Certification and Recertification

To recertify as an NRA Law Enforcement Firearm Instructor, you must submit proof of having obtained a minimum 24 hours of continuing education related to either firearms training or instructor development training any time during the three-year certification period that is expiring. This continuing education must be training you have attended in person and as a student. Download and submit the Continuing Education Application and Recertification Application forms.

The cost to recertify is $35 for a single discipline and $60 for two or more. Please note that "Handgun/Shotgun Instructor" is ONE discipline.

Upon expiration of your certification, there is a 12-month grace period to apply for and become recertified by virtue of our Continuing Education option. If your certification is expired by more than 12 months, you may reactivate that expired certification by attending, successfully completing and subsequently certifying with us in any other NRA Law Enforcement Firearm Instructor discipline. If any of your NRA Law Enforcement Firearm Instructor Certifications have been expired by more than five years, you must re-attend the original school(s) for which you had been certified.

NRA membership is required to maintain your NRA law enforcement firearm instructor certification. Should your membership expire or lapse during the three-year period of your firearm instructor certification, your certification becomes suspended until such time as your membership is restored in good standing. There is a membership discount available for law enforcement officers and certified NRA Law Enforcement Firearm Instructors through our division; download and submit this discounted NRA Membership form for law enforcement officers and NRA Law Enforcement Certified Instructors.

In addition to the membership requirement for certification, if you are employed by a private law enforcement agency, your employer is required to have Agency Enrollment as well. A private law enforcement officer is employed by an agency other than a government agency. This includes (but is not limited to) private security, nuclear security (does not include DOE sites), armored car guards, personal protection specialists, private investigators, privatized corrections, etc. The cost to enroll your agency or organization is $110 for three years and $175 for five years. Download and submit the Agency Enrollment Application form.

While Agency Enrollment is optional for the U.S. military and all federal, state, county and municipal sworn law enforcement agencies, there remain benefits to becoming Agency Enrolled with the NRA's Law Enforcement Division. They include:

• The ability to submit your agency or organization training lesson plans and qualification courses of fire to the NRA's Law Enforcement Division for an independent & impartial review and approval, thus adding an additional layer of liability protection for you. Approvals remain valid for three years, at which time the agency will have to resubmit their programs for review.
• Ability to provide NRA Law Enforcement Training Completion and Qualification certificates to your officers. These certificates are available for purchase from our program materials webpage.
• Professional affiliation with the oldest firearm safety and training organization in the world.