Current through September 24, 2024
(1) The Instructor
must verify the student's identification utilizing the online system. If the
student is not registered in the online system, the student will be required to
provide one (1) valid government issued photo identification to the
instructor.
(2) The Handgun Safety
Course shall be a minimum of eight (8) hours in length, including a ten (10)
minute break per hour. The course shall include both classroom and range
portions of instruction. The eight (8) hour class does not include meal breaks
or drive time.
(a) The classroom instruction
shall include only the course curriculum provided by the Department. This
portion must be taught only at a Department approved classroom location and
prior to any firing range instruction.
(b) The firing range instruction shall
include only the course curriculum established within these regulations. This
portion must be taught only at an approved range location.
(3) Handgun Safety Schools and instructors
shall only utilize the instructional material provided by the
Department.
(4) A written
examination and handgun firing qualification shall be administered to each
student.
(a) The written examination shall be
individually taken by the student and consist of only those questions provided
by the Department.
(b) The test is
provided in two (2) versions; "Test A & B". In each class, fifty percent
(50%) of students shall complete Test A and fifty percent (50%) shall complete
Test B to ensure proper testing procedures.
(c) This shall be a closed book test with no
notes, materials or aids allowed.
(d) The Instructor shall proctor and grade
the examinations personally.
(e)
The written examination must be administered and the students must pass prior
to firing range qualifications.
(f)
Instructors may assist students by reading the test questions; however, the
student must be able to mark their answer choice on the answer sheet without
assistance.
(5) The
handgun firing qualification shall be the course of fire specified by the
Department.
(a) Each student must fire a
minimum of fifty (50) rounds. This will consist of twenty (20) rounds fired
from the three (3) yard line (9 feet), twenty rounds (20) from the five (5)
yard line (15 feet), and ten (10) rounds from the seven (7) yard line (21
feet).
(b) Instructors shall only
coach the student during the first firing sequence.
(c) Students must fire the required rounds
independently with no physical aids or assistance from anyone.
(d) All firing will be conducted at a
distance no greater than twenty-six (26) feet from the berm.
(e) It is recommended the student have one
hundred (100) rounds available for range qualification. If the student shoots a
score of seventy percent (70%) or better with the first fifty (50) rounds, the
instructor may record that score as final qualification. Should the student not
score seventy percent (70%) or better, they will be allowed to shoot the
remaining fifty (50) rounds. If at the end of the second firing session a
seventy percent (70%) or better score is not obtained, the student has failed
the course. Instructor must inform the student they must retake the entire
eight (8) hour course on another day.
(f) Students must be able to complete the
live fire (qualification) portion unassisted. No aids or assistance from an
instructor will be allowed. Exceptions will be for handgun or ammunition
malfunctions, at which time an instructor may assist the student with clearing
and making the handgun safe.
(6) A minimum score of seventy percent (70%)
must be achieved on the written examination and a minimum score of seventy
percent (70%) must be achieved on the firing qualification, separately, to
successfully pass the Handgun Safety Course; and
(7) A copy of all written tests to include
the score, range score, and witnessed waiver forms for each student must be
retained by the Handgun Safety School for a minimum of three (3) years from the
date of completion.
(8) Classroom
and Range size:
(a) The classroom shall be of
sufficient size to audibly and visually accommodate the total number of
students approved by the Department. No classroom will exceed a maximum of
fifty (50) students. Each student will be provided a fixed (desk/table) work
space to facilitate note taking and examination.
(b) There shall be a minimum of one (1)
instructor per fifty (50) students during classroom and legal
instruction.
(c) There shall be a
minimum of one (1) instructor per five (5) students during the actual live
firing portion of the range instruction; and,
(d) In no case shall the number of students
on the firing line exceed the number of established firing positions.
(e) Only instructors approved by the
Department shall be on the firing range during live fire.
(f) No ammunition is allowed in
classroom.
(g) A Handgun Safety
School, having more than one classroom at one location, may only conduct
classes for no more total students than indicated on the school certificate
within a calendar day.
(9) Only persons 21 years of age or older
shall be allowed to attend or enroll in a Handgun Safety Course, unless:
(a) The person is 20 years of age and their
21st birthday is within six (6) months from the date of the course;
or
(b) The person is eighteen (18)
years of age or older and currently on active duty in any branch of the
military or is an honorably discharged veteran and provides the instructor with
either a current active duty ID card or DD214 prior to attending the
course.
(10) While on,
or within twenty-five (25) yards of an active firing line, all students and
instructors must wear approved hearing protection and approved eye protection,
provided by the school at no additional charge, if student does not have
protection.
(11) Certificates of
completion provided by the Department, whether paper certificates or
certificates provided through the online system, shall only be issued to
students upon successful completion of both the classroom and firing range
instruction. Sharing of certificates and/or passwords to the online system
among schools and instructors is prohibited.
(12) Type of ammunition:
(a) All ammunition used by students during
training shall be of quality, commercial manufacture.
(13) Type of handguns:
(a) Handguns used by students in a Handgun
Safety Course shall be of quality commercial manufacture and free from
operational defects;
(b) After
inspection, if, in the opinion of the instructor, the handgun is unsafe, it
shall not be used.
(c) The
Department shall not establish restrictions on the type, make, model or caliber
of handguns used by students in a Handgun Safety Course; however,
1. Each Handgun Safety School may establish
restrictions on the caliber or type of handgun used in their Handgun Safety
Course.
(14)
Scoring of Targets
(a) Each standard B29
silhouette target shall have no more than fifty (50) rounds total. Each round
will have a value of two (2) points each, and shall be counted as follows:
1. Any hit on the silhouette from the seven
(7) ring into the center of the target counts as two (2) points.
2. Any hits on the silhouette but outside the
seven (7) ring counts as one (1) point.
3. Any shots outside of the silhouette count
as zero (0).
4. If a round breaks
the line, it shall be counted at the next higher value. For example, if someone
hits the paper but has a shot that breaks the silhouette line, then that shot
shall count as one (1) point. If round is in the silhouette but breaks the
seven (7) line then it shall count as two (2) points.
Authority: T.C.A. §§
4-3-2009,
39-17-1351,
and
39-17-1360.
