Serving Ohio

Firearm safety and concealed carry training.

Whether you’re a new gun owner wanting proper safety training, or you want concealed carry training for Ohio, Florida and Arizona, get professional instruction from an experienced Marine Corps veteran.

Browse Courses Meet Your Instructor
An indoor range lane with a paper target downrange
USMC veteran, 1993-2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Note

ExpertCCW courses are original work. They are not NRA courses and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the NRA.

01The instructor
A shooter at an indoor range, seen from behind

Kelly P. Fitzgerald

Instructor
NRA Certified Pistol Instructor (#182730743)
Range
NRA Range Safety Officer
Service
USMC veteran (1993-2006), Operation Iraqi Freedom

ExpertCCW courses are original work. They are not NRA courses and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the NRA.

My mission is simple: provide the thorough, professional training I wish I had received.

I became an NRA instructor after receiving subpar CCW training myself, a class that was mostly administrative paperwork with little actual instruction. I left feeling that people were being sent into the world with inadequate preparation for the serious responsibility of concealed carry. I knew there had to be a better way.

Whether you’re a new gun owner seeking fundamental safety knowledge or a traveler who wants training for Ohio, Florida and Arizona applications, you’ll get thorough instruction, not just a certificate.

02Why train

Why Get Firearm Training?

Ohio has constitutional carry, so training is your choice. Many responsible gun owners choose it.

  • 2.1

    Safety First

    Learn proper handling, the 4 safety rules, and how to prevent accidents. Protect yourself and your family.

  • 2.2

    Know the Law

    Understand Ohio’s forbidden zones, traffic stop duties, and when deadly force is legally justified.

  • 2.3

    Carry Beyond Ohio

    Constitutional carry stops at the state line.n1

  • 2.4

    Buying a Firearm

    A training certificate has no effect on a NICS background check.n2

03The courses

Choose Your Training

From basic safety to multi-state training documentation.

Course I

Ohio Constitutional Carry

$39

Safety and Ohio law training for gun owners

  • Pistol fundamentals
  • Ohio carry laws & forbidden zones
  • Traffic stop duties
  • Use of force laws
  • Issues a gun safety certificate only and is not training for a concealed handgun license
Get Started
Course II

Basic Pistol Fundamentals

$89

Online course plus an in-person range session

  • Ohio CCW training documented (with range session)
  • In-person range session with an instructor
  • Original ExpertCCW curriculum
Get Started
Course IIIBest Value

Multi-State CCW Package

$149

Basic pistol course plus range session, with a gun safety certificate and CCW training certificates for Ohio, Florida and Arizona

  • Gun safety certificate when you finish the online course and pass the final exam
  • CCW training certificates for Ohio and for Florida and Arizona non-resident licenses, after the range session; check each state’s requirements
  • In-person range session with an instructor
  • See notes n3 and n5
Get Started
04How it works

From first lesson to certificate

  1. Online coursework

    Learn at your own pace. Pause, resume, and review sections as needed.

  2. Quizzes and final exam

    Pass the final exam with 80% or higher. You have unlimited exam attempts.

  3. Gun safety certificate

    When you finish the online course and pass the final exam with 80% or higher, you’ll receive a gun safety certificate.

  4. Range session and CCW certificate

    The $89 and $149 courses include an in-person range session with the instructor. You arrange it after you finish the online coursework. For the Basic Pistol Fundamentals and Multi-State courses, you also receive a CCW training certificate after the in-person range session.

05Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1Do I need any prior experience with firearms?
No prior experience is required. Our courses are designed for beginners and start with the fundamentals of firearm safety and handling. The Basic Pistol Fundamentals curriculum covers everything from basic pistol parts to proper shooting techniques.
Q2Can I retake the exam if I don’t pass?
Yes! You have unlimited exam attempts. If you don’t pass on your first try, you can review the course material and retake the exam as many times as needed at no additional cost.
Q3Who is the instructor?
All courses are developed and taught by Kelly P. Fitzgerald, an NRA Certified Pistol Instructor and NRA Range Safety Officer. Kelly provides professional instruction, and he personally leads the in-person range session in the Basic Pistol Fundamentals and Multi-State courses. ExpertCCW courses are original work. They are not NRA courses and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the NRA.

All questions

06Notes and limits

Notes and limits

n1Carry beyond Ohio
The Ohio Attorney General lists 39 states as honoring an Ohio concealed handgun license (checked November 8, 2026). Reciprocity changes; check before you travel.
n2Buying a firearm
Per ATF (Brady Permit Chart as of June 18, 2026), an Ohio concealed handgun license can serve as a NICS alternative only if it is valid, unexpired, and was issued within the past 5 years by the state where the purchase happens, and a dealer is not required to accept it.
n3Online certificate and CCW certificate
When you finish the online course and pass the final exam with 80% or higher, you’ll receive a gun safety certificate. For the Basic Pistol Fundamentals and Multi-State courses, you also receive a CCW training certificate after the in-person range session; it is training documentation you can submit with a permit application, and each state decides what it accepts. The $39 Ohio Constitutional Carry course issues a gun safety certificate only and is not training for a concealed handgun license. We provide state-specific guidance on the application process.
n4Ohio concealed handgun license training
The Basic Pistol Fundamentals course ($89), with its in-person range session completed, is designed to document the training Ohio requires under ORC 2923.125(G): at least 8 hours, including at least 2 hours of in-person range time and live-fire training, plus an in-person demonstration of competence. The online-only Ohio Constitutional Carry course ($39) has no range session and does not qualify for a concealed handgun license. Your county sheriff decides on your application.
n5Multi-State CCW Package: your applications
Each state still decides on your application, with its own forms, fingerprints and fees (Ohio county sheriff, Florida FDACS, Arizona DPS).
n6Original curriculum
Every ExpertCCW course is written and taught by an NRA Certified Pistol Instructor. The courses are his own work. They are not NRA courses and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the NRA.