Become a U.S. LawShield Certified Instructor
Transform lives and elevate your career
Be the Authority in Firearms and Self-Defense Training
Whether you are looking to begin your career as a certified firearm instructor, or you are an experienced instructor who is looking to add premiere instructor credentials to your resume, you've come to the right place.
Instructor Pathway
There are two pathways to becoming a U.S. LawShield certified instructor, click on one of the below options to get started.
New Instructors
This is the pathway for anyone who desires to begin their career as a firearm instructor, and doesn't yet have any previous firearm training credentials.
Approximately 16.5 hours of training.
Existing Instructors
This shorter training pathway is for instructors who already have accepted firearm instructor credentials from organizations like the NRA, USCCA, or law enforcement.
Approximately 8.5 hours of training.
Instructor Benefits
In addition to the world-class education on firearm safety and law that the instructor certification courses provide, becoming a U.S. LawShield instructor also comes with a number of additional premiere benefits.
Professionally Designed Presentation
Immediate access to our professionally designed, state-specific, course presentation. This presentation has been specifically designed to meet the requirements to qualify students in each state to obtain their carry permit/license. It includes professionally designed videos and animations, and is unlike anything else on the market. Updated regularly by our legal team when laws change, and improved based on instructor feedback.
Guides & Course Materials
Immediate access to the following materials:
- Instructor guide, which will provide extra insights into how to present each slide in the presentation.
- Professionally designed student course guide, that can be distributed to students.
- Armed & Educated and Use of Force books for your specific state certifications. Written by our independent program attorneys!
InstructorShield Membership
- Direct access to the InstructorShield team for all firearms law questions
- Education and training on firearms law, business best practices, and legal compliance
- Updates on firearm laws and ATF regulations
- Free access to FFL DealerShield for all FFL instructors
Quarterly Professional Development
Quarterly webinars on key topics, such as:
Firearm law updates
Instructor best practices
How to grow your instructor business Market trends
Preview of new instructor credentials
Credential Overview
The U.S. LawShield instructor credential has been meticulously designed by a team of instructors, attorneys, college professors and instructional designers. As the nation's authority on firearm laws, this U.S. LawShield instructor credential was designed to particularly emphasize all of the legal topics you need to know to provide excellent instruction to your students.
The instructor credential consists of 5 entirely online courses, which include:
1. Instructor Basics (1 hour):
How to teach in an effective and legally compliant manner.
2. Basic Pistol (8 hours):
Covering a variety of firearm safety and fundamental topics, including essential gun safety rules, firearm identification and function, ammunition basics, shooting fundamentals, and much more. At the completion of this section instructor candidates will be guided through the process of completing a live-fire demonstration of competence exercise. Existing instructors holding current NRA, law enforcement, or USCCA instructor credentials are exempt from completing this 8 hour portion of the training.
3. Federal Law (4 hours):
Designed and taught by nationally recognized firearm law attorneys, this four-hour portion of the course will cover all of the essential elements of federal firearm laws you need to know. This includes constitutional law, firearm purchase and transfer laws, federally prohibited areas, interstate vehicle and airline transport, police encounters, reciprocity and constitutional carry, and other major federal laws to know.
4. Use of Force 101 (2 hours):
Self-defense laws are examined in detail, including principles such as the Castle Doctrine, stand your ground vs. duty to retreat laws, threat avoidance and de-escalation techniques, use of force against animals, defense of property, civil liability, and much more.
5. State Laws (2 hours per state):
This final course will cover all of the state-specific laws of the state(s) for which you have selected to become a certified instructor. Topics covered in this course include state laws related to firearm purchase and transfer, procedures to become a state-certified instructor and obtain a carry permit, state self-defense and use of force laws, state prohibited area, preemption laws, and much more.
Our team has worked to ensure this credential qualifies you to become a certified instructor in over 30 different states. In circumstances where the U.S. LawShield instructor credential, by itself, is not yet accepted by a particular state, you may see that having an NRA instructor credential is a prerequisite to becoming a U.S. LawShield instructor. Please select the state(s) you wish to be certified in below for specific details on the state approval process.
The Cost
The initial cost of the instructor credential training, and all of the above benefits, is only $300. The credential is renewed annually for a cost of $50.
Additional Instructor Courses
Our instructor team is constantly working to create new instructor certifications and student courses. Check out the available additional instructor certifications below, and check back regularly for new offerings.
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