Firearms training requirements

*571.111. Firearms training requirements — safety instructor requirements — penalty for violations. — 1. An applicant for a concealed carry permit shall demonstrate knowledge of firearms safety training. This requirement shall be fully satisfied if the applicant for a concealed carry permit:

(1) Submits a photocopy of a certificate of firearms safety training course completion, as defined in subsection 2 of this section, signed by a qualified firearms safety instructor as defined in subsection 6 of this section; or

(2) Submits a photocopy of a certificate that shows the applicant completed a firearms safety course given by or under the supervision of any state, county, municipal, or federal law enforcement agency; or

(3) Is a qualified firearms safety instructor as defined in subsection 6 of this section; or

(4) Submits proof that the applicant currently holds any type of valid peace officer license issued under the requirements of chapter 590; or

(5) Submits proof that the applicant is currently allowed to carry firearms in accordance with the certification requirements of section 217.710; or

(6) Submits proof that the applicant is currently certified as any class of corrections officer by the Missouri department of corrections and has passed at least one eight-hour firearms training course, approved by the director of the Missouri department of corrections under the authority granted to him or her, that includes instruction on the justifiable use of force as prescribed in chapter 563; or

(7) Submits a photocopy of a certificate of firearms safety training course completion that was issued on August 27, 2011, or earlier so long as the certificate met the requirements of subsection 2 of this section that were in effect on the date it was issued.

2. A certificate of firearms safety training course completion may be issued to any applicant by any qualified firearms safety instructor. On the certificate of course completion the qualified firearms safety instructor shall affirm that the individual receiving instruction has taken and passed a firearms safety course of at least eight hours in length taught by the instructor that included:

(1) Handgun safety in the classroom, at home, on the firing range and while carrying the firearm;

(2) A physical demonstration performed by the applicant that demonstrated his or her ability to safely load and unload either a revolver or a semiautomatic pistol and demonstrated his or her marksmanship with either firearm;

(3) The basic principles of marksmanship;

(4) Care and cleaning of concealable firearms;

(5) Safe storage of firearms at home;

(6) The requirements of this state for obtaining a concealed carry permit from the sheriff of the individual's county of residence;

(7) The laws relating to firearms as prescribed in this chapter;

(8) The laws relating to the justifiable use of force as prescribed in chapter 563;

(9) A live firing exercise of sufficient duration for each applicant to fire either a revolver or a semiautomatic pistol, from a standing position or its equivalent, a minimum of twenty rounds from the handgun at a distance of seven yards from a B-27 silhouette target or an equivalent target;

(10) A live-fire test administered to the applicant while the instructor was present of twenty rounds from either a revolver or a semiautomatic pistol from a standing position or its equivalent at a distance from a B-27 silhouette target, or an equivalent target, of seven yards.

3. A certificate of firearms safety training course completion may also be issued to an applicant who presents proof to a qualified firearms safety instructor that the applicant has passed a regular or online course on firearm safety conducted by an instructor certified by the National Rifle Association that is at least one hour in length and who also passes the requirements of subdivisions (1), (2), (6), (7), (8), (9), and (10) of subsection 2 of this section in a course, not restricted by a period of hours, that is taught by a qualified firearms safety instructor.

4. A qualified firearms safety instructor shall not give a grade of passing to an applicant for a concealed carry permit who:

(1) Does not follow the orders of the qualified firearms instructor or cognizant range officer; or

(2) Handles a firearm in a manner that, in the judgment of the qualified firearm safety instructor, poses a danger to the applicant or to others; or

(3) During the live-fire testing portion of the course fails to hit the silhouette portion of the targets with at least fifteen rounds.

5. Qualified firearms safety instructors who provide firearms safety instruction to any person who applies for a concealed carry permit shall:

(1) Make the applicant's course records available upon request to the sheriff of the county in which the applicant resides;

(2) Maintain all course records on students for a period of no less than four years from course completion date; and

(3) Not have more than forty students per certified instructor in the classroom portion of the course or more than five students per range officer engaged in range firing.

6. A firearms safety instructor shall be considered to be a qualified firearms safety instructor by any sheriff issuing a concealed carry permit pursuant to sections 571.101 to 571.121 if the instructor:

(1) Is a valid firearms safety instructor certified by the National Rifle Association holding a rating as a personal protection instructor or pistol marksmanship instructor; or

(2) Submits a photocopy of a notarized certificate from a firearms safety instructor's course offered by a local, state, or federal governmental agency; or

(3) Submits a photocopy of a notarized certificate from a firearms safety instructor course approved by the department of public safety; or

(4) Has successfully completed a firearms safety instructor course given by or under the supervision of any state, county, municipal, or federal law enforcement agency; or

(5) Is a certified police officer firearms safety instructor.

7. Any firearms safety instructor qualified under subsection 6 of this section may submit a copy of a training instructor certificate, course outline bearing the notarized signature of the instructor, and a recent photograph of the instructor to the sheriff of the county in which the instructor resides. The sheriff shall review the training instructor certificate along with the course outline and verify the firearms safety instructor is qualified and the course meets the requirements provided under this section. If the sheriff verifies the firearms safety instructor is qualified and the course meets the requirements provided under this section, the sheriff shall collect an annual registration fee of ten dollars from each qualified instructor who chooses to submit such information and submit the registration to the Missouri sheriff methamphetamine relief taskforce. The Missouri sheriff methamphetamine relief taskforce, or its designated agent, shall create and maintain a statewide database of qualified instructors. This information shall be a closed record except for access by any sheriff. Firearms safety instructors may register annually and the registration is only effective for the calendar year in which the instructor registered. Any sheriff may access the statewide database maintained by the Missouri sheriff methamphetamine relief taskforce to verify the firearms safety instructor is qualified and the course offered by the instructor meets the requirements provided under this section. Unless a sheriff has reason to believe otherwise, a sheriff shall presume a firearms safety instructor is qualified to provide firearms safety instruction in counties throughout the state under this section if the instructor is registered on the statewide database of qualified instructors.

8. Any firearms safety instructor who knowingly provides any sheriff with any false information concerning an applicant's performance on any portion of the required training and qualification shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor. A violation of the provisions of this section shall result in the person being prohibited from instructing concealed carry permit classes and issuing certificates.