Basic Academies

In order to become POST-certified as a peace officer, you must first attend a POST-approved Basic academy. All Basic academies must meet or exceed POST requirements. The minimum required Basic curriculum is 556hours, though all academies exceed this requirement. Academies may be full-time or part-time, and length ranges from 16 to 40 weeks and typically run from August-December or January-May/June. Attendance at agency academies is limited to individuals sponsored by a law enforcement agency. Community college academies operate on open-enrollment and are generally self-funded. Specific requirements for admission must be met in order to enroll. Please contact the individual academies directly to obtain information regarding the application process, cost and length of program. There is NO online academy...

Click to view the Colorado POST Academy Statistics [updated 08/2024] spreadsheet. PLEASE NOTE: The annual and overall statewide rankings contained in this Academy Metric are based on the sole measurable data point available, the POST written exam. While this is an important and useful assessment tool, it cannot entirely capture the entire breadth of instruction at a law enforcement training academy. Soft skills, such as communication and de-escalation, cannot be quantified with current assessment methods and are therefore not used towards these rankings. Users of this Academy Metric should understand that while this tool can be effective in comparing law enforcement training academies across the state, it does not capture the overall quality of training provided to recruits.

Authorized Basic Academy Program Requirements

The links below provide the Basic Academic Training program for the years listed in a printable PDF format if needed for out-of-state certification transfer, etc. Programs listed contain the minimum requirement for that year, though the actual program length varies by academy, and many programs were longer. A gap in program years indicates that there was no change to the program.

Current Basic Academic Training Program

2025 Program (effective 7/1/2025)

Past Basic Academic Training Program

2024 Program
2023 Program
2022 Program
2019 Program
2017 Program
2015 Program
2012 Program
2011 Program
2009 Program
2005 Program
2004 Program
2000 Program
1999 Program
1998 Program
1996 Program
1995 Program
1993 Program
1991 Program
1990 Program
1988 Program
1986 Program
1984 Program
1982 Program
1981 Program
1977 Program
1974 Program

Certification of Non-United States Citizens

Click to view.

Please review the Basic Certification page for more information about the certification process.

Authorized Colorado Basic Academies

Other Resources

HB21-1122 Commission Resource Guide

2022 HB21-1122 Commission Resource Guide

Reserve Academies List

Click to view.

Refresher Academies List

Click to view.