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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the current mandated in-service training for police officers?

Mental Illness, Addiction & Disabilities**IC 5-2-1-9(g)

Autism, Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Endangered Adults*IC 5-2-1-9(g)

Human Trafficking (8 areas)* and **IC 5-2-1-9(g), IC 5-2-1-9(a)(10)

Annual In-service Training RequirementIC 5-2-1-9(g)
Presently 24 hours annually – must include 2 hours in Firearms*, 2 hours in Physical Tactics/Use of Force and 2 hours in Police Vehicle Operation.

Reserve Officers   IC 5-2-1-9(g) & IC 36-8-3-20(1)
Same in-service as required of regular police officers. (Order of LETB 6/8/15)

Officers should receive some training in all of the IC 5-2-1-9 requirements each year. 
The areas specifically required in IC 5-2-1-9 can be used to partially satisfy the 24-hour requirement.

Under state/county/local continuing education laws:
Domestic and Child Abuses, SIDS, CPR and Heimlich Maneuver, and others
State:  IC 5-2-8-5(e)(1-17); County:  IC 5-2-8-1(h)(1-18); Local: IC 5-2-8-2(f)(1-18)

Departments should be prepared to show that officers are competent in these areas although these do not necessarily require annual training.

Federal :
NIMS (DHS, required for DHS grants)
Bloodborne Pathogens (EPA, 29 CFR 1910.1030)
Hazardous Materials (EPA & OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.120)
Familiarization with Reflective Clothing Rule (DOT 23, CFR 634)

*Training now available through ILEA website.
**DVD available for purchase through ILEA Quartermaster.

How can I attend the Academy's Basic Course / How do I become a Police Officer?

You must be hired by a police department. They will send you to the Academy for basic training. This training must be completed within one year from the date you become a sworn, paid police officer, otherwise you will lose your arrest powers.

Do I have to attend the Academy if I graduated from an Academy in another state?

It depends on the length of the Academy.  The amendments to 250 IAC 2-2-1 and 250 IAC 2-4-1 (see below), effective March 6, 2024, state that a waiver applicant’s basic training course will be compared to the minimum hours in place at the time the training was completed.  The Indiana Law Enforcement Academy strongly suggests that before an agency hires an out of state waiver officer that they verify the length of the applicant’s original academy training, as well as that he/she meets all other criteria.

250 IAC 2-2-1 Mandatory basic training; waiver
Sec. 1. All law enforcement officers appointed by the state or any of its political subdivisions on or after July 6, 1972, whether the appointment is on a probationary, permanent, or other than probationary or permanent basis, are subject to the training requirements of IC 5-2-1-9(b) and IC 5-2-1-9(e) and shall, within one (1) year of the date of the officer's first or original appointment, whether on a full-time or part-time basis, successfully complete the appropriate minimum basic training course prescribed by the board and described in 250 IAC 2-4. An officer who has had previous law enforcement experience, including basic law enforcement training meeting or exceeding the standards enumerated in 250 IAC 2-4 at the time of completion of the training, may, upon proof of the previous experience and training and approval by the board, obtain a waiver of the training mandated herein or be allowed to test out on any or all phases of the basic course; however, this waiver provision is not applicable to persons certified by the board solely upon successful completion of the town marshal and conservancy district marshal basic training program prescribed in 250 IAC 2-4.

250 IAC 2-4-1 Minimum basic training course; town marshal and conservancy district marshal basic training program
Sec. 1. Requirements for the minimum basic training course necessary to satisfy the mandate contained in 250 IAC 2-2 are as follows:
(1) For all jurisdictions, except those listed in subdivision (3), whether employed on a part-time or full-time basis, shall consist of not less than six hundred (600) hours of classroom and practical training, and the subject matter covered is approved by the board prior to the beginning date of each basic training course.

An individual who has successfully completed a POST-certified law enforcement basic training course in another state, and can document at least one year of paid full-time service as a police officer, may be eligible for a partial waiver of Indiana’s basic training requirement.  The newly hired officer’s obligations are as follows:

  • must undergo a background investigation
  • must pass a Board-approved physical examination
  • must have proof of high school graduation or GED
  • must document certification from another state (copy of basic certificate)
  • must provide a copy of curriculum (not the daily schedule) from the basic course attended
  • must document at least one year of paid, full-time law enforcement service (letter from former department stating how long the officer worked for them, what their duties were, and that they left in good standing)
  • must provide a list of no more than one page of courses the officer considers the most significant inservice and specialized training completed
  • must enter a “New Hire” form in the Acadis Computer system

The department head must submit to the LETB’s Executive Director the items underlined above.

NOTE:  There is a $50.00 Waiver Application Fee.  Please submit a department check made payable to ILEA/LETB with the waiver packet.

If after studying the documents submitted the Board feels the officer’s out-of-state training meets or exceeds what is presented in the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy basic course, and if the officer has the requisite experience, the Board will grant a partial waiver of training.  To complete the requirements of the partial waiver the waiver candidate:

  • must submit to an interview by an LETB designee
  • must pass Indiana Criminal and Traffic law exams
  • must pass a Comprehensive written exam
  • must pass a Psychomotor Skills exam
  • must complete a Board-recognized EMS Awareness course

Completion of the waiver process consists of coming to the Academy for one afternoon for an interview and to receive information about the waiver process.  The firearms proficiency is completed at the department level and all other exams are completed on-line.  Failure to complete the process before the first anniversary date as a sworn Indiana officer results in the loss of police powers.

Can I get a waiver from basic training if I graduated from a reserve academy?

A graduate of a LETB approved Reserve Officer Academy may be eligible for a waiver of the Tier II Basic Training Course if hired by a police agency participating in the Tier II Basic Program.

To begin a waiver process, the hired officer’s obligations are as follows:

  • must undergo a background investigation
  • must pass a Board-approved physical examination
  • must have proof of high school graduation or GED
  • must provide a copy of the graduation certificate from a LETB Certified Reserve Officer Academy
  • must provide a list of no more than one page of courses the officer considers the most significant in-service and specialized training completed
  • must enter a “New Hire” form in the Acadis Computer system

The department head must submit to the LETB’s Executive Director the items underlined above.

NOTE:  There is a $50.00 Waiver Application Fee.  Please submit a department check made payable to ILEA/LETB with the waiver packet.

To complete the requirements of the partial waiver, the waiver candidate:

  • must submit to an interview by an LETB designee
  • must pass Indiana Criminal and Traffic law exams
  • must pass a Comprehensive written exam
  • must pass a Psychomotor Skills exam
  • must complete a Board-recognized EMS Awareness course

Completion of the waiver process consists of coming to the Academy for one afternoon for an interview and to receive information about the waiver process.  The firearms proficiency is completed at the department level and all other exams are completed on-line.  Failure to complete the process before the first anniversary date as a sworn Indiana officer results in the loss of police powers.

What is the current process for instructor recertification?

Primary Instructor -

  • Document twelve hours of instruction per year, thirty-six hours over three years (See Documenting Instructional Hours)
  • Complete an Instructor Application
  • Upload both documents through the Acadis Portal
  • Submit payment information through the Acadis Portal
  • Recertifications will not be finalized until payment is received
  • There is no grace period for instructor re-certifications.

Psychomotor Skills Instructor -

  • Document twelve hours of instruction per year in each psychomotor skill possessed (ex. EVO and Firearms Instructor would require twenty-four hours per year or seventy-two hours over three years)
  • Upload both documents through the Acadis Portal
  • Submit payment information through the Acadis Portal
  • Recertifications will not be finalized until payment is received
  • There is no grace period for instructor re-certifications.

Academy Staff Instructor -

  • Document twelve hours of training per year, thirty-six hours over three years
  • Upload both documents through the Acadis Portal
  • Submit payment information through the Acadis Portal
  • Recertifications will not be finalized until payment is received
  • There is no grace period for instructor re-certifications.

Master Instructor -

  • Document twelve hours of training per year, thirty-six hours over three years
  • Document the evaluation of at least three programs or instructors per year, these hours can count towards the instructional hour requirement
  • Complete an Instructor Application
  • Upload all documents through the Acadis Portal
  • Submit payment information through the Acadis Portal
  • Recertifications will not be finalized until payment is received
  • There is no grace period for instructor re-certifications

Provisional Instructor -

  • Must renew certification yearly
  • There is no instructor card or certificate issued, validation is by letter submitted to the Executive Director, Law Enforcement Training Board

What agencies are L.E.T.B.- certified to conduct Instructor Development courses?

Those agencies authorized to provide an LETB Certified Instructor Development Course are:

LETB certified Basic Academies/Staff

  • Indiana Law Enforcement Academy at Plainfield
  • Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Basic Training Academy
  • Indiana University Bloomington Law Enforcement Basic Training Academy
  • Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Basic Training Academy
  • Fort Wayne Police Department Basic Training Academy
  • Indiana State Police Basic Training Academy
  • Southwest Indiana Law Enforcement Training Academy, Evansville

LETB Certified Training Councils

  • Southwest Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Jasper area)
  • Central Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Plainfield/Indianapolis area)
  • North Central Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Grissom AFB)
  • Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Gary area)
  • Northeast Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Elkhart/Ligonier area)
  • South Central Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Dearborn County area)

These sites or their staff, who have met the educational requirements, are the only agencies authorized by the LETB to provide a certified Instructor Development Program.

How many hours of training conducted by an L.E.T.B.- certified instructor can be used toward the instructor's mandated 16 hours of inservice training?

Instructors may use no more than four (4) hours of their instructional time to count towards their in-service requirement of twenty four (24) hours.

Can I attend an In-Service class if I am an out of State Police Officer?

The Indiana Law Enforcement Academy will permit Full time out of State Police Officers to attend in-service classes if there are openings left in the class. Each class has a limit on how many students may attend the class. If a slot is available you will be notified no earlier than 30 days before class begins. Contact the Academy Registrar for additional information.

What are the Academy's In-Service Training Requirements?

Beginning in 2009, to be reported in 2010, the annual in-service training requirement will be changed to the following:

  • The minimum number of hours will be raised to 24 hours.
  • At a minimum, two (2) of these hours must be in the subject of firearms.
  • At a minimum, two (2) of these hours must be in the subject of physical tactics and the use of force.
  • At a minimum, two (2) of these hours must be in the subject of police vehicle operation.

This does not change the other mandated requirements that are separate from the rules in 250 IAC 2-7. Keep your eyes on the website for more details.

What is the Refresher Course?

The Refresher course is a method that officers may use to ‘revive’ their LETB certificate to perform law enforcement duties.

Officers leave the profession of law enforcement for various reasons like retirement, taking another job, etc. Sometimes those officers want to re-enter law enforcement, again, for a variety of reasons, such as they miss the profession, a law enforcement job opportunity arises, etc.

I.C. ยง5-2-1-9(o) allows a police officer who has left law enforcement for at least two (2) years but less than six (6) years to ‘refresh’ her/his LETB certificate and begin enforcing the law again. A police officer who has left law enforcement for six (6) years or longer must repeat basic training and cannot ‘refresh’ his/her LETB certificate.

For complete details on the Refresher Course CLICK HERE.

How many hours do I get to claim towards my in-service yearly requirement for the new online recertification for breath test operator?

The Department of Toxicology has determined that two (2) hours is adequate time to complete the training. An officer who successfully completes the training may claim two (2) hours towards their mandated twenty four (24) hour yearly requirement.