School of Justice,
Public Safety and Law studies

• Overview
• Steps to Become Certified
• Frequently Asked Questions

The Steps For an Out-of-State, Federal or Previously Sworn Florida Officer To Become Certified in Florida

1. Contact a Criminal Justice Selection Center or criminal justice employing agency and complete their application process to determine eligibility to be exempt from completing a basic recruit training course.
   
   
2. Once you are approved and receive your Equivalency of Training CJSTC Form 76 from the selection center or agency, contact a Commission-certified Criminal Justice Training Center to enroll in the training course to complete your demonstration of proficiency in the high-liability skills areas. The training center personnel will issue you a voucher to allow you to take the State Officer Certification Examination.
   
   
3. Register to take the State Officer Certification Examination. The date you take the examination must be after the completion date of your training class. You may have up to 3 attempts to pass the examination provided all attempts are within the 1 year time limit. If you are unable to complete the requirements within the 1 year time limit, you may apply for an additional exemption from training, however, you may only have 3 attempts to successfully complete the examination regardless of how many exemptions from training you are granted. After 3 attempts, you would have to complete a full basic recruit training academy.
   
   
4. Obtain employment in a sworn position with a criminal justice agency who will conduct your background investigation and complete the process for certification. Here is a link to the address list of all Florida criminal justice agencies. Contact the criminal justice agency of your choice for specific information concerning job vacancies.