Vet Your Instructors: Firearms Instructor Pays Fine for Providing Inadequate CCW Training

Here is a perfect example of why you should vet your firearms instructors before paying your hard-earned money for a class.

Two weeks ago, an Illinois Firearms Instructor pleaded guilty to providing false firearms training and paid $1,000 in fines and court costs. I came across this story this morning and did a little more digging. It seems that he wasn’t the only instructor that the Illinois State Police went after for improperly training people that signed up for their CCL class. Another instructor was charged with Forgery (Class 3 Felony) and Providing False Conceal Carry Weapon (CCW) Certification (Class A Misdemeanor) in June 2021, which seems to be about the same time the ISP charged the other instructor.

In Illinois, instructors must submit a curriculum to the state to be approved before teaching an Illinois CCL class. This curriculum must follow the state’s rules and requirements.

I found the topic being discussed on a forum, and it seems like the consensus was that these instructors were not providing the correct amount of hours to meet the requirements of the CCL course.

So what happened to the people that took their classes? The ISP gave them 60-days to get the proper training to keep their license active. Could you imagine the hassle of having to find the time to take another 16+ hour course and pay for it again? I wouldn’t be happy, to say the least.

So this is an excellent example of why you need to vet your instructors. And that doesn’t just go for training after your concealed carry class. And we just so happen to have an article with tips on choosing a firearm instructor.

13 Tips on Choosing the Right Firearm Instructor