All licensed peace officers and reserve officers must successfully complete a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours of continuing education to maintain their peace officer license. It is the responsibility of the licensed officer to ensure their continuing education requirements are met.

Each officer shall complete a minimum of four (4) hours in all four (4) core curricula areas. The core curricula areas are identified as:

Legal Studies-Training focuses on updates or familiarization concerning federal, state and local criminal law or legal issues;

Interpersonal Perspectives-Training focuses on communication skills such as cultural diversity training, ethics, conflict management, victim sensitivity and stress management;

Technical Studies-Training focuses on specialized studies or activities which directly relate to the job description, including first aid and CPR training; and

Skill Development- Training focuses on activities that develop physical skill proficiency such as defensive tactics, firearms driver training, first aid and CPR training. A minimum of four (4) hours of some type of Firearms Skill Development training must be completed every three (3) year reporting period.

Once the core curricula area requirements (minimum of four (4) hours in each) are satisfied, the remaining thirty-two (32) hours may come from any of the four (4) core curricula areas.

A minimum of twenty-four (24) hours must come from a source identified as a POST Approved Provider (i.e. licensed training centers or organizations that have obtained a POST control number) and the statement "Approved Provider" must appear on your training certificate. The remaining twenty-four (24) hours may come from either "In-Service" training or from a POST Approved Provider. If it is "In-Service" training, the statement "In-Service" must appear on your training certificate and the course must be properly formatted and maintained on-file with your law enforcement agency for a period of six years, unless the course has been pre-approved and assigned a POST control number.

Every peace or reserve officer with the authority to enforce motor vehicle or traffic laws shall obtain at least three credit hours of continuing education training regarding racial profiling each reporting period. To meet this requirement, in-service racial profiling training courses must be pre-approved by POST or must be delivered by an Approved Provider.

If you have any questions regarding continuing law enforcement education requirements, how to properly format "In-Service" continuing education courses, or how to obtain a POST control number, please contact a representative of the POST Program by calling (573) 751-4905 or by email at post@dps.mo.gov.