TexasCHLforum.com

Hello All,

I have just taken my CHL class this past weekend. I moved to TX about 3 years ago from WV and had my WV CHL license there. I gotta say, the classes were VERY different. My first class was an NRA approved class, went over laws, the actual guns, calibers, parts, handling, how to hold, safety, etc. and then more info on ammo - parts, calibers, types, etc. This class was only laws, and an hour of sales pitch from Texas Shield Law and I dont remember them saying they were NRA approved. The qualification was much different also, much more strict here on that side than my previous class. The instructor was a LEO. Is this the norm for CHL classes in TX?

My other question is this. We had a very odd character in class. I just dont think he was all there. He couldnt follow the topics, interrupted contstantly with REALLY dumb questions. The instructor and the class were all very annoyed. There were several rounds of qualifications and I would not event step onto the range with this guy on it. He continued to have a lot of trouble on the range and occupied all of the helpers time. I dont know if this guy passed the qual or the test. Is there a way for the instructor to inform the state that this guy should NOT be carrying?

It was so bad, I am still worried about it 3 days later! My DH is a retired LEO and he took the class with me. He had serious concerns about this guy also. I told him, that cop is gonna see this guy again...

Looking forward to being able to carry again. Especially with all the craziness out there these days.

First, let me say welcome to the forum. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people here.

Now for your question. Keep in mind IANAL and this is only my .02. I think since Texas is a "shall issue" state, that if he passes all of his required elements (shooting, written, and background), I don't think it can be stopped. Unless, he has been documented with a mental disorder that would disqualify him, and even then, the DPS would have to find it during the background check.

There may be others that know more than I do post about this but that is how I see it.

Welcome to Texas!

Your CHL class sounds pretty typical, based on my experiences.

As far as the odd duck, i had a couple of those in my class too. Including someone who ND'ed into the floor during qualifying and still passed.

Welcome to Texas and welcome to the forum!

Regarding the content of the class, the focus of the classroom portion is to understand the laws pertaining to carrying a concealed handgun in the state of Texas, and the qualification is simply to demonstrate that you can operate the handgun without endangering others unnecessarily. It isn't about ensuring a specific level of ability other than being able to put a few rounds "close enough" on the target to qualify. The [Pre-paid legal service] sales pitch was just that, and is something the instructor must be affiliated or comfortable with, but isn't something the state of Texas specifically endorses. CHL Instructors must take their own instructor course, but can come from essentially any "legal" background -- teaching is just something they have chosen to pursue for their own particular reasons.

As for the unique person in your class, I am sure that the instructor took note of him. As for what actions the instructor can or should take beyond failing a person on either the written test or the qualification, I will leave to others (many on this board are CHL instructors, but I am not) to answer.

TerriLynn wrote:Hello All,

I have just taken my CHL class this past weekend. I moved to TX about 3 years ago from WV and had my WV CHL license there. I gotta say, the classes were VERY different. My first class was an NRA approved class, went over laws, the actual guns, calibers, parts, handling, how to hold, safety, etc. and then more info on ammo - parts, calibers, types, etc. This class was only laws, and an hour of sales pitch from Texas Shield Law and I dont remember them saying they were NRA approved. The qualification was much different also, much more strict here on that side than my previous class. The instructor was a LEO. Is this the norm for CHL classes in TX?

My other question is this. We had a very odd character in class. I just dont think he was all there. He couldnt follow the topics, interrupted contstantly with REALLY dumb questions. The instructor and the class were all very annoyed. There were several rounds of qualifications and I would not event step onto the range with this guy on it. He continued to have a lot of trouble on the range and occupied all of the helpers time. I dont know if this guy passed the qual or the test. Is there a way for the instructor to inform the state that this guy should NOT be carrying?

It was so bad, I am still worried about it 3 days later! My DH is a retired LEO and he took the class with me. He had serious concerns about this guy also. I told him, that cop is gonna see this guy again...

Looking forward to being able to carry again. Especially with all the craziness out there these days.

Welcome to the Forum. [Pre-paid legal service] is not associated with the NRA in any way. Also, DPS has made it clear that sales pitches by [pre-paid legal] or any other company or entity cannot be part of the minimum 4 classroom hours.

Chas.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:

Welcome to the Forum. [Pre-paid legal service] is not associated with the NRA in any way. Also, DPS has made it clear that sales pitches by [pre-paid legal] or any other company or entity cannot be part of the minimum 4 classroom hours.

Chas.

I thought they made that change, glad you confirmed. Does that mean it's OK if they come in for an hour if the class is five hours?

TerriLynn, welcome to Texas and the forum.

The Texas CHL class will be more biased towards the laws pertaining to carrying the gun and the use of it. It is not a basic handgun or safety course, which is what your WV class sounded more like. How long was the WV class?

I am not an instructor. There are many here on the forum. I thought there was a way for them to prohibit someone like you described from getting their CHL for safety reasons in one way or another. Maybe I'm mistaken.

In my first class here, there was one person that didn't even own a gun yet and had never fired one before attempting to pass the shooting qualification. She rented a revolver from the range we were at and it didn't go well. It could have been much worse, but the instructor stopped her after the second or third string and recommended she practice some and try again on another day. Since then, they've all been okay as far as the attendees go.

TVGuy wrote:

Charles L. Cotton wrote:

Welcome to the Forum. [Pre-paid legal service] is not associated with the NRA in any way. Also, DPS has made it clear that sales pitches by [pre-paid legal] or any other company or entity cannot be part of the minimum 4 classroom hours.

Chas.

I thought they made that change, glad you confirmed. Does that mean it's OK if they come in for an hour if the class is five hours?

No sales pitch can be part of the hours reported on the CHL-100, whether it's 4 hours or 6 hours.

Chas.

Oh well, I don't know what to think about the guy TerriLynn is talking about. From what he said he doesn't need a gun. If he wants to carry he will with or without chl. So if he is denied a chl and carrys one illegally, then maybe, just maybe something soaked in from the class and we will all be a little safer, maybe.
Something to ponder. How many of those at Twin Peaks with a gun this weekend had a chl? Denying someone a chl won't keep them from carrying.

The [Pre-paid legal service] part was not normal as far as I know. My class didn't have any mention of them or any organization like them. As far as being NRA approved, if I remember correctly as of 2013 Texas requires CHl instructors to be certified instructors from somewhere (NRA being one of them, but not exclusively). This is just what my instructor told me while talking with them after the class. That they can recommend that someone not get their license, and that DPS takes that into consideration. I've never taught CHL so I don't know how true that is, just what one instructor told me.

Was the [pre-paid legal] sales pitch presented as something you were required to listen to?

Were I in the class, I would have made it clear that I wasn't going to sit still and listen to it.

Of course, I've had a CHL for a very long time and know I don't have to listen to an insurance sales pitch, but I'll bet some in the class (if not all) thought it best not to rock the boat by refusing to listen, as it may, in their mind, have stalled getting their CHL. In other words, they were to some degree intimidated into listening.

If however, the [pre-paid legal] sales people made it plain that the class was not mandated to listen to, then I'd have no problem, otherwise I'd complain to the instructor about it and DPS.

When I took the class it was still an all day event. We had a lunch break in the middle of the classroom portion and that's when they let [pre-paid legal] do their thing. You eat your lunch inside and listen or eat outside and not. It wasn't "required" to listen to their pitch, but I did anyway. Thought about it, but didn't sign up for it. Knowing what I know now, I'm glad I didn't. YMMV

TerriLynn,

Again, welcome to for forum and to the ranks of Texas CHL'ers.

The NRA specifically prohibits their instructors from saying, advertising, or even hinting that any non-NRA course is approved, sanctioned, works with, or anything implying that it's associated with the NRA. I'm not even supposed to mention that I'm an NRA certified instructor in a CHL class advertisement.

The State of Texas requires us CHL instructors to be certified as instructors from some other certifying agency or organization before we can become CHL instructors. Most folks who are not military or law enforcement instructors probably use the fact that they are certified as an NRA Basic Pistol instructor as the basis for their Texas CHL instructor's application - I know that's what I did. In the past, you didn't have to prove it to the State, but that changed after the legislative session before this current one, and a lot of folks had to hussle and get their NRA instructor's certification done in order to renew or go to the instructor's class in the first place.

Like has been said - the Texas CHL class assumes you know how to safely operate a gun before you take it - there's no target practice included in the class, and an instructor who has a student who doesn't really know how to shoot would probably best be serving the student by having them take some shooting lessons before attempting the CHL class.

As an instructor, when I sign on your CHL-100 that I've personally witnessed you pass the various elements of the CHL exam and shooting requirements, I'm putting my reputation as a CHL Instructor on the line. As long as a student passes the written test and the shooting requirements, unless I believe he or she is not legally able to have a CHL license, for some reason other than they're just "goofy", I don't think that I have the right to stop them. I can send DPS a note with some of my reservations, but I don't know that DPS can stop someone because they ask a lot of odd or off topic questions. Now, if they're doing something that's unsafe, I would have stopped them right then and there. But absent that, they get their package sent in to Austin just like everyone, if they pass everything.

Anyway - hope your plastic gets there in quick fashion so you're among the armed, again.

PS: We don't do a [pre-paid legal] dog-and-pony show with my classes. At all. I may mention that I am a [pre-paid legal] subscriber, but that's as far as it goes.

txglock21, what do you know now, that you didn't before, that would affect your decision? feel free to PM if you need to. I ask, because I've read various posts about [pre-paid legal], and nothing negative, but nothing particularly positive either.

A competent firearms instructor will not allow an unsafe shooter to remain on the line and endanger other students.

A good instructor in any subject will not allow a student to continually disrupt a class and remain in the classroom.