ST. CLOUD — Central Minnesota gun owners have turned to online permit-to-carry courses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, some local law enforcement agencies have cautioned against residents seeking to gain certification through online courses.
The Wright County Sheriff's Office said it has seen an increase in permit-to-carry applications that used an online safety course.
According to a statement issued by the Wright County Sheriff's Office, some of those training courses do not cover content required by law.
"I believe that these organizations/instructors could diminish the strong reputation of the permit-to-carry program that we have built in Wright County," Sheriff Sean Deringer said in the statement.
Applications with online training certifications may be delayed for up to 30 days while the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigates whether the course meets the state's requirements for permit-to-carry applicants.
Benton and Stearns counties have not seen a similar trend, but agree that online courses may not meet requirements.
Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck said state law requires permit-to-carry holders to be certified by an authorized trainer, which includes a successful shooting qualification course — which cannot be completed online.
Heck recommended residents searching for a place to be certified check the BCA's website to ensure the training organization and coursework is approved. The organization must include the shooting qualification exercise.
Checking to make sure the organization is approved by the BCA is a step completed through each application, said Dan Miller, Stearns County chief deputy.
During the initial stages of coronavirus-related closures, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office saw an initial increase of applications, but that number has since steadied, according to Miller.
Because applicants have one year to apply for a permit, he said, many of the certifications Miller has seen recently have included certifications completed prior to the pandemic.
Some courses had been completed as recently as around three weeks ago, Miller said, but he had not noticed a difference in the types of certifications being submitted.
Clairissa Baker is the public safety watchdog reporter for the St. Cloud Times. Reach her at 320-255-8740 or cmbaker@stcloudtimes.com. Follow her on Twitter @ClairissaBaker.
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