State training requirements
Colorado Peace Officer Training Requirements
Who governs peace officer standards in Colorado, the annual in-service requirement, the mandated topics for de-escalation and crisis response, and who decides what counts for in-service credit.
Verified as of July 9, 2026
Who governs
Peace officer standards and training in Colorado are set by the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board.
Annual in-service requirement
Colorado POST Rule 28, the In-Service Training Program, sets the annual in-service continuing-education requirement for certified peace officers at 24 hours. Twelve of those hours are perishable-skills topics (arrest control, firearms, and driving); the remaining non-perishable hours are selected at the agency's discretion.
Source: Colorado POST Board Rule 28 (In-Service Training Program)
Mandated topics relevant to CodeBlu
De-escalation
Colorado requires peace officers to complete de-escalation training. C.R.S. 24-31-315 establishes the peace officer de-escalation training requirement, and Colorado POST publishes a resource guide that identifies de-escalation among the mandated training topics.
Source: Colorado POST C.R.S. 24-31-315 Training Resource Guide
Crisis and mental-health response
Crisis intervention and mental-health awareness are recognized non-perishable in-service topics within the Rule 28 continuing-education framework, alongside de-escalation and verbal communication.
Source: Colorado POST Board Rule 28 (In-Service Training Program)
Who decides in-service credit
Agency discretion
Colorado does not centrally approve or certify individual in-service courses for credit. The agency's chief executive, the chief of police or the sheriff, decides what counts toward the non-perishable in-service hours, and web-based courses approved by the chief executive qualify for in-service credit under Rule 28. The agency's training officer enters completed credit into the POST database; CodeBlu does not submit to POST.
Source: Colorado POST Board Rule 28 (In-Service Training Program)
What this means for training like CodeBlu
Because Colorado leaves the in-service credit decision to each agency's chief executive, a department can decide whether training like CodeBlu counts toward its non-perishable in-service hours. This is not a determination of eligibility: CodeBlu does not certify hours or grant credit, the chief executive owns that decision, and agency policy and legal counsel govern. CodeBlu provides the per-officer records and transcripts that support the decision and the agency's own reporting.
Primary sources
- StatuteColorado Revised Statutes Title 24 (C.R.S. 24-31-315, peace officer de-escalation training)
- POST-equivalent siteColorado POST Board Rule 28, In-Service Training Program (POST manual, rules, and other documents)
- POST-equivalent siteColorado POST C.R.S. 24-31-315 Training Resource Guide
- POST-equivalent siteColorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board
Verified as of July 9, 2026. This page is reviewed on an annual cadence, and the date is bumped only on re-verification against the primary sources above.
Frequently asked questions
- Who sets peace officer training requirements in Colorado?
- Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board sets peace officer standards and training requirements in Colorado.
- How many annual in-service training hours does Colorado require?
- Colorado POST Rule 28, the In-Service Training Program, sets the annual in-service continuing-education requirement for certified peace officers at 24 hours. Twelve of those hours are perishable-skills topics (arrest control, firearms, and driving); the remaining non-perishable hours are selected at the agency's discretion.
- Who decides what training counts for in-service credit in Colorado?
- Colorado does not centrally approve or certify individual in-service courses for credit. The agency's chief executive, the chief of police or the sheriff, decides what counts toward the non-perishable in-service hours, and web-based courses approved by the chief executive qualify for in-service credit under Rule 28. The agency's training officer enters completed credit into the POST database; CodeBlu does not submit to POST.