One last note on NM Dropping AZ. See below. AZ has removed the minimum requirements to obtain a license - pretty clear that's not going to fly in NM - or a lot of other states.
Due to changes made to A.R.S. 13-3112 during the 2010 and 2011 legislative sessions, effective July 20, 2011, the Concealed Weapons Permit Unit will no longer approve or renew concealed weapons training programs, training organizations, or firearms-safety instructors.
Amendments to A.R.S. 13-3112 in 2010 added a number of new ways in which an applicant could qualify for a concealed weapons permit through training or experience. These new additions removed the statutory minimum requirements which the Unit used to evaluate and approve training programs. Since there are no statutorily defined minimum requirements, the ability of DPS to evaluate, approve and support training programs has been greatly diminished. For this reason, after July 20, 2011, the Concealed Weapons Permit Unit will no longer update, support or sanction the use of the proprietary firearms-safety training course previously used to train permit holders. Furthermore, DPS will no longer review or approve any lesson plans and will no longer publish or update the “Legal Issues Relating to the Use of Deadly Force” guideline.
Additionally, since changes to A.R.S. 13-3112 made in the 2011 legislative session removed the authority for DPS to approve or authorize instructors and organizations, DPS will discontinue this practice. However, for those that currently hold an approval or authorization, current rules will still govern those approvals or authorizations until expiration pursuant to A.A.C. R13-9-309, which provides that a firearms-safety instructor approval is valid for 5 years from the date of issuance or renewal and the authorization of an instructor who holds a valid concealed weapon permit will expire when his current permit expires.
Steve Aikens