HR 218 Qualification Course in Pennsylvania: Eligibility, Shoot, and Renewal

The HR 218 qualification course in Pennsylvania is a 30-round shooting test run under the Retired Law Enforcement Identification Act (RLEIA) program by the Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission (MPOETC). You must score at least 75 percent — 112 of a possible 150 points — on a TQ-21 or TQ-15 silhouette target, fired in three stages at 2, 7, and 10 yards.¹ Passing once a year is what keeps you covered to carry concealed nationwide under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA), 18 U.S.C. § 926C.²

Who Can Take the Course

You have to meet the federal definition of a “qualified retired law enforcement officer” before an instructor will qualify you. Every condition below must hold at the same time.²

You separated from service in good standing, not for mental instability or misconduct.
You have an aggregate of at least ten years as a law enforcement officer, or you left earlier on a service-connected disability that the agency itself determined was service-connected.
You are not prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
You were not officially found mentally unqualified by a medical professional at your former agency, and you did not sign an agreement at separation acknowledging a mental health disqualification.
You will not carry while under the influence of alcohol or any intoxicating substance. This is a statutory condition under 926C(c)(6), not a general caution.

You also need your agency-issued retired law enforcement photo ID in hand. The instructor is required to verify that card before conducting the qualification, so if your former agency never issued one or yours has expired, resolve that with the agency first.³

What You Shoot

The RLEIA course is one phase, 30 rounds, maximum distance 10 yards. There are separate versions for semi-automatic pistols and for revolvers, and your card covers only the action type you qualified with. Shoot a pistol, carry a pistol; carry a revolver, qualify with a revolver.¹

The three stages are:

Stage A at 2 yards, close-quarters shooting that tests weapon retention and basic accuracy at contact distance.
Stage B at 7 yards, the most common defensive engagement distance, under controlled rapid fire.
Stage C at 10 yards, which requires steadier aim and sight alignment.

Scoring on the TQ-21 silhouette gives 5 points for shots inside the lined scoring area, including the head and hip circles, 3 points for other hits on the silhouette, and zero for misses. The maximum is 150. You need 112 to pass.¹

Bring a reliable handgun and a proper holster. The certified firearms instructor running your qualification has the authority to refuse to qualify anyone whose weapon the instructor judges unsafe or inadequate, so a questionable setup can end the session before you fire a round.⁴

The qualification is not purely a marksmanship test. Before the shooting portion, the instructor must deliver instruction on principles of justification — the legal standards for when deadly force is lawful — and document that instruction on the signed qualification record.³

Paperwork and Getting Your Card

The core document is the PA Retired Officer Concealed Carry Acknowledgement Form from the MPOETC forms library.⁵ On it you certify, under penalty of law per 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904, that you meet the federal definition in 18 U.S.C. § 926C and the state requirements in 37 Pa. Code § 221.21. The instructor completes the back section after the course, confirming they verified your retired ID, delivered the justification instruction, and recorded your score.³

The instructor forwards a copy of the completed form to MPOETC and keeps a copy on file for one year. MPOETC processes the submission and mails your RLEIA qualification card to the address on your paperwork. Range time and ammunition fees are set by the individual instructor and are independent of any state processing fee, so ask about total costs when you schedule.

What You Have to Carry When Armed

LEOSA requires two documents on your person whenever you’re carrying: your agency-issued retired law enforcement photo ID and your current RLEIA qualification card showing a pass within the last 12 months.² Together those satisfy the identification requirement in 926C(d). Carrying only one, or carrying an expired qualification card, means you are not covered by LEOSA even if you otherwise qualify.

Where the Card Works, and Where It Does Not

Your Pennsylvania RLEIA card is valid in all 50 states without needing individual state permits. The statute has specific carve-outs, though, and they catch people out.² LEOSA does not override state laws that let private property owners prohibit firearms, and it does not override state laws restricting firearms on state or local government property such as courthouses, state offices, local government buildings, and state parks.

LEOSA also does nothing about federal restrictions. Federal buildings, federal courthouses, airports past the security checkpoint, and other federally controlled facilities are governed by separate federal statutes that LEOSA does not touch.⁶ Machine guns, silencers, and destructive devices are excluded from LEOSA coverage regardless of your qualification.

One trap for travelers: LEOSA does not currently exempt you from state magazine capacity limits.⁷ If you qualify in Pennsylvania with a 17-round magazine and drive into a state that caps magazines at 10, you need a compliant magazine for that state. The LEOSA Reform Act would change this, but as of this writing it has not become law.

If You Fail

Failing the 30-round course does not revoke anything. Your retired ID stays valid because your former agency issued it, separate from the qualification card. What failure means is simply that you cannot legally carry concealed under LEOSA until you pass a qualification. You can reattempt with the same or a different certified instructor, paying range and instructor fees again. There is no federal waiting period between attempts, though individual instructors set their own scheduling.

Annual Renewal

Your RLEIA qualification card is good for 12 months from the date you qualified.² There is no grace period. The day it expires, you no longer meet the condition in 926C(c)(4) and cannot carry under LEOSA until you re-qualify. The whole process repeats every year: find a certified MPOETC firearms instructor, complete the acknowledgement form, pass the 30-round course, and have the paperwork sent in for a new card.⁸

Build in a buffer. Many retirees schedule two to four weeks before expiration so that mailing time for the new card doesn’t leave them carrying on an expired credential.

1
Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission. 2025 MPOETC RLEIA Qualification Course
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926C – Carrying of Concealed Firearms by Qualified Retired Law Enforcement Officers
3
Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission. PA Retired Officer Concealed Carry Acknowledgement Form
4
Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission. MPOETC Requirements for Firearms Qualification
5
Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission. MPOETC Forms Library
6
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. LEOSA – The Informer
7
Congress.gov. H. Rept. 118-502 – LEOSA Reform Act of 2024
8
Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission. Retired Law Enforcement Officers Identification Act