Frequently Asked Questions
Following are some frequently asked questions which should address any questions that officers and agencies may have:
Who should I contact with questions related to POST?
The POST Help Desk phone number is (770) 732-5604 or email to: helpdesk@gapost.org.
I cannot remember my username or password to the POST Data Gateway. How do I find out this information?
Officers can click on the "Forgot User Name or Password?" at the log in screen of the POST Data Gateway, and the information will be sent to the email that you have placed on your profile in the POST Data Gateway system. You can contact your POST Data Gateway Agency Administrator to assist you with your username or password. Agency Administrators are usually the agency head or a designated administrator within the agency. Officers can also contact the POST Help Desk at helpdesk@gapost.org or by calling (770)-732-5604.
How do I get a copy of my POST certification with my certification number?
Upon completion and processing of the roster for your basic course, your certification is issued in the POST Data Gateway system. It can be found on your demographics page under the heading "OFFICER CERTIFICATIONS," and you can print your certification by clicking on the button labeled "CERTIFICATION." You can print an additional certificate, wallet card, and Executive Director letter by clicking on the button labeled "LETTER." It was designed so that officers can print their own certificates and wallet cards from this page.
How do I replace a lost/destroyed certification card/certificate?
You can reprint your certificate, wallet card, and Executive Director letter from your demographics page. Log into the POST Data Gateway and navigate to your demographics. Scroll down to "OFFICER CERTIFICATIONS" and click on the "LETTER" button. You will be taken to a PDF that can be printed or downloaded to your computer.
I have previous law enforcement experience in another
state or with the federal government. Can I transfer this certification
to Georgia?
You may be eligible to receive Georgia POST basic law enforcement certification if you meet the following requirements:
1. You attended a basic law enforcement training course in another state or with the federal government;
2. Your certification as a peace officer in another state or with the federal government is valid.
You will be required to submit an EOT application and pass Georgia specific courses.
For full details on the EOT process, please read the Equivalency of Training Information document.
How do I get a copy of my POST certification and training history fact sheet?
An officer can print their fact sheet by going to their demographics page in the POST Data Gateway system. At the top of the page on their demographics, the officer will see a button labeled "FACT SHEET." The officer just needs to click on this button to bring up their fact sheet and print it. It was designed so that officers can print their own fact sheets from this page. If the officer needs to obtain a certified transcript (fact sheet) for a college submission or other purpose, the officer can contact the GA POST Council Records Custodian at (678)-838-6311. Fees may be applicable for certified transcripts.
How many officers are currently employed in the State of Georgia?
There are currently 49,582 officers employed in 1,045 agencies as of April 8, 2022.
The table below also shows employment numbers for the past three years, based on November 1st data of each year.
| Year |
Number of Officers |
Number of Agencies |
| 2021 |
49,923 |
1,049 |
| 2020 |
52,514 |
1,042 |
| 2019 |
55,455 |
1,043 |
How do I contact my regional police academy to determine classes offered and dates of training?
Please go to the P.O.S.T. Certified Academies web link at https://www.gapost.org/academies.html to see contact information and web sites.
How do I get approved to go to a police academy?
An application for certification must be submitted by the officer in coordination with the officer's employing agency or in coordination with the regional police academy for pre-service candidates. The agency or academy will assist the candidate in the completion of the application in the POST Data Gateway system. Once the application is completed and attested by both the agency and the candidate, the application will be processed by POST Certification Division staff. If the application is complete and meets all POST requirements, the application will be approved. If the application is incomplete or needs corrections made, the application will be sent back to the candidate and agency/academy for corrections. Once the necessary corrections are made to the application, the application will need to be attested again by both the agency/academy and the candidate. Once attested, the approval process will begin again. POST requires that applications for certifications be submitted for approval at least ten calendar days prior to the start of a basic mandate course. This requirement allows ample time for review and corrections to made prior to the start of the course. If an application needs to be submitted in less than 10 days prior to the start of a basic course, a rush processing fee can be paid to expedite review of the application.
How long is an approved application valid?
Approved applications are valid for 18 months (POST Rule 464-3-.01). A candidate may attend a basic course using the approved application from the agency or academy that attested the application. If a candidate changes agencies or academies, a new application will have to be completed.
I only worked 6 weeks during the year. Do I need to get my annually required 20 hours of training including Firearms Requalification and Use of Deadly Force?
If a peace officer works one calendar day in any year or if you received a peace officer certification after January 1, 2012, the officer is required to complete the annual training for the calendar year. Peace officers that received their peace officer certification after January 1, 2012 are required to get the annual training even if they are not employed to maintain their certification. If the peace officer (with the certification after 2012) does not get the required annual training when not actively employed during a calendar year, the officer will have to apply for a waiver at the time of their recertification. If the peace officer cannot complete the annual training, the officer is eligible to apply for a waiver. The officer must either have the required training or an approved waiver to maintain their power of arrest. There are different types of waivers, and the instructions for waivers can be found at web link http://www.gapost.org/pdf_file/trngwaiver.pdf to determine what types of waivers are available. Peace officers that are actively during a calendar year and do not complete the required annual training automatically lose their power of arrest on January 1st following the deficient year. Peace officers that do not have the required annual training showing on their POST training history record by January 30th of the following year will have their peace officer certifications suspended under POST Rule 464-5-.20 - Emergency Suspension for Failure to Maintain Training)
Is it the responsibility of the employing agency to insure sworn personnel complete the annual 20 hour training requirement?
The individual is responsible for completing the annual 20 hour training requirement. Many agencies have in-service training that officers can attend on duty, but agencies are not required by law to do so. Agencies do have the responsibility of making sure that employed officers have their power of arrest at the time of their employment and maintain it during their employment. Agencies have the ability to check career and annual training deficiencies of their employed officers in the POST Data Gateway system.
If an officer attends a law enforcement, communications, or jail seminar or out-of-state training course, will this count toward the annual 20 hour training requirement or be recorded on the officer's POST training history?
POST certified officers can get POST training credit by submitting a copy of their completion certificate or other completion documentation along with the number of training hours completed (agenda). Click here to download the required training cover sheet.
Who is responsible for maintaining an officer's training record?
The individual officer is responsible for maintaining a record of his/her training hours. Neither POST nor the POST certified academies will necessarily have records of all training an officer completes; for this reason, it is suggested each officer keep a folder with copies of certificates of completion, training transcripts, dates/hours/topics of training recorded, etc for the purpose of documenting received training. Such documentation will insure that an officer's actions regarding their training are in compliance with Georgia law. Officers have the ability to check their POST training records quickly using the POST Data Gateway system. If an officer does not see training that was recently completed entered into the POST Data Gateway system in a span of two weeks after completion, the officer should contact the instructor for the course to question why the course has not been timely entered.
Does an officer lose his/her certification if he/she
does not get the 20 hours of in-service training for any one calendar
year of employment?
Peace officers that were actively employed during a calendar year automatically lose their power of arrest on January 1st following the calendar year when the training was not completed. In 2012, the Council passed POST Rule 464-5-.20 - Emergency Suspension for Failure to Maintain Training hours . Beginning with calendar year 2012, actively employed peace officers during a calendar year (means the officer worked at least one day during the calendar year) that do not complete the required annual training will have their peace officer certifications suspended until proof of compliance with OCGA 35-8-21 is met.
If an officer makes up the hours during the following year, does he/she regain the power of arrest?
No, the power of arrest is automatically lost on January 1st following the calendar year when the training was not completed. The only method to get the officer's power of arrest restored is to be granted a training waiver by the Council. The officer must submit a training waiver request (see instructions at web link http://www.gapost.org/pdf_file/trngwaiver.pdf) and if the waiver is approved, the officer's power of arrest is restored at that time. Until such time as a waiver is granted, the officer has no "power of arrest" per OCGA 35-8-21.
How long is a certification valid?
Unless your peace officer certification is suspended or revoked by Council, your certification is valid indefinitely. Previous requirements to be re-certified every four (4) years ended on January 1, 2022, by GA POST Council vote.
However, if your POST certification expired before that date, you will be required to complete the following courses in order to remove the expired status:
Legal Update
Use of Force
De-escalation
Community Oriented Policing
Georgia's Standard Qualification Course for Firearms Requalification
POST also recommends returning officers take the 16-hour GA Criminal Law course.
Once you have passed these courses and there are no other issues with your certification, GA POST Council will remove the expired status. For more information, please read this Recertification Process & Dealing with Expired Certifications document.
Can an officer receive credit for training prior to being certified?
Yes. Once an officer has registered in the POST Data Gateway and received a username and password, the officer has an Officer Key # (Okey). Any training class rosters entered with the officer's OKey in the POST Data Gateway system will record on the officer's training history.
What if an officer has received training which is not listed on his/her training record?
The officer can submit a copy of their training certificate presented at the completion of the course and POST will add any training that meets POST requirements to the officer's training record. Please be sure to include the Officer's Okey # on any submissions. It is recommended that officers use the training submission cover sheet found at web link http://www.gapost.org/pdf_file/trngcvr.pdf .
