Verified Concealed Handgun Instructors

Verified Concealed Handgun Instructor Certification Process:

To be verified by the Delta County Sheriff’s Office, a Verified Concealed Handgun Instructor must meet the following criteria: 

• Principal Place of firearms training must be located in Delta County.
  •  If your training takes place in another county, please contact that county for details about becoming a verified instructor
• Hold a valid Colorado-issued CHP - a temporary emergency permit does not qualify.
• Be certified as a firearms instructor through one of the following entities:
  • A federal, state, county or municipal law enforcement agency
  • A college or university
  • A nationally recognized organization that customarily offers firearms training
  •  A firearms training school

Please note, it is the responsibility of the instructor to inform the Sheriff’s Office of firearms instructor certification renewals. Failure to do so will result in suspension of Verified Instructor status and the removal from the public list of Verified Instructors. There is no grace period for expired instructor certifications.

Additionally, if the instructor’s principal place of business changes location, please notify the Sheriff’s Office within 30 days of your new address and business name. In addition to the above criteria, all CHP classes taught must meet the parameters as follows.

Concealed Handgun Permit General Requirements

• Classes must be taught in person by the Verified Instructor.
• No portion of the class may be held online.                            
• Classes must meet the requirements of the federal “Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990”.         

Concealed Handgun Training Class (For New CHP’s)

A Class for people intending to apply for a new CHP.

Required Duration: Minimum of 8 hours. This does not need to be consecutive.

• Knowledge and safe handling of firearms and ammunition.
• Safe storage of firearms and child safety.
• Safe firearms shooting fundamentals.
• Federal and state laws pertaining to the lawful purchase, ownership, transportation, use, and possession of firearms.
• Extreme Risk Protection Orders described in Article 14.5 of title 13.
• Requirements for reporting lost or stolen firearms as described in C.R.S. 18-12-113.
• Requirements for secure firearms storage as described in C.R.S. 18-12-114.
• State laws pertaining to the use of deadly force for self-defense.
• Instruction on any other state law enacted within 5 years before the class pertains to the purchase, ownership, transportation, use, and possession of firearms.
• Best practices to ensure concealed handgun permit holders safely interact with law enforcement personnel who are responding to an emergency.
• Instruction regarding techniques for avoiding a criminal attack and how to manage a violent confrontation, including conflict resolution and judgmental use of lethal force.
• Require students to complete a live-fire exercise on a range, discharging at least 50 rounds with a minimum 70% accuracy score. This does not need to be conducted in a single day.
• Require students to complete a written Concealed Handgun Competency exam which tests a student’s knowledge of the subjects described in C.R.S. 18-12-205.5 (3)(a) to (3)(f), with a minimum score of 80%. This exam must be an open-book exam.

Concealed Handgun Refresher Class (For Renewing CHP’s)

A Class for people intending to renew an existing CHP. A certificate for this class will not suffice for new CHP applications.

Required Duration: Minimum of 2 hours. Required Elements:

• Instruction on changes to federal and state laws related to firearms enacted within 5 years prior to the refresher class.
• Require students to complete a live-fire exercise on a range, discharging at least 50 rounds with a minimum 70% accuracy score.
• Require students to complete a written Concealed Handgun Competency exam which tests a student’s knowledge of the subjects described in C.R.S 18-12-2005.5 (3)(a) to (3)(f), with a minimum score of 80%. This exam must be an open-book exam.

Class Certificate Required Elements:

• Certificates issued to students must have the following information:
• The instructor’s name printed or typed
• The instructor's original signature - digital/electronic signatures, stamps, cursive fonts are not acceptable                        
• The instructor’s Delta County Verified Firearms Instructor ID.                  
• This ID number will be found on your Delta County Sheriff’s Office Verified Firearms Instructor ID card and certificate.                              
• Certificates must clearly indicate whether the student completed a Concealed Handgun Training class (New) or a Refresher class.
• Note: Refresher class certificates are not valid for new CHP applications.
• The student’s printed name.
• The date the student completed the class.

How to Apply for the Verified Instructor Program

If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact the Delta County Sheriff's Office, Concealed Handgun Program Unit, at (970)874-2008

Instructor Application - If you already have a Concealed Handgun Permit in Colorado 

1. Fill out and sign the Delta County Sheriff's Office Verified Firearms Instructor application 
2. Submit the following materials via email to: crevoir@deltacountyco.gov
   1. Completed and signed Verified Firearms Instructor Application (pdf)   
   2. Copy of your Colorado Driver's License or ID
   3. Copy of valid Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit 
   4. Proof that you are a certified firearms instructor, such as an NRA instructor certificate or Colorado POST instructor certificate 
   5. A syllabus of what will be taught in your Concealed Handgun Training classes 
   6. A copy of the written exam that will be provided to the students 
3. You will receive an email response once your application has been received. If any required documents are missing or incomplete, your application will not be processed. Please do not send any additional documentation unless specifically requested. 
4. This process may take up to 30 days to complete 

Once your complete application and all required documentation have been received and processed, a Delta County Verified Instructor certificate and ID card will be issued upon review and by the authority of the Delta County Sheriff.  Additionally, your name, business, and verification expiration date will be added to our public list of Verified Instructors.                                                               

Instructor Application - Applicant does NOT already have a Concealed Handgun Permit 

• If you need to apply for a CHP at the same time as the Verified Instructor Program, please contact us at (970) 874-2000 to schedule an appointment. 

How Verified Instructors are Revoked or Suspended 

• If an instructor no longer meets the requirements for verification, your status as a Verified Instructor will be revoked.
• If an instructor provides a certificate for the completion of a Concealed Handgun Training class or Refresher class that fails to meet the class requirements, your status as a Verified Instructor will be suspended. You may appeal for reinstatement no earlier than 30 days following the suspension per C.R.S. 18-12-202.7 (4)(b).
• Please note, if your Verified Instructor status is revoked or suspended, you will be removed from our public list of Verified Instructors. 

What if My Verified Instructor Application is Denied? 

• If your application is denied, you will receive a letter explaining the grounds for the denial, suspension, or revocation. The letter will also explain how the applicant may appeal this decision. Applicants may also seek judicial review of the Sheriff's decision, per C.R.S. 18-12-207 (4)(a).