Mandated Training

Every year, each Peace Officer must complete 24 hours of training, of which a minimum of 12 hours must be in the area of perishable skills (arrest control, driving, and firearms), with at least one hour in each perishable skill category.

Click here to read Rule 28.

Click here to read about Disqualifying Incidents related to Rule 28.

Effective January 14, 2015, In-Service training (Rule 28) is mandatory for all employed officers. Please see below for information and instructions to submit training, and to obtain grants to assist with the cost of training.

The purpose of In-Service training is to provide continuing education to certified peace officers to develop their knowledge and/or skills. The annual in-service training program is defined in Colorado Revised Statutes §24-31-303 (l) and states that the POST Board can "promulgate rules deemed necessary by the Board concerning annual in-service training requirements for certified peace officers, including but not limited to evaluation of the training program and processes to ensure substantial compliance by law enforcement agencies and departments."

Every calendar year, In-Service training is mandatory for certified peace officers who are currently employed in positions requiring a certified peace officer as defined in Colorado Revised Statutes section 16-2.5-102. All full-time, part-time and reserve peace officers must participate in 24 hours of annual in-service training. Of the 24 hours, a minimum of 12 of those hours must be in perishable skills training (Arrest Control, Driving, and Firearms) and all three of the skills areas must be covered each year. The other 12 hours is determined by each individual agency, as to the training topic. The authority and responsibility for training shall be with the chief executive of each law enforcement agency. The chief executive accepts responsibility and liability for the course content and instructor qualifications for the training their officers attend.

For employees who cannot complete the required In-Service training hours, a waiver may be requested by completing and submitting a Rule 28 Waiver Request Form for the following reasons ONLY:

• Partial-year employment
• Military leave
• Medical Leave
• Perishable skills waiver

Rule 28 Waiver Forms MUST BE RECEIVED by January 31st of the following year.

Resources

In-Service Continuing Education Grant Guidelines

In-Service Continuing Education Grant Application

Enter In-Service Continuing Education Training

In July 2015, C.R.S. 24-31-315 was created by House Bill 15-1287 to mandate in-service training requirements for Colorado peace officers. Every POST certified full-time, part-time, and reserve peace officer employed by a Colorado law enforcement agency is required to train in Proper Holds and Restraints, Anti-Bias training, Community Policing / Community Partnership training, De-Escalation training, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR). The trainings must be completed at least once every five years. For full details about this mandate, please see the C.R.S. 24-31-315 Training & Resource Guide page.

DNA evidence - collection – retention training is required for all Colorado certified peace officers per CRS 24-31-311 (1). 

Officers who completed a Colorado Basic Academy that began after March 1, 2009 received DNA training in the academy and meet statutory requirements. Provisional (out-of-state) officers are required to complete the DNA training.

Mandatory DNA Training Course Information

Required for all Colorado certified peace officers per CRS 24-31-311 (1).

24-31-311. DNA evidence - collection - retention

(1) The training provided for peace officers shall include proper collection and retention techniques, practices, and protocols for evidence that may contain biological or DNA evidence. On or before August 1, 2009, the POST board shall certify the curriculum for the training. After August 1, 2009, the training shall be provided to persons who enroll in a training academy for basic peace officer training and to all peace officers described in section16-2.5-101, C.R.S., who are certified by the POST board pursuant to this part 3 prior to August 1, 2009.

(2) The POST board may develop a specialized certification program that concentrates on the proper techniques, practices, and protocols for evidence collection with emphasis on evidence that may contain biological or DNA evidence.
Source: L. 2008: Entire section added, p. 848, § 4, effective May 14.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 2008 act enacting this section, see section 1 of chapter 223, Session Laws of Colorado 2008.

Officers who completed a Basic Academy that began after March 1, 2009 and received this training in the academy meet statutory requirements.

CRS does not specify the number of hours of training required. POST Basic Academy regulations require 10 hours of training in Identification and Collection of Evidence, which includes DNA related training in the Basic Academy. POST grants 1 hour of training credit for successful completion of the online DNA 1 Course. A POST Identification (PID) number required for on-line registration. This course meets statutory requirements. (If you need your PID number, please call POST at 720-508-6721.)

There is no time limit for completing the course. You may stop at any time while taking the course. When you return, you can begin again where you left off. You will not be required to start over. If you do stop mid-course, please make note of the user name with which you registered. If you register again with a different user name, you may not receive credit for the course.

Upon successful completion of ALL modules the student can print out a certificate of completion. The training is automatically entered into the student's approval upon completion.

The length of time it takes to complete all of the modules is based on the student’s comfort and experience level with on-line training programs and previous knowledge of the subject matter. The student will receive 1 hour of credit, regardless of the time needed to complete the course.

Agencies can receive reports detailing who in their agency has/has not completed the course.

Agencies are under no obligation to use the POST on-line DNA course. Agencies may obtain, or conduct, their own in-house DNA course that meets the requirements of CRS. The POST Manual outlines learning goals and outcomes for Basic Academy coursework regarding DNA. This may be a resource for your course development: Section C, VII - Investigative Procedures, Paragraph D – Identification and Collection of Evidence. If an agency chooses to do this please follow the guidelines for POST course approval and work with In-Service Training Manager Bob Baker.

All certified officers appointed to a "local law enforcement agency" (municipal police department or a sheriff's office) are required to complete dog protection training that complies with C.R.S. 29-5-112 within one year of their appointment.  The on-line training created by the Dog Protection Task Force is no longer available as of January 1, 2020.  Also, the Dog Protection Task Force no longer exists since it was disbanded by statute as of January 31, 2015.

Please note this training is mandated by the Colorado legislature through statute and is not a POST mandated training.  Agencies are encouraged to consult C.R.S. 29-5-112 for direction on how to comply with this training requirement.

Colorado POST was directed to establish standards to recognize and address incidents of abuse and exploitation of at-risk elders by identifying a training curriculum by January 1, 2014. The legislative mandate requires each county sheriff and each municipal law enforcement agency to have at least one peace officer attend the training by January 1, 2015.

The mandate for peace officers as mandatory reporters of suspected elder abuse was July 1, 2014.

Colorado POST was directed to establish standards for school resource officers (SRO) by identifying a training curriculum by January 1, 2014. The legislative mandate requires each county sheriff and each municipal law enforcement agency to have at least one peace officer attend the training by January 1, 2015.

***Effective June 2, 2017 the SRO curriculum has changed.  Currently the only curriculum that will fulfill the mandated training requirement is through NASRO.***  

For a description of the NASRO Basic SRO Curriculum, click here: NASRO Course Descriptions

For the NASRO Training calendar, click here: NASRO Training Calendar