Police Refresher Course
Pursuant to the provisions of the General Municipal Law, certificates attesting to successful completion of the Basic Course for Police Officers expire after a police officer leaves service for a predetermined period of time.
- Certificates held by a police officer who serves less than two consecutive years are valid for a period of two years after the officer leaves police service.
- Certificates held by a police officer who serves more than two consecutive years are valid for a period of four years after the officer leaves police service.
- NOTE: Service as a peace officer (as defined in §2.10 Criminal Procedure Law) is not police service.
For a period of up to ten years after leaving police service, a former police officer is eligible to attend the Police Refresher Course. An officer who has been separated from police service for ten years or more must attend an entire Basic Course for Police Officers.
To enroll in a Police Refresher Course, a person must first be properly appointed as a sworn police officer. The administrator of the employing police agency (a police or sheriff's department) will then contact the course director of the local agency or academy to seek admission of the officer in a basic police training course. The officer must complete only those components of the course that are required for refresher training. It is the decision of the local course director whether to conduct a Police Refresher Course. The Police Refresher Course Curriculum currently consists of a minimum of 84 hours. The administrators guide is available on-line in the Publications and Forms section.