Instructor Certification Courses
NLEFIA offers both initial basic instructor certifications for semi-auto pistol, semi-auto rifle, and shotgun...as well as advanced instructor certifications in specialized areas within those disciplines.
None of the our certification and development courses have expiration dates. It's not the job of NLEFIA to force firearms instructor to stay current by using expiration dates...good instructors will stay current on their own...or they will become outdated over time. In addition, we do NOT require members to maintain their annual membership for their training and certification to remain valid.
All instructor certification courses cost $200 per day for members. Non-members wanting to attend a course must become a member first to validate their level of instructor certification (LE/military vs civilian). Becoming a member can take as little as 24 hours (excluding weekends). Once membership is activated, course registration can begin.
Organizations hosting an instructor certification course will receive a minimum of two (2) FREE spots in the course. Organizations interested in hosting a course should contact us at training@nlefia.org .
Click on the course title for more information.
Semi-Auto Pistol Instructor ($600) - This hybrid 40-hour instructor certification course...12 hours online & 28 hours (3 days) in-person...is designed to certify the candidate as a law enforcement semi-auto pistol instructor. Upon successful completion the candidate will be qualified to conduct daytime & nighttime semi-auto pistol training for recruits & sworn officers as well as conduct semi-auto pistol qualifications. Candidates must meet the requirements of any of our membership categories to attend this course.
Semi-Auto Rifle Instructor ($600) - This hybrid 40-hour instructor certification course...12 hours online & 28 hours (3 days) in-person...is designed to certify the candidate as a law enforcement semi-auto rifle instructor. Upon successful completion the candidate will be qualified to conduct daytime & nighttime semi-auto rifle training for recruits & sworn officers as well as conduct semi-auto rifle qualifications. Candidates must have a 40-hour L.E. Pistol Instructor certification from a reputable organization to attend this course.
Shotgun Instructor ($600) - This hybrid 40-hour instructor certification course...12 hours online & 28 hours (3 days) in-person...is designed to certify the candidate as a law enforcement shotgun instructor. Upon successful completion the candidate will be qualified to conduct daytime & nighttime shotgun training for recruits & sworn officers as well as conduct shotgun qualifications. In addition, candidates will be trained in less-lethal 12 gauge munitions, ballistic breaching munitions, and other specialty munitions utilized in shotguns. Candidates must have a 40-hour L.E. Pistol Instructor certification from a reputable organization to attend this course.
Advanced Firearms Instructor ($600) – This 3-day / 24-hour instructor certification course is designed to take the firearms instructor to the next level of instruction and presentation. Since most firearms instructor certification courses are designed to show new instructors how to teach basic skills and conduct basic drills, this course will show instructors how to design and conduct advanced drills that not only pushes their student’s skills to the next level but also maximizes their training time and ammunition allotment. Creativity and thinking “outside the ammo can” are heavily emphasized in this course.
Tactical Firearms Instructor ($600) – This 3-day / 24-hour instructor certification course is designed to take the firearms instructor to the next level of instruction and presentation. The course focuses on how to conduct team tactics drills and scenarios under live-fire conditions safely. This type of training is often conducted in force-on-force training for a perceived increase in safety. However, officers gain greater confidence in their abilities and the tactics when they are successfully conducted under live-fire conditions.
Live-Fire CQB / Shoot House Instructor ($600) – Live-fire training in a shoot house is the pinnacle of all firearms training...and the most challenging for firearms instructors. Not only does the instructor have to watch all things related to firearms training and safety, but also has to simultaneously evaluate and critique the application of sound CQB tactics. This 3-day / 24-hour instructor certification course will teach firearms instructors how to conduct safe training in a 360 degree live-fire training environment.
Low Light Shooting Instructor ($600) – Most basic firearms instructors courses usually dedicate about 4-5 hours to low light shooting and only conduct basic low light drills. This instructor course goes much further in depth. This 3-day / 24-hour instructor certification course is designed to teach firearms instructors the technical information associated with illumination tools, Tritium & fiber optic sights, reflex sights / red dot optics, variable powered scopes, visible lasers, and IR lasers / night vision. In addition, firearms instructors will be exposed to training methodologies that will enhance their low light training program.
Covert Carry Instructor ($600) – This 3-day / 24-hour instructor certification course is designed to teach firearms instructors the various principles and techniques associated with covert / concealed carry for undercover and off-duty officers. Most basic firearms instructor courses briefly discuss covert carry methods and rarely conduct any range drills associated with cover carry. This instructor course goes much further in depth. Emphasis is be placed on the various covert carry methods, the pros and cons of those methods, and how to safely conduct live-fire training using those methods of covert carry.
Force-on-Force Instructor ($600) – Firearms instructors are often tasked with conducting force-on-force, or simulation training, since training scenarios are often firearms-oriented in nature. This 3-day / 24-hour instructor certification course is designed to train firearms instructors how to design, safely conduct, and effectively critique force-on-force drills and scenarios.
Firearms Instructor SME ($99) – This online course is designed to certify the experienced firearms instructor as a Subject Matter Expert (SME), which qualifies them to certify others as a law enforcement firearms instructor.