Hunter Education and Firearms Safety
Each April, the Dayton Police Department hosts a Hunter Education and
Firearm Safety Course. Students ages 11 and older can attend a classroom-based
firearms safety certification course and receive their certificate. The firearms
safety certificate becomes valid at age 12.
The Hunter Education and Firearms Safety class consists of a minimum of 4 separate
class sessions(students must attend the entire class for which they sign up),
learning the safe handling of firearms, hunter responsibility and wildlife
conservation. Students then complete the additional field day.
The field day consists of seven required scenario-based training opportunities.
These scenarios allow students to learn and demonstrate commonly accepted
principles of safety in hunting and the handling of firearms. It includes shooting
a .22 caliber rifle on a range.
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR DAYTON RESIDENTS ONLY
See "How can I register" section for link to the registration page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students ages 11 and older can attend a classroom-based firearms safety certification course and receive their certificate. The firearms safety certificate becomes valid at age 12.
You will need to bring your own firearm to carry to field day. We will provide the firearms for the shooting portion, but you will need to bring a firearm to carry for the other portions. If you do not have a firearm available, you can reach out to the instructors and they will assist you.
You will need your birth certificate.
Register for 2026 Hunter Safety Class
REGISTRATION CURRENTLY OPEN FOR DAYTON RESIDENTS ONLY
Check back in March for any remaining spots.
Class size is limited and will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. If your registration is received after all spots are filled, you will be notified and placed on the wait list.
REGISTRATION CURRENTLY OPEN FOR DAYTON RESIDENTS ONLY
Check back in March for any remaining spots.
Class size is limited and will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. If your registration is received after all spots are filled, you will be notified and placed on the wait list.
A parent/guardian must be present for the initial class. After that, it is up to the parent if they choose to stay.
The classwork portion requires 12 hours of classroom time. The current format is 2 nights a week for 2 weeks from approximately 6 pm to 9 pm. The Field day/Test is one weekend day. The current format has been from approximately 8 to noon.
You can obtain information on hunting and regulation from the Minnesota DNR https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/index.html
We understand some choose to take the classroom portion online and are looking for only the field day portion of the class. At this time, we only register those who will take both the classroom portion and the field day portion with us.
In order to be certified, you will need to attend all classes and the field day. This is a very desirable class with waiting lists. You must make sure you can attend all classes and the field day prior to registering for the class.