To be eligible to be certified by MADFI as a Minnesota Permit to carry
instructor, you must:
1. Have prior training in firearm education
We accept NRA instructors (with both current Basic Pistol and Personal
Protection certifications), AACFI instructors trained and certified
within the last five years, and others with comparable training (such as
some certified law enforcement trainers). If you do not have training or
experience as a firearm instructor, we highly recommend NRA instructor
training, and can help you find a class, which can be taken either
before of after this MADFI class.
2. Have a Minnesota permit to carry
If you have just arrived in the state, you can take the training now,
but you'll need to actually show us your permit before your
certification becomes active.
3. Teach your classes in Minnesota (or really close)
I suppose we could certify a Hawaii-based instructor, as long as she
would be willing to fly a MADFI director in to observe a class at least
once a year...preferably in January. But practically, our fee structure
and observation system requires that instructors be located near one
another. We can't expect an instructor to trek across the country to
observe another instructor, and $35 doesn't pay enough for us to do it.
4. Know your stuff -- cold
MADFI instructors have to be EXPERTS in the carry law and related laws.
They need to be able to answer student questions not found in the
PowerPoint presentation, and know where to find the answers when they
can't. That's why we provide a comprehensive study guide -- and why we
warn instructor candidates that
they will have to study
to get certified.
5. Be computer literate and connected
MADFI instructors are all over the state, and all of our officers are
volunteers. We have busy lives, and we rely on technology to streamline
our operation. That means that we rely almost entirely on email and web
technologies to stay in communication with instructors. You'll need to
have an email address, and check it regularly, and you'll be using our
web applications to maintain your certification.
Is MADFI right for you?
Think carefully about this; we've learned that we're not the right
instructor organization for everyone.
Here are some things that we do:
We let you teach your classes your own way, as long as you
cover the minimum topics required by our standards and by state law.
We offer a very affordable certification path.
We provide instructor support in the following ways:
A model curriculum, that you are free to adapt and use as
long as you remain certified with us.
Model classroom materials.
An instructor-only forum to share materials and ideas with
other instructors.
Periodic legal updates to keep you caught up with changes in
statutory and case law.
A system of mutual instructor observation and critique to
ensure instructional standards are being met. (This one is important
-- more below.)
We advocate for carry rights. That means we may spend your
annual dues to:
Work directly with state, county and local law enforcement to
ensure that they follow all applicable laws and treat permit holders
as the law-abiding citizens they are.
Lobby the state legislature on behalf of permit holders,
instructors and other gun owners.
Speak publicly to news media, civic groups and student
organizations whenever possible to promote gun rights.
Collaborate with other gun rights and civil-rights
organizations, and even "competing" organizations, to achieve mutually
beneficial goals and promote our common interests.
The bottom line? We're not shy, we're not apolitical, and we will speak
truth to power. If a police chief, a sheriff, a prosecutor, a legislator
or a governor messes up, we will try working with them to help them see
the error of their ways. If they don't budge, we will work to stop them
from messing up.
If this bothers you, that's fine: there are 140 other certifying
organizations in the state.
Still with us? Here are the details:
The cost of the class is $100; MADFI membership is $35 per calendar
year, and is required to maintain your certification, so you will have a
one-time cost of $130 and an ongoing cost of $35/year, payable each
January.
