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Professional Certificate & Service Award Programs

The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission offers several Professional Certificate/Service Award Programs to:

  • Recognize the competence of sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, detention officers and telecommunicators
  • Foster increased interest in college education and professional law enforcement training programs
  • Attract highly qualified people into a law enforcement career

Eligibility for professional certificates is determined by a formula that combines formal education, law enforcement training and actual experience as a justice officer.

Applications can be submitted by mail or electronically by using the below email. Applications that are emailed should be submitted in a PDF format. Agencies submitting more than one application electronically should attached each application separately  and name the file using the applicant’s last name, first name.

ssprocerts@ncdoj.gov

The following components are considered for each of the professional certificate programs.

Education

  • Each semester hour of college credit equals one point.
  • Each quarter hour equals two-thirds of a point.
  • No correspondence or vocational courses shall earn education points unless an accredited institution counts the course(s) toward a degree.
  • Applicants holding degrees, however, are not awarded additional points for these degrees. Instead, they must meet the point requirements through completion of law enforcement training.

Training

  • Twenty hours of Commission-approved training gained in an officer’s area of expertise equals one point.
  • BLET is not credited towards a detention officer’s or a telecommunicator’s training point total
  • Correctional or Jailer training is also not credited towards a deputy’s training points.

Credit for completion of basic training courses is limited as follows:

  • Basic Law Enforcement Training – 8 points
  • Detention Officer Certification Course – 4 points
  • Telecommunicator Certification Course –  2 points

Experience

Credited experience varies with each Program as specified below. 

  • Professional Certificate Program for Reserve Deputy Sheriffs – Deputy sheriffs who do not currently serve in a full-time sworn law enforcement position, but who do serve as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff, are acceptable for consideration. An officer who is ineligible to receive equivalent certification through the Professional Certificate Program for Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs (above) may receive a certificate under this program if they substitute one year of full-time service for one year of reserve service.
  • Professional Certificate Program for Detention Officers – Only full-time experience as a member of a correctional or detention facility in North Carolina is acceptable for consideration.
  • Professional Certificate Program for Telecommunicators – Only full-time experience as a telecommunicator certified by this Commission is acceptable for consideration.
  • Sheriffs’ and Justice Officers’ Service Award Program –  An applicant may qualify for the Intermediate Service Award if he or she is an elected or appointed sheriff; or is a deputy sheriff, detention officer, or telecommunicator holding a valid general or grandfather certification, and has a minimum of 15 or 20 years of service as a full-time, certified justice officer.
  • Reserve Justice Officers’ Service Award Program – An applicant may qualify for this Intermediate Service Award if he or she is a reserve deputy sheriff, detention officer or telecommunicator holding a valid general or grandfather certification, and has a minimum of 15 years of reserve service or a combination of full-time and reserve service as a certified justice officer.An applicant may qualify for the Advanced Reserve Service Award if he or she is a reserve deputy sheriff, detention officer, or telecommunicator holding a valid general or grandfather certification, and has a minimum of 20 years of reserve service or a combination of full-time and reserve service as a certified justice officer.

Applications and Brochures