With every Colorado resident who wants to buy an SSF after August 1 needing to complete a Basic or Extended course, verified instructors are suddenly in real demand. Here's what the path into teaching those courses actually looks like.
Step one: get verified as a firearms instructor through a sheriff
Before anything else, you need to be a verified firearms instructor through a county sheriff under C.R.S. 18-12-202.7. That's a pre-existing credential, separate from anything created by SB25-003 — it's the same underlying verification concealed-carry instructors and other firearms trainers have gone through for years. If you're already a sheriff-verified instructor for CHP classes or similar, you're most of the way to the starting line.
Step two: register for CPW's "Train the Trainer" program
Once you hold that sheriff verification, you can register for Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Firearms Safety Program Train the Trainer training. This is where you're introduced to the actual curriculum, CPW's teaching and testing guidelines and protocols, and the Firearms Safety System — the same statewide digital system sheriffs and FFL dealers use — so you can learn how to create your instructor account, register students, and enter course completion status once you're teaching.
Sessions are offered both virtually and in person, capped at 50 attendees, and run first-come, first-served. They're free of charge. CPW has been running these on an ongoing basis as the program ramps up — for instance, a virtual session was scheduled for July 27, 2026, from 2 to 5 p.m. — with more sessions expected to continue as demand for instructors grows heading into and past the August 1 deadline.
What you're actually qualified to teach once certified
A verified FSP instructor can teach the 4-hour Basic course (for students who've completed CPW-certified hunter education) and the 12-hour Extended course (for everyone else, delivered across at least two separate days). Both must be in-person — no part of either course can be taught online — and both end in an exam requiring a 90% passing score plus a hands-on demonstration of safe handling.
Why this might be worth it beyond altruism
Every prospective SSF buyer in Colorado who doesn't already have a valid course on file needs to find an instructor and get a seat in a class, and that need isn't going away on August 2 — it continues for as long as the eligibility-card-and-course system stays in place, with buyers cycling back through as their five-year course validity windows expire. If you're already in the training or gunsmithing business, or considering getting into it, this is a durable, ongoing need rather than a short-lived rush.
Where to start
Reach out to your county sheriff about instructor verification under 18-12-202.7 if you don't already have it, then contact CPW's Firearms Safety Program directly — (303) 291-7143 or dnr_cpw_firearmsafety@state.co.us — about registering for the next Train the Trainer session.
As always, we are not lawyers — just Colorado citizens trying to understand the new law and share what we learn. The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney/client relationship. The accuracy, completeness, or currency of the content is not warranted. Your use of content on this website is at your own risk. Consult an attorney about your specific circumstances.
