The Nevada CCW shooting test is a 30-round live-fire accuracy drill fired at three distances — 3, 5, and 7 yards — on a humanoid silhouette target, with a passing score of 70 percent. It’s untimed, you can use whatever stance and grip you want, and you shoot from the firing line rather than drawing from a holster. If you can keep rounds on a dinner-plate-sized area at 21 feet, you’ll clear it.
The Course of Fire
The qualification follows standards set by the Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association (NvSCA) and is built around three stages at progressively longer distances.1Churchill County. Nevada Concealed Handgun Training Standards For a handgun with six-shot or larger capacity, the breakdown is:
- 3 yards: 6 rounds, freestyle stance and grip, no time limit
- 5 yards: 12 rounds, freestyle stance and grip, no time limit
- 7 yards: 12 rounds, freestyle stance and grip, no time limit
“Freestyle stance and grip” means the choice is yours at every distance. One hand, two hands, weaver, isosceles — whatever you shoot best. There are no shot timers on any stage, so you can take as long as you need to aim each round.
Seven yards is the maximum distance. That’s about 21 feet, chosen to reflect realistic defensive engagements. Compared to law enforcement qualifications, which typically impose strict timers and require drawing from a holster, this test is significantly more forgiving.
Target and Passing Score
You shoot at a humanoid silhouette. Acceptable targets are the B-27, B-21, or FBI Q, with the B-27 being by far the most common.1Churchill County. Nevada Concealed Handgun Training Standards The B-27 shows a full-sized human outline with concentric scoring rings numbered 7 through 10 plus an X-ring at the center. Rounds inside the 7-ring or higher count as hits. Anything outside that area doesn’t score.
The passing threshold is 70 percent.1Churchill County. Nevada Concealed Handgun Training Standards On the standard 30-round course, you need at least 21 scoring hits. Your instructor tallies the target after the last string and marks the certificate pass or fail. There’s no numerical score recorded, just the binary outcome.
The scoring area is generous. The 7-ring alone covers roughly 16 by 24 inches, which takes in most of the target’s upper torso. Basic familiarity with your handgun and reasonable trigger control at seven yards is enough.
Firearm and Ammunition Rules
You can qualify with any handgun, revolver or semi-automatic. The certificate of completion simply states you qualified with “a handgun” and doesn’t list a make, model, or caliber.1Churchill County. Nevada Concealed Handgun Training Standards Your permit itself will list up to two specific firearms by make, model, and caliber, which you designate on your sheriff’s office application.2Nevada Legislature. Nevada Administrative Code 202 – Concealed Firearms
If you qualify with a five-shot revolver, the round count adjusts to 25 total, with 5 rounds at 3 yards and 10 rounds each at 5 and 7 yards. The passing threshold stays 70 percent, so you need at least 18 scoring hits.1Churchill County. Nevada Concealed Handgun Training Standards Firearms holding fewer than five rounds must be reloaded at each stage to meet the five-shot standard.
Bring factory ammunition. Simulated training ammunition like Simunition is prohibited, and most ranges discourage hand-loaded cartridges for liability reasons.
What to Bring to the Range
You’ll need impact-rated eye protection and hearing protection. Most training facilities don’t require or allow drawing from a holster during the qualification — you shoot from the firing line with the firearm already in hand — so a holster isn’t required equipment for the test itself. Bring enough ammunition for the qualification plus some extra in case you need a retest string.
If You Fail
Failing doesn’t disqualify you permanently. Most instructors offer additional coaching and allow a retest, sometimes the same day if range time and ammo allow. There’s no statutory cap on attempts, though individual facilities set their own policies on retest fees and scheduling.
Until you pass, the instructor cannot sign the certificate of completion that your sheriff’s office application requires. Without the certificate, the application can’t move forward. If you fail more than once, private range time working on fundamentals — grip, sight alignment, trigger control — is usually a better investment than booking straight into another course. At seven yards with no time pressure, accuracy problems almost always trace back to trigger control.
Renewal Test
A Nevada permit is valid for five years, and renewal requires passing the same live-fire qualification again.3Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 202 – Crimes Against Public Health and Safety The renewal course itself is shorter, running a minimum of four hours instead of eight, and there’s no written exam.1Churchill County. Nevada Concealed Handgun Training Standards The shooting test is identical: same three distances, same round counts, same 70 percent standard.