NRA Certified Instructor
An NRA Certified Instructor is an individual trained and certified by the National Rifle Association (NRA) to teach firearm safety, handling, and shooting skills through the organization's standardized Basic Firearm Training Programs.
These instructors possess not only strong personal proficiency in safe firearm use but also the pedagogical knowledge, skills, and techniques required to effectively organize and deliver NRA courses, such as Basic Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, or Home Firearm Safety, to beginners and others in their communities.
Certification involves completing prerequisite introductory courses, passing evaluations (including shooting qualifications and teaching demonstrations), and training under an NRA Training Counselor. NRA Certified Instructors play a key role in promoting safe, ethical, and responsible firearm ownership by educating hundreds of thousands of students annually.
NRA Certified Chief Range Safety Officer
An NRA Certified Chief Range Safety Officer (CRSO) is an advanced credential holder trained and certified by the National Rifle Association to oversee and enhance safe shooting range operations at a higher level than a standard Range Safety Officer (RSO).
Building on the foundation of an NRA Certified Range Safety Officer, a Chief Range Safety Officer possesses the specialized knowledge, skills, and attitude essential to training and certifying new NRA Range Safety Officers, supervising RSOs on the range, and developing comprehensive range standard operating procedures (SOPs). This includes expertise in range inspections, emergency protocols, firearm stoppages and malfunctions, safety briefings, and overall range management.
Certification requires being a current NRA Certified Range Safety Officer, completing NRA Basic Instructor Training (if not already current), and successfully finishing the 14-hour NRA Chief Range Safety Officer course, which involves practical teaching exercises and examinations. Taught by qualified NRA Training Counselors, CRSOs play a vital leadership role in fostering safe, responsible, and practical shooting environments across clubs, ranges, and communities.