Continuing Education and Advanced Training
To maintain a basic certification, a South Dakota law enforcement officer must complete 40 hours of training in a two-year period.
The continuing education hours are calculated on a calendar year basis. Each officer must have 40 hours of continuing education to Law Enforcement Training during the following time frames:
- January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2022
- January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024
- January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026
The training must be in the following areas, in order to meet the requirements:
- Annual firearms requalification on a certified shooting course with a passing score of at least 75 percent;
- Two hours in the area of Crisis Intervention or Mental Illness
- Completion of courses sponsored by Law Enforcement Training or courses approved and documented by the law enforcement's agency in the subject areas of: program administration; police practices and procedures; legal aspects; human behavior; and domestic violence.
In addition, a law enforcement officer must attend training on the following issues pertaining to domestic abuse: enforcement of criminal laws in domestic abuse situations; availability of community resources; and protection of the victim. After initial training, an officer shall attend further training at least once every four years.
For information concerning Firearm Instructor Certification or continuing education for firearm instructors, click the Firearm Instructor Resources tab on the right menu bar.