renewals? We have our NRA instructor certs, but know others that do not. Will this be required for renewal?

I don't know the answer to that one; you will need to contact Sheri at DPS directly for the answer, but you may have to wait until next week since she and the Sgt. are teaching the class this week.

The way everything is being conducted right now is subject to change with the state legislature in session right now. All you need to do is look at the bills that have been submitted so far and you can see that there could be some real changes. No one knows what the statutes will look like until June.

Look on the bright side. Once you have the NRA certification, you can teach classes and point your students at http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Firearms_Non ... ealed.shtm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; until DPS gets around to scheduling you in a Texas instructor class.

glock75 wrote:I don't know the answer to that one; you will need to contact Sheri at DPS directly for the answer, but you may have to wait until next week since she and the Sgt. are teaching the class this week.

This is the thing that has truly annoyed me in recent times as a CHL instructor. Instead of sharing information with instructors, DPS lets each individual call them and get an answer, creating a range of varying information (think of the still-not-published guidance on electronic submission of supporting documents). This is an unreasonable failure because correcting it does not place any new demands on DPS; it only requires stating that which they have already decided.