Recertification Resources and Info
Information on the recertification process
By statute, all officers who were employed as police officers in Massachusetts on July 1, 2021 were certified and scheduled for recertification in three groups based on the officer’s last name. Upon recertification by POST, the certification is valid for three years.
- Officers with last names A-H were recertified July 1, 2022
- Officers with last names I-P were recertified July 1, 2023
- Officers with last names Q-Z were recertified July 1, 2024
The Commission shall not issue a certificate to an applicant who does not meet the minimum standards of the Commission or has been convicted of a felony or whose name is listed in the national decertification index.
Helpful information regarding the recertification process, timeline for submitting applications, POST’s process of reviewing these applications and issuing certification notices, and relevant resources for submission are found here.
Officers must complete Questionnaire and Oral Interview with Agency Head or designated Evaluator before the recertification application can be submitted.
Agency Head or designee submitted recertification applications.
POST reviewed applications and issued certifications through October 2024.
The recertification of veteran officers (active as of 7/1/2021) with last names beginning Q-Z was submitted through the LEA Portal.
Before submitting the applications in the portal on behalf of your officers, officers eligible for recertification should complete the Officer Questionnaire. This questionnaire is to be submitted by your officers to your Agency Head or designated Evaluator. The responses are then discussed with the officer and the questionnaire should be retained internally within your agency.
As part of the recertification application, the Agency Head or their designee attested that the Officer Questionnaire was completed by the officer, and that an oral interview was completed based on those responses. Typically, this document would only be submitted to POST if the Agency Head declines to attest to an officer’s moral character and fitness as an officer.
Recertification applications are reviewed by POST on a rolling basis. An application submitted for an officer who has outstanding requirements may not have a decision issued immediately.
Once a Notice of Certification is issued to an officer, the Agency Head or their designee can view this in the LEA Portal. POST will send periodic updates to Departments of which officers have been certified, but the Portal allows for real-time updates.
Less Common Certification Scenarios:
Non-Attestation:
In the event that you are not attesting to an officer’s character and fitness, you must still complete the Certification Application within the LEA Portal, and also email the Non-Attestation Form to [email protected]. A copy must also be provided to the officer.
Officer on Extended Leave:
If an officer is on extended leave and has been unable to complete one or more certification requirements as a result, you must still complete the Recertification Application within the LEA Portal. If this officer’s leave status is not currently reflected within the Portal roster, please also submit the Officer Status Update form and POST will make this change. The officer will be issued a certification with the status “Not Certified – On Leave.” Upon their return, the Officer Status Update form must be submitted to inform POST of this and the officer will be granted a 90-day Conditional Certification to allow them to come into compliance with any missed requirements. Please be sure to keep POST updated if this officer’s leave status changes.
Officer Separation from Employment After Application Submitted/Before Certification is Issued:
If an officer leaves your agency after an application is submitted on their behalf, but before a certification has been issued, please contact POST as soon as possible. Whether the officer has resigned/retired in good standing, resigned/retired in lieu of discipline, or has been terminated may impact their certification. If the officer has retired, please specify whether this officer has retired completely, or whether they are working details (either with your agency or another, to the best of your knowledge). The Officer Status Update form linked above can be used to notify POST of such a change.
Officers who graduated from an academy July 2021 – December 2021:
Officers who graduated from an academy after July 1, 2021 were issued a certification at the time of their graduation, and there are approximately 160 officers in this group statewide. Other veteran officers were recertified out of sequence in 2021 for various reasons and are included here. That initial certification between July and December 2024 will expire 3 years from the issue date.
For officers with a certification expiring in September or later, their certification application will be available in the portal 60 days in advance of the expiration. Going forward, POST will contact agencies on a monthly basis with a list of officers with upcoming expiration dates, and you can view your officers’ certification expiration dates at any time via the Agency Roster page of the portal. For all officers whose initial certification is expiring before 7/1/2025, the certification renewal process is the same as the Q-Z recertification process.
Officers Who Do Not Have a Certification Status:
If there are any officers on your roster (excluding students currently enrolled in an academy) who do not have a certification status and who do not appear on your recertification list, please contact [email protected]. These officers may not have been certified when they were due if an officer transferred agencies in the middle of recertification, or if an officer retired and subsequently returned to work details. Anyone working in a law enforcement capacity must be POST certified.
Officers processed for recertification on July 1, 2024 had last names beginning with Q-Z, were employed in any police capacity on July 1, 2021 (certified by statute) and had not been issued a new certification as of the date of their submission. This recertification submission is for full-time officers, part-time officers, reserve officers, officers on leave or suspension, and retired officers that work details.
The recertification process is governed by the Recertification Regulations (555 CMR 7.00) and is based on the principles described in those regulations:
- Agencies apply for recertification on behalf of officers.
- Agencies utilize a questionnaire to conduct an oral interview (administered by the chiefs or their designees).
- The head of the agency makes (or declines to make) an attestation to the good moral character and fitness for duty as a law enforcement officer for each individual officer. In the case of the chief, their appointing authority makes such attestation.
POST Commission certification standards for all officers include:
- Attaining the age of 21;
- Successful completion of a high school education or equivalent, as determined by the Commission;
- Successful completion of the basic training program approved by the MPTC;
- Successful completion of a physical and psychological fitness evaluation approved by the Commission;
- Successful completion of a state and national background check, including, but not limited to, fingerprinting and a full employment history; provided, that if the applicant has been previously employed in law enforcement in any state or United States territory or by the federal government, the applicant’s full employment record, including complaints and discipline, shall be evaluated in the background check;
- Passage of an examination approved by the Commission;
- Possession of current first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation certificates or the equivalent, as determined by the Commission;
- Successful completion of an oral interview; and
- Being of good moral character and fit for employment in law enforcement, as determined by the Commission.
Officers on extended leave (medical/injured on duty, military, family, administrative or other) who have not met the required conditions of recertification will be classified as “not certified” and categorized as “on leave” until they return to full duty.
Upon return to full duty, the agency must submit a Status Form and the officer may be granted a conditional certification allowing 90 days for the completion of requirements. If an officer is on administrative leave due to a pending investigation or discipline, the case may be classified as requiring further review. The agency must also notify MPTC at [email protected] of the officer’s return to duty. Upon completion, a second status form will be filed with POST and, upon review, a full certification will issue.
In reaching a determination on the officer’s recertification status, the Division of Certification reviews the officer’s application and the accompanying documentation received from the officer’s employing agency. The Division of Certification may grant an officer full recertification and has the authority to deny an officer full recertification, or limit, condition, restrict, revoke or suspend the officer’s certification. An officer will receive a notice from the Division of Certification detailing their recertification status.
2024 Recertification Fact Sheet
2024 Attestation Questionnaire Quick Reference Guide (part 1)
2024 Officer Questionnaire (part 2)
2024 Officer Questionnaire (part 2) Fillable
2024 Recertification Submission Guide
The questionnaire must be answered by all Q-Z officers and reviewed by a supervisor/evaluator to qualify as the oral interview administered by POST. The questionnaire is not submitted to POST unless there is no attestation made for that officer.
The non-attestation form must be uploaded for each officer not attested to or with a negative attestation. A copy must be provided to the officer by the agency head/designee.
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