Carrying a concealed handgun is a considered a privilege in the state of Colorado and comes with a great deal of responsibility. Currently, the state of Colorado requires are permit in order to carry a concealed handgun. As of now there are many classes that will qualify an individual to to apply for their concealed carry permit. Currently, our Basic Pistol course qualifies an individual to apply for their concealed carry permit in the state of Colorado. Once a student has taken our course all they will need to do is to fill out the concealed carry application in the county where they reside and send the list of required documents to their respective county. However, this process will change starting in July of 2025. Beginning in July of 2025, the state of Colorado will begin putting stipulations on both citizens and Firearms Instructors on both the requirements to obtain your concealed carry permit as well as what is needed to recertify your concealed carry permit. These new stipulations will also dictate how we as instructors conduct our training and the topics that must be covered in our classes. As of July 2025, the following content must be covered in all classes taught in El Paso County:

1) Knowledge and safe handling of firearms and ammunition ▪

2) Safe storage of firearms and child safety ▪

3) Safe firearms shooting fundamentals ▪

4) Federal and state laws pertaining to the lawful purchase, ownership, transportation, use, and possession of firearms ▪

5) Extreme Risk Protection Orders described in Article 14.5 of Title 13 ▪

6) Requirements for reporting lost or stolen firearms as described in C.R.S. 18-12-113 ▪

7) Requirements for secure firearms storage as described in C.R.S. 18-12-114 ▪

8) State laws pertaining to the use of deadly force for self-defense ▪

9) Instruction on any other state law enacted within 5 years before the class that pertains to the purchase, ownership, transportation, use, and possession of firearms ▪

10) Best practices to ensure concealed handgun permit holders safely interact with law enforcement personnel who are responding to an emergency ▪

11) Instruction regarding techniques for avoiding a criminal attack and how to manage a violent confrontation, including conflict resolution and judgmental use of lethal force ▪

12) Students must 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.) ▪

13) Students must complete a written Concealed Handgun Competency exam which tests a student’s knowledge of the subjects described

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Additionally, all instructors must be certified by El Paso County in order to be instructors in El Paso County. After July of 2025, do not take a class from an instructor that is not certified by the El Paso County Sheriffs Office as an instructor. All instructors who are certified can be found on the El Paso County Sheriffs Office verified instructor web site. Rob Ferguson is already verified and certified by El Paso County Sheriffs office to instruct and our curriculum has been approved to qualify for concealed carry after the new rules go into effect in July of 2025. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.