MIAMI -- In the state of Florida, any non-felon can apply for a license to carry a gun in public without having fired a single bullet. The law requires "competence" but never defines what that means.

"It's up to you. As a responsible gun owner, it's basically up to you. That's what the state says," said North Miami Beach police weapons instructor Tom Carney.

Carney said the vague wording could turn into deadly mistakes. He said it takes hours and hours of training, combined with rounds and rounds of practice ammunition, to be competent with a firearm.

Local 10's Sasha Andrade went undercover to put state-certified courses to the test.

First, she sat in a classroom at a local gun show for two hours. The instructor went over the law, handed out a quiz that he said only one person ever failed and then lined up about 50 participants at a local range.

"At the gun show, the only thing I had to do was grab a hand gun, point it down range and fire it once. That's it," Andrade said.

She then tried another course at a local gun shop. This one was about 40 minutes long and she didn't have to touch a firearm in order to earn a certificate.

There is nothing illegal about the courses. Carney said the problem is the law.

"What I'd like to see is the Legislature change to make more training mandatory to be able to carry a gun," he said.

Watch Neighborhood Crime Alert Thursday and Friday at 6:30 a.m to find out what kind of training officers go through and learn what lawmakers on both sides of the issue have to say.