How to become a firearms instructor accredited by Brazil's Federal Police
How to become a firearms instructor accredited by Brazil's Federal Police: requirements, 80-hour course, the 4 elimination exams and 2026 calls.
To become a firearms instructor accredited by the Federal Police (Polícia Federal, PF), you must be 25 years old, complete an instructor course of at least 80 class hours and pass four elimination exams, opened through a public call (edital). Accreditation is free and valid for 4 years. With it, the Firearms and Shooting Instructor (Instrutor de Armamento e Tiro, IAT) can give the technical proficiency test required to buy, register and carry a firearm.
Note: the rules below come from PF Normative Instruction No. 111-DG/PF/2017 (IN 111) and the PF's 2026 call in Bahia. Each regional superintendency publishes its own call, and details may change. This text is for information only.
What does a PF-accredited instructor do?
The accredited IAT gives the technical proficiency test and issues the report used in applications for purchase, registration, renewal, transfer and carry permit (art. 2, § 2, of IN 111).
The accreditation does not allow the instructor to teach shooting courses. IN 111 prohibits using the accreditation to teach a firearms and shooting course, except for training courses for security guards and municipal guards (art. 6, § 1). See the difference in shooting course: cost and how to choose an instructor.
What are the requirements for accreditation?
Under art. 6 of IN 111 and the official page of the accreditation service, the candidate must:
- be at least 25 years old, except for the cases in art. 28 of Law 10.826/2003 (Lei 10.826, the Disarmament Statute);
- hold a firearms instructor course certificate from a specialized, registered company that meets the PF minimum curriculum;
- present a psychological fitness report from a psychologist accredited by the PF, at most 1 year old;
- present clean record certificates from the Federal, State, Military and Electoral Courts;
- declare that they are not under criminal investigation or prosecution;
- present ID, CPF (Brazilian taxpayer number), proof of address and a 3x4 photo.
In the Bahia call, candidates must also bring a .38 caliber or larger revolver and a .380 or larger pistol, registered in their name, for the shooting exam.
The psychological report is the same kind of assessment taken by anyone buying a firearm. Learn more in psychological assessment for a firearm.
What should the instructor course include?
The Annex to IN 111 sets the course's minimum curriculum:
- total workload: 80 class hours;
- shooting practice: 348 rounds in total;
- passing grade: 60% of the points in the course assessments.
The course is taught by a specialized company, not by the PF. Check that the certificate will state the workload, subjects and number of rounds, because the call asks for this information.
How does the selection process work?
Under IN 111, the selection process is held twice a year, in May and October, opened through a call on the PF website (art. 5). In 2026, the PF published calls in seven superintendencies: Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, according to the PF page of 2026 accreditation calls, checked on October 19, 2026.
Before the exams, there is a document review and a background check, which can also eliminate candidates.
What are the 4 accreditation exams?
The scores below come from the PF Call No. 01/2026 in Bahia:
Stage | Format | Minimum score |
|---|---|---|
Written exam | Up to 100 multiple-choice questions, in up to 120 minutes; every 4 wrong answers cancel 1 right answer | 70% of the net score |
Shooting exam | 40 rounds at 7 meters (16 with revolver and 24 with pistol) | 56 of 80 with the revolver and 72 of 120 with the pistol |
Oral and range commands exam | Oral questions and a sequence of range commands | 7.0 |
Disassembly and assembly | Revolver, pistol and pump shotgun supplied by the PF | 7.0 |
Every stage eliminates candidates who fail.
What is the instructor shooting exam like?
In the Bahia call:
- revolver: 16 rounds, in 8 strings of 2 shots, with up to 3 seconds per string, on a silhouette target. Pass mark: 56 of 80 points (70%);
- pistol: 24 rounds, in 6 strings of 4 shots, with up to 6 seconds per string, on a four-color target, 2 shots on each color. Pass mark: 72 of 120 points (60%).
There is a 5-point deduction for each shot fired before the command, after the time limit or on the wrong color. The firearms must be factory original, without customization, with a barrel of up to 128 mm and open sights.
How much does it cost and how long is accreditation valid?
Accreditation is free, according to the official service page. The instructor course, the reports and the ammunition are paid by the candidate, with no official price.
Accreditation is valid for 4 years (art. 10 of IN 111). To renew, the instructor must submit the documents again at least 60 days before expiry.
What can an accredited instructor not do?
IN 111 lists grounds for loss of accreditation (art. 18). Among them:
- charging more than R$ 80.00 (Brazilian reais) plus ammunition for the test (art. 11-A, § 2, of Law 10.826);
- giving the test at an irregular range or one not reported to the PF;
- failing to notify the PF of the test 3 business days in advance;
- using the transit permit for the test firearms as if it were a carry permit;
- using the test ammunition for other purposes.
See what the test given by the instructor is like in the PF shooting test. See also the site's professionals directory.
Next step
Check the PF calls page to see whether the superintendency in your state has opened a selection process, and read the whole call before applying.
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