Recertification

By statute, all police officers employed in Massachusetts as of July 1, 2021 were automatically certified and scheduled for recertification in three groups based on their last name. Now that the initial certification process is over, several changes have been implemented to the POST Commission officer recertification process.

POST streamlined the recertification process for officers who have already been certified as of July 1. The focus is on verifying ongoing eligibility requirements rather than re-evaluating previously confirmed criteria such as minimum age and education.

The POST Commission is currently sending out certification letters. Officers whose certification expires on July 1 and who have submitted a recertification request will remain certified until a final decision is issued by the Commission. We appreciate your patience as we work through recertification application process.

Recertification dates align with the first day of an officer’s birth month; thus the recertification period will be at least three years. For example, an officer with a November birthday whose certification expires on August 1, 2025 would have their certification extended to November 1, 2028 upon renewal.

Departments may choose to process applications monthly or quarterly.

Recertification applications are in the LEA Portal. The application has five questions and focuses on CPR/First Aid certificate, in-service training compliance, reporting of disciplinary records, and attestation of character and fitness by the agency head.

Training Compliance

• The POST Commission will review in-service training compliance at the end of each training year. Your agency must ensure that all training records are updated with the MPTC by June 30.
• Annual CPR/First Aid training is mandatory. Officers who fail to complete this training by the deadline will be conditionally certified for up to 90 days.