Starting from 2013, it’s mandatory to obtain certification as an instructor via an accredited process before pursuing a Texas License to Carry (LTC) instructor designation.
To qualify as a Certified Texas LTC Instructor, you need to complete the Texas Department of Public Safety training course and pass a background check.
To be eligible for the DPS course, you must show certification as a firearm instructor from the National Rifle Association, Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), Security Officer training, or the military. Here’s the procedure for the NRA route:
- Visit https://www.nrainstructors.org/search.aspx
- Choose “NRA Instructor Pistol Shooting Course” (Note: Basics of Pistol Shooting – Instructor Led Training is a prerequisite).
- Select your search criteria by zipcode or state. You can sort the results by city or date.
- Pick a suitable class that includes the Basic Instructor Training (BIT) and offers the Basics of Pistol Shooting (Instructor Led Training) either before or in conjunction with the Pistol Instructor Course.
New instructor training sessions are typically conducted at a Department of Public Safety training facility near Austin. Renewal classes for instructors, if needed, are usually scheduled from August to December every odd-numbered year to coincide with sessions of the Texas Legislature.
New instructor classes occur multiple times annually with a limit of 100 students per class. Once your application is approved, you’ll be allocated to the next available class. These classes often fill up well in advance.
The new instructor training course, typically lasting 2 1/2 days, covers instructional methods and the content of the Texas Handgun License Training Course. It includes the shooting practical, which is conducted similarly to how you’ll administer it to your students. However, there’s a crucial difference: while a student qualifying for an LTC can take the shooting practical with either a revolver or a semiautomatic and pass with a score of 70%, as an instructor candidate, you must pass with both a revolver and a semiautomatic, achieving a score of 90% for each.
Additionally, you must pass a multiple-choice and true-false examination on the course material.
Application Process:
You can either:
- Visit the “License to Carry a Handgun” website at https://txapps.texas.gov/txapp/txdps/ltc/ and complete the online process. You’ll need firearms instructor certification, your Social Security Number, Texas Driver License or Texas Identification card, and a valid credit card.
- Or print and fill out the LTC-90, Instructor Certification Application available on the DPS Handgun Licensing Downloadable Forms page. Mail it to the Department of Public Safety.
- Mail Including Payment:
Texas Department of Public Safety
PO Box 15888
Austin, TX 78761-5888 - Mail Without Payment:
Texas Department of Public Safety
Handgun Licensing – MSC 0245
PO Box 4087
Austin, TX 78773-0001
- Mail Including Payment:
After completing the application process, Texas DPS will provide information about the new instructor training class.
Please note: If you’re from outside Texas, you may qualify to be an instructor, but Texas law necessitates conducting the training course within the state for it to be valid.
Your instructor rating can be used as a substitute for the training required to obtain a Texas Handgun License, although getting an LTC is not mandatory for becoming an instructor.
For further details, visit DPS’s Frequently Asked Questions page.
Remember, you’re eligible for membership in TxHGA, and we eagerly anticipate your participation.