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 will be implemented to the POST Commission officer recertification process over the next few months.

POST has simplified the process to recertify individuals who have been previously certified.  The focus will be on verifying ongoing certification requirements and will not be examining requirements previously verified (like minimum age and education).  These changes will go into effect for officers whose certification expires on or after July 1, 2025; officers whose certification expires before July 1, 2025 are not impacted by these changes.

Certifications Expiring before July 1, 2025

• Certification Form: Use the 2024 Quick Reference Guide (Part 1) and the 2024 Officer Questionnaire (part 2)
• Certification Period: For certifications expiring prior to July 1, 2025, the certification duration remains three years.
• Submission Deadline: Applications for officers whose certification expires before July 1, 2025 must be submitted on or before their expiration date.

 Certifications Expiring on or after July 1, 2025

• Certification Form: Use the 2025 Quick Reference Guide
• The certification expiration for new officers was previously based on their academy graduation date, while veteran officers’ expiration was determined by their last name.
• Recertification dates will 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 will be accessible in the LEA Portal on May 5, 2025.  The updated application will have four 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, 2025.
• 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.