Certification Steps

You must follow the steps below to apply for acceptance into the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Act 235 Lethal Weapons Certification Training Program. This program is administered by the PA State Police.

Basic Applicants

StepsDescriptionFee
Step 1:Go to the PA State Police website, follow the steps for Basic Applicant and complete their online application.
Step 2:You must undergo and pass both a psychological examination and a physical examination. Both doctors must be PA licensed. Completed and signed exam report forms must be mailed to the Lethal Weapons Certification Unit. We have the psychological exam forms.

Psychological Exam: $300

Click here to register and reserve your seat.

Step 3:You will receive a letter from the PA State Police officially notifying you whether you have been approved. If you have been approved, you have to schedule your training at an Act 235 certified school. A list of certified schools can be found on the Certified Schools page. It is your responsibility to schedule the training after receiving the approval letter. You will have six months to complete the 40-hour training from the date of your Approval Letter.

As soon as you receive your Approval Letter from Lethal Weapons Certification, you need to register at a Certified Act 235 school for the required 40-hour training.

Step 4:Upon completion of training, you must login to TACS to submit the $30 certification fee to the Commonwealth of PA.Certification fee to Commonwealth of PA: $30

No Driver’s License?

NOTICE REGARDING DRIVER’S LICENSE: If you do not possess a valid PA driver’s license you must, in addition to the steps above, submit two passport size photos to the Lethal Weapons Certification Unit at the address below.

PA State Police
Lethal Weapons Certification
8002 Bretz Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Phone: (717) 346-4087
Fax: (717) 346-7781
Email: mpolethalweapcert@pa.gov

Out of State Applicants

In addition to the steps above, please submit 2 passport size photos to:

PA State Police
Lethal Weapons Certification Unit
8002 Bretz Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Phone: (717) 346-4087
Fax: (717) 346-7781
Email: mpolethalweapcert@pa.gov