👉 Vicarious liability is real. And it's coming for lazy instructors

🧾 You signed the certificate.

You shook their hand.

They walked out of your class — armed, licensed, and carrying your reputation with every round they chamber.

Then they made a bad shoot.

Now you’re getting subpoenaed.

If you're certifying people to carry a gun, you'd better be damn sure you're also certifying their judgment.

 Legal and moral responsibilities faced by firearms instructors, particularly concerning vicarious liability. It highlights that by certifying a student, an instructor is essentially vouching for that individual's judgment and capability to use deadly force responsibly, thus attaching their own name and reputation to the student's future actions. The article stresses that instructors must go beyond minimum state requirements, focusing on comprehensive training that includes use-of-force law and decision-making drills, as their training methods and documentation can be scrutinized in court if a student is involved in a shooting incident. Ultimately, it warns that every certificate signed is a profound endorsement that carries potential legal ramifications for the instructor.