§ 21-1290.14 — Safety and training course.

Oklahoma § 21-1290.14

• Jurisdiction: Oklahoma
• Title 21: Crimes And Punishments

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SAFETY AND TRAINING COURSE A. Each applicant for a license to carry a concealed or unconcealed handgun pursuant to the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act must successfully complete a firearms safety and training course in this state conducted by a registered and approved firearms instructor as provided by the provisions of this section or from an interactive online firearms safety and training course available electronically via the Internet approved and certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training. The applicant must further demonstrate competence and qualification with an authorized pistol to carry as a concealed or unconcealed handgun pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, except certain persons may be exempt from such training requirement as provided by the provisions of Section 1290.15 of this title. B. The Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) shall establish criteria for approving firearms instructors and interactive online firearms safety and training courses available electronically via the Internet for purposes of training and qualifying individuals for a handgun license pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. Prior to submitting an application for CLEET approval as a firearms instructor, applicants shall attend a firearms instructor school, meeting the following minimum requirements: 1. Firearms instructor training conducted by one of the following entities: a. Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, b. National Rifle Association, c. Oklahoma Rifle Association, d. federal law enforcement agencies, or e. other professionally recognized organizations; 2. The course shall be at least sixteen (16) hours in length; 3. Upon completion of the course, the applicant shall be qualified to provide instruction on pistols; and 4. Receive a course completion certificate. All firearms instructors shall be required to meet the eligibility requirements for a handgun license as provided in Sections 1290.9, 1290.10, and 1290.11 of this title and the application shall be processed as provided for applicants in Section 1290.12 of this title, including the state and national criminal history records search and fingerprint search. A firearms instructor shall be required to pay a fee of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) to the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) each time the person makes application for CLEET approval as a firearms instructor pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. The fee shall be retained by CLEET and shall be deposited into the Firearms Instructors Revolving Fund. CLEET shall promulgate the rules, forms and procedures necessary to implement the approval of firearms instructors as authorized by the provisions of this subsection. CLEET shall periodically review each approved instructor during a training and qualification course to assure compliance with the rules and course contents. Any violation of the rules may result in the revocation or suspension of CLEET and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation approval. Unless the approval has been revoked or suspended, a firearms instructor’s CLEET approval shall be for a term of five (5) years. CLEET shall be responsible for notifying all approved firearms instructors of statutory and policy changes related to the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. A firearms instructor shall not be required to submit his or her fingerprints for a fingerprint search when renewing a firearms instructor’s CLEET approval. C. 1. All firearms instructors approved by CLEET to train and qualify individuals for a handgun license shall be required to apply for registration with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation after receiving CLEET approval. All firearms instructors teaching the approved course for a handgun license must display their registration certificate during each training and qualification course. Each approved firearms instructor shall complete a registration form provided by the Bureau and shall have the option to pay a registration fee of either One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for a five-year registration certificate or Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) for a ten-year registration certificate to the Bureau at the time of each application for registration, except as provided in paragraph 2 of this subsection. Registration certificates issued by the Bureau shall be valid for a period of five (5) years or ten (10) years from the date of issuance. The Bureau shall issue a five-year or ten-year handgun license to an approved firearms instructor at the time of issuance of a registration certificate and no additional fee shall be required or charged. The Bureau shall maintain a current listing of all registered firearms instructors in this state. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to eliminate the requirement for registration and training with CLEET as provided in subsection B of this section. Failure to register or be trained as required shall result in a revocation or suspension of the instructor certificate by the Bureau. 2. Registered instructors listed in subparagraphs a and b of this paragraph shall not be required to renew the firearms instructor registration certificate with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation at the expiration of the registration term, provided the instructor is not subject to any suspension or revocation of the firearms instructor certificate. The firearms instructor registration with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall automatically renew together with the handgun license authorized in paragraph 1 of this subsection for an additional five-year term and no additional cost or fee may be charged for the following individuals: a. an active duty law enforcement officer of this state or any of its political subdivisions or of the federal government who has a valid CLEET approval as a firearms instructor pursuant to the Oklahoma Self- Defense Act, and b. a retired law enforcement officer authorized to carry a firearm pursuant to Section 1289.8 of this title who has a valid CLEET approval as a firearms instructor pursuant to the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. D. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall approve registration for a firearms instructor applicant who is in full compliance with CLEET rules regarding firearms instructors and the provisions of subsection B of this section, if completion of the federal fingerprint search is the only reason for delay of registration of that firearms instructor applicant. Upon receipt of the federal fingerprint search information, if the Bureau receives information which precludes the person from having a handgun license, the Bureau shall revoke both the registration and the handgun license previously issued to the firearms instructor. E. The required firearms safety and training course and the actual demonstration of competency and qualification required of the applicant shall be designed and conducted in such a manner that the course can be reasonably completed by the applicant within an eight- hour period. CLEET shall establish the course content and promulgate rules, procedures and forms necessary to implement the provisions of this subsection. For the training and qualification course, an applicant may be charged a fee which shall be determined by the instructor or entity that is conducting the course. The maximum class size shall be determined by the instructor conducting the course; provided, however, practice shooting sessions shall not have more than ten participating students at one time. CLEET may establish criteria for assistant instructors and any other requirements deemed necessary to conduct a safe and effective training and qualification course. The course content shall include a safety inspection of the firearm to be used by the applicant in the training course; instruction on pistol handling, safety and storage; dynamics of ammunition and firing; methods or positions for firing a pistol; information about the criminal provisions of the Oklahoma law relating to firearms; the requirements of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act as it relates to the applicant; self-defense and the use of appropriate force; a practice shooting session; and a familiarization course. The firearms instructor shall refuse to train or qualify any person when the pistol to be used or carried by the person is either deemed unsafe or unfit for firing or is a weapon not authorized by the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. The course shall provide an opportunity for the applicant to qualify himself or herself with a pistol; provided, no pistol shall be capable of firing larger than .45 caliber ammunition. Any applicant who successfully trains and qualifies himself or herself with a pistol shall be approved by the firearms instructor on the training certificate. Upon successful completion of the training and qualification course, a certificate of training and a certificate of competency and qualification shall be issued to each applicant who successfully completes the course. The certificate of training and certificate of competency and qualification shall comply with the forms established by CLEET and shall be submitted with an application for a handgun license pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 2 of subsection A of Section 1290.12 of this title. The certificate of training and certificate of competency and qualification issued to an applicant shall be valid for a period of three (3) years. F. There is hereby created a revolving fund for the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET), to be designated the “Firearms Instructors Revolving Fund”. The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all funds received for approval of firearms instructors for purposes of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. All funds received shall be deposited to the fund. All monies accruing to the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, for implementation of the training and qualification course contents, approval of firearms instructors and any other CLEET requirement pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act or as may otherwise be deemed appropriate by CLEET. Expenditures from the fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for approval and payment. G. Firearms instructors shall keep on file for a period of not less than three (3) years a roster of each training class, the safety test score of each individual, the caliber and the weapon each individual used when qualifying and whether or not each individual successfully completed the training course. Firearms instructors shall be authorized to destroy all training documents and records upon expiration of the three-year time period.

Legislative History

Added by Laws 1995, c. 272, § 14, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Laws 1996, c. 1, § 1, emerg. eff. Feb. 22, 1996; Laws 1996, c. 191, § 16, emerg. eff. May 16, 1996; Laws 1998, c. 286, § 5, eff. July 1, 1998; Laws 2000, c. 382, § 1, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2003, c. 465, § 8, eff. July 1, 2003; Laws 2004, c. 549, § 4, eff. July 1, 2004; Laws 2005, c. 455, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2005; Laws 2012, c. 259, § 34, eff. Nov. 1, 2012; Laws 2013, c. 15, § 16, emerg. eff. April 8, 2013; Laws 2013, c. 86, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2013; Laws 2014, c. 4, § 3, emerg. eff. April 2, 2014; Laws 2014, c. 123, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2014; Laws 2015, c. 207, § 2, emerg. eff. May 1, 2015; Laws 2024, c. 156, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2024. NOTE: Laws 2012, c. 304, § 91 repealed by Laws 2013, c. 15, § 17, emerg. eff. April 8, 2013. Laws 2013, c. 139, § 1 repealed by Laws 2014, c. 4, § 4, emerg. eff. April 2, 2014.