Florida CCW - "Safely discharge firearm" requirement?

[brufener]

I am a resident of Virginia, and will be doing some traveling in Delaware this summer. The Delaware Attorney General says they will honor a CCW permit from Florida, but not Virginia. Apparently Delaware will honor permits from states that require "proof of training in firearms safety." The training requirements to obtain a CCW in Virginia and Florida are almost identical (Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-308, Florida Statute 790.06), with the exception of a possible Florida requirement that a NRA instructor must maintain records certifying that he/she has observed the student safely handle and discharge a firearm.

I plan to petition the Delaware AG to accept Virginia CCW permits on the basis that the Virginia and Florida training requirements are the same. The one thing I'm not sure about is whether Florida requires the applicant to submit a certification that they have safely handled and discharged a firearm (my reading of the statute says they do not). Florida does not publish their CCW permit online.

For those of you who have a Florida CCW, did you have to submit certification that you safely handled and discharged a firearm? Or, was certification that you completed a course taught by a NRA instructor sufficient?

Thanks,
Bryce

 

[BigFatKen]

dd 214 ok

I used a copy of my DD 214. Wife had to shoot a few rounds at a range.

 

[liberty911]

For my FL CCW, I submitted a certificate from a NRA Instructor stating I have demonstrated the safe handling and discharge of a firearm.

 

[Rumble]

I submitted a certificate of completion from an NRA course. I don't recall that it said anything about safely discharging a firearm.

 

[.45FMJoe]

Yes in FL you must show safe handling of a firearm and have a certificate that either states or implies as much. I don't recall off hand but I think my certificate of completion stated I passed all state mandated requirements. This implies I showed safe handling of a firearm. I shot one (1) round out of a taurus .38spl snub nosed revolver. The instructor did not care if you hit the target just that you showed safe handling. I.E. finger outside trigger guard, muzzle in safe direction. Thanks, please drive through here is your certificate.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

(h) Demonstrates competence with a firearm by any one of the following:

1. Completion of any hunter education or hunter safety course approved by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or a similar agency of another state;

2. Completion of any National Rifle Association firearms safety or training course;

3. Completion of any firearms safety or training course or class available to the general public offered by a law enforcement, junior college, college, or private or public institution or organization or firearms training school, utilizing instructors certified by the National Rifle Association, Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, or the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services;

4. Completion of any law enforcement firearms safety or training course or class offered for security guards, investigators, special deputies, or any division or subdivision of law enforcement or security enforcement;

5. Presents evidence of equivalent experience with a firearm through participation in organized shooting competition or military service;

6. Is licensed or has been licensed to carry a firearm in this state or a county or municipality of this state, unless such license has been revoked for cause; or

7. Completion of any firearms training or safety course or class conducted by a state-certified or National Rifle Association certified firearms instructor;

A photocopy of a certificate of completion of any of the courses or classes; or an affidavit from the instructor, school, club, organization, or group that conducted or taught said course or class attesting to the completion of the course or class by the applicant; or a copy of any document which shows completion of the course or class or evidences participation in firearms competition shall constitute evidence of qualification under this paragraph; any person who conducts a course pursuant to subparagraph 2., subparagraph 3., or subparagraph 7., or who, as an instructor, attests to the completion of such courses, must maintain records certifying that he or she observed the student safely handle and discharge the firearm;

Note that, at the very end, they insert the requirement that the instructor must have observed the student safely handle and discharge the firearm.

 

[joab]

I have taken two CCW classes in Fla
One from Riegs which does a lot of advanced training for security officers
The instructor asked if any of the students had firearms with them and instructed those of us that did to put them in their cars or give them to him for safe keeping

I have not fired a round in front of the instructor in either class

The first class consisted of a video from some former state attorney and a fire arm safety video followed by a discussion group on shoot don't shot scenarios.

I could have given either class

Especially the second where the instructor put a video in and came back in time to wake me up for the second video

I have been offered a third classs given by a LEO and was told that a firearm would not be necessary because he gave the class in his living room

Classes are also offered at the gunshows held at the local fairgrounds, there is no place to fire a gun there

 

[.45FMJoe]

^ Actually I took the course at the FL State Fairgrounds. You have to drive to the little indoor "range" on Fowler to shoot your one round to complete your certificate. It's written in ink you must demonstrate safe handling and discharge of the weapon so I guess either of your classes could be nullified...technically. I don't think anyone would really care though but it's the instructor who is on the line for certifying you without satisfying the requirements.

 

[brufener]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. It sounds like there is no spot on the Florida CCW where it says "please attach your safe gun handling and discharge certification."

A photocopy of a certificate of completion of any of the courses or classes; or an affidavit from the instructor, school, club, organization, or group that conducted or taught said course or class attesting to the completion of the course or class by the applicant; or a copy of any document which shows completion of the course or class or evidences participation in firearms competition shall constitute evidence of qualification under this paragraph; any person who conducts a course pursuant to subparagraph 2., subparagraph 3., or subparagraph 7., or who, as an instructor, attests to the completion of such courses, must maintain records certifying that he or she observed the student safely handle and discharge the firearm;

Note that, at the very end, they insert the requirement that the instructor must have observed the student safely handle and discharge the firearm.

I had seen that sentence which is why I asked the question.

I suppose the key issue here is whether Florida can deny a person a CCW permit if they have taken a NRA class, but the applicant has not safely handled and discharged a firearm. The answer seems to be that they don't ask. Thus I will argue that there effectively is no requirement. The "requirement" is really kind of odd anyway because it places a duty on the instructor, not the applicant. I would guess there are some NRA instructors who teach classes in Florida (and certainly in other states) that do not know that their students will use the class to satisfy the Florida CCW training requirement.

This is important because Virginia has no such requirement (or wording implying that there may be a requirement), but everything else is about the same. If the Delaware AG sees it like I do, then he will (hopefully) recognize Virginia CCW permits in Delaware.

Thanks again,

Bryce

 

[joab]

You have to drive to the little indoor "range" on Fowler to shoot your one round to complete your certificate.

Is this Orlando?

I'm not aware of a Fowler street in this area

 

[Aguila Blanca]

If this boomerangs and results in getting Florida UNapproved for reciprocity, a lot of people are going to be very unhappy with you.

Have you checked with the authorities in VA to see if anything is being done on an official level, such that it won't potentially jeopardize recognition of the FL permit?

Oh ... to answer the question from your original post, when I applied for the FL permit I couldn't find a copy of my NRA safety class certificate, so I used my DD-214 (which FL accepts). I don't recall if my class certificate said anything about "discharging" a firearm -- but we did all fire 6 rounds out of a revolver at the instructor's private range.

 

[.45FMJoe]

Not Orlando, The FL State Fairgrounds is in Tampa where I took the class and the range is like 5 minutes away on Fowler.

I believe you can substitute your DD-214 in lieu of a certificate of safe handling/discharge. I'm 99.9% sure my dad did not have to do the live fire part as he is a former Marine and he submitted his DD-214.

 

[Autolycus]

I was under the impression that Hunter Safety courses will suffice. That the impression that I got from Packing.org

The Hunters safety course, I was told, here in IL does not have a range part. Meaning no shooting requirment. I was told that it will cover the FLA permit though and seems to imply that it would on the FLA page on Packing.org

But take that with a grain of salt as Packing.org is not law so double check the actual statutes.