Act 235 Instructor and School Certification

If you are interested in becoming a certified Act 235 instructor or having your school certified for training, follow the instructions below.

Become a Certified Instructor

All training under the Lethal Weapons Training Act must be performed by certified instructors.

There are three ratings of certified instructors:

  • Academic instructor rating
  • Skills instructor rating
  • Firearms instructor rating  

PA Code Title 37, Chapter 21, § 21.41 establishes criteria for each rating category. Eligible applicants may choose to be certified in any or all the categories.

Follow the steps below to apply for certification. 

Apply online

Complete an online instructor application using the TACS System. Use your Keystone Login username and password to login into TACS. If you do not have a Keystone Login username and password, you can create one by selecting either “New User” or “Existing User not mapped to Keystone Login account.” Once you are in the system, select the Home Act 235 button and select the Instructor Application. Scroll down to select “Start Application”.

Review the minimum requirements for each type of instructor certification located in the Act 235 regulations §21.41. Provide all required information, upload required documents and submit when finished.

Fingerprinting

Once your application has been successfully submitted, you will receive an automated email from Identogo/Morphotrust with instructions for scheduling your fingerprint session. 

You must be fingerprinted at one of the approved IdentoGO locations.

Status

You will be notified of the status of your application and provided instructions for further action.

Fees

The fee for fingerprinting is $22.60.

Certify your school

Facilities that want to provide Act 235 lethal weapon training must be certified by the PSP Lethal Weapons Certification Unit. 

PA Code Title 37, Chapter 21, § 21.32  establishes the requirements for school certification.

Follow the steps below to apply for certification.

Apply online

Complete an online school application by using the TACS System.  Use your Keystone Login username and password to login into TACS.  If you do not have a Keystone Login username and password, you can create one by selecting either “New User” or “Existing User not mapped to Keystone Login account.

Once you are in the system, select the Home Act 235 button and select the School Application.  Scroll down to select “Start Application”.

After completing the disclaimer section of the application, download the New School packet for further instructions completing the school application. 

Status

You will be notified of the status of your application and provided instructions for further action.