Tennessee Firearms Assoc. Inc.

I've been searching and searching and have not found one website that lists all the certified handgun safety permit classes in Tennessee. I've found one in Franklin, TN but figured there must be other options. Does the state not have a list of certified schools by county?

Thanks!

TDOS has a list but it is not online.

I believe this is what you're looking for. Keep scrolling down until you come to the county you're looking for.

http://www.legallyarmed.com/tnpermitschools.html

I want to add another piece of information that is developing.

Buford Tune, a TFA life member and the owner of the Academy of Personal Protection and Security, has been in contact with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance and the NRA's training division to clarify whether the NRA authorizes its civilian instructors to teach classes based on the NRA training that involve security and/or the defensive use of a firearm. The NRA has already responded that its civilian trained instructors are NOT authorized by the NRA to teach security classes or any class other than an NRA class. See .

The significance of this is that the Tennessee Department of Safety (handgun permit courses) and the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (security officers) are NOT teaching NRA programs and therefore are allowing and encouraging NRA certified instructors to teach course materials outside of the area in which they are certified. We anticipate that both TDOS and TDCI will be looking at these issues and may issue new instructor certification standards which address the limits imposed by the NRA on its instructors and the use of its certifications.

Someone looking for training should be aware of the fact that instructors may be licensed to teach classes by the state of Tennessee but they must understand that the state is not training them but is instead assuming that the NRA training (if that is all that they have) allows them to teach these defensive use classes. However, NRA civilian instructor training programs are not intended by the NRA for that purpose according to the information we have in Mr. Howard's letter and supporting materials.

John,

I apologize for my previous post. You responded with information that I was not aware of. Thank you for letting me know. In the future, I will check with you before I post such a link.

Sincerely,
Ben Burke

No need to check with me first. I just want to make sure people are aware of the collateral issues involving Gene Kennedy and his web site "legallyarmed" which is humorous if I could tell all of the facts I know about Mr. Kennedy.....

I'm really glad you posted that information. I had found this list before but figured it looked a little "dated" to say the least. If a list is available from TDOS could we get this list and post it online?

Sounds great. Do you have any suggestions for Williamson/Davidson County schools?

I am sure you can get some recommendations from others on this list. I generally make it a policy, in my capacity with TFA, to refrain from making specific recommendations because we have several TFA members who operate or work for schools and there is always the risk that I would leave someone out and/or be accused for favoritism. That might give someone the wrong impression.

What I would urge is the following:

1) Make sure the school fully complies with state law by giving a minimum of 4 hours in the classroom actually instructing for that time frame and a minimum of 4 hours of range instruction. There are many reports that I have seen go to TDOS of schools that do a few hours in the classroom and most of that is test taking and watching the state video.

2) Range instruction time is not limited to shooting the qualification round hich takes maybe 10 minutes for an experienced shooter. Range instruction if actually intended by the legislature to be 4 hours of training on the range for all students not just 4 or so hours of instructor time cycling students through a few at a time. I have talked with plenty of people over the years who have told me they spent a total of maybe an hour on the range and most of that was waiting for their turn.

3) Check to see what experience your instructor(s) actually have in terms of their training, their repeat training, the work experience, their courtroom experience, etc. I don't mean to sound disparaging but the NRA civilian instructor training program - according to the NRA - is not intended to qualify the individual instructor to prepare the instructor for teaching defensive force tactics. In addition, the "courtroom" issue might surprise some but I have used instructors to testify in more than one case and, as a trial attorney, it is important to have an instructor who has more than minimum credentials if there is ever a need for have him or her testify in court.

4) Stay away from Gene Kennedy and schools which promote him or his materials.