Continuing Law Enforcement Education Requirements
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.
Alternate Ways of Obtaining Continuing Education Hours
- College Courses: College courses attended that are law enforcement, criminal justice related or are for the development of administrative skills and are received from accredited colleges and/or universities, will qualify for two (2) hours of Approved Provider training credit for each one (1) semester hour, not to exceed eighteen (18) hours in each three (3) year reporting period.
- Courses Taught: Officers may earn two (2) hours of continuing education credit for each one (1) hour of instruction of a continuing education or basic training course taught to peace officers, not to exceed twenty-four (24) hours in each three (3) year reporting period.
- Military Training: Military courses attended that are law enforcement, criminal justice related or are for the development of law enforcement administrative skills, will qualify for Licensed Provider training credit. The officer must provide a certificate of completion of the course and may need to provide a written statement regarding the contents of the course. The Director of the Department of Public Safety or his/her designated representative, will determine if the training is law enforcement, criminal justice related or are for the development of law enforcement administrative skills.
Non-Commissioned Peace Officers Reporting Requirements
Peace officers who are not commissioned but want to maintain their peace officer licenses must complete the mandated continuing education requirements. Upon being re-commissioned as a peace officer, the officer shall provide to the employing agency copies of diplomas and other indicia awarded for verification that the continuing education requirements have been met. Meeting the continuing education requirements will not prevent the expiration of the officer’s license, if the officer is not commissioned for five consecutive years.
Examples of Reporting Dates for Continuing Education Hours (CEHs)
Officers Licensed in 2012, 2013 and 2014: (Reporting period #7)
The first date officers will be required to report their CEHs will be December
31, 2017.
Their next reporting date will be every reporting period there after.
Officers Licensed in 2015, 2016 and 2017: (Reporting period #8)
The first date officers will be required to report their CEHs will be December
31, 2020.
Their next reporting date will be every reporting period there after.
Officers Licensed in 2018, 2019 and 2020: (Reporting period #9)
The first date officers will be required to report their CEHs will be December
31, 2023.
Their next reporting date will be every reporting period there after.
| Reporting Period |
Three (3) Year Reporting Dates |
|---|---|
| 6 | Jan. 1, 2009 to Dec. 31, 2011 |
| 7 | Jan. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2014 |
| 8 | Jan.1, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2017 |
| 9 | Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2020 |
| 10 | Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2023 |
| 11 | Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2026 |
Final Check to Determine if an Officer Has Met the Continuing Education Requirements
At the end of the three year reporting period:
- Does the officer have a minimum of 48 hours of training?
- Did a minimum of 24 hours come from a POST approved provider of continuing education, or was the course POST approved (look for POST control number on certificate)?
- Were there four hours of training in each of the four core curricula areas?
- In the area of skill training, did the officer attend a minimum of four hours of some type of firearms training?
- Did the officer attend a minimum of three hours of racial profiling in the three year reporting period? If this training was done in-house, was the course submitted to POST for prior approval?