State training requirements
Georgia Peace Officer Training Requirements
Who governs peace officer standards in Georgia, 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 10, 2026
Who governs
Peace officer standards and training in Georgia are set by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST Council).
Annual in-service requirement
Georgia requires 20 hours of training each calendar year, and failure results in loss of the power of arrest on January 1 of the following year. Within the 20 hours, POST rules mandate recurring annual minimums: firearms requalification (1 hour), use of deadly force (1 hour), de-escalation (1 hour), and community policing (2 hours), plus annual use of force, human trafficking, and gang awareness. These minimums are inclusive of, not additive to, the 20.
Mandated topics relevant to CodeBlu
De-escalation
A minimum of one hour of de-escalation training is required every year per POST Rule 464-5-.03.1; failure to complete the annual training results in loss of the power of arrest.
Source: GA POST annual training requirements (Rule 464-5-.03.1)
Use of deadly force and use of force
A minimum of one hour of use of deadly force plus firearms requalification is required annually, and annual use-of-force training applies to all sworn officers.
Community policing
A minimum of two hours of community policing is required annually.
Crisis intervention and mental health
No statewide annual crisis-intervention hour mandate appears in O.C.G.A. 35-8-21. GPSTC offers de-escalation and autism courses that carry POST de-escalation credit, and crisis intervention is offered but is not a universal recurring statutory requirement.
Source: GA POST FAQ
Who decides in-service credit
Hybrid
Individual officers are responsible for completing the 20 hours, and agencies verify and report completion, but training must be completed in sessions approved or recognized by the POST Council, and POST registers courses and instructors. Course recognition is centralized while completion tracking is officer and agency-side.
Source: O.C.G.A. 35-8-21(b)
What this means for training like CodeBlu
Georgia uses a mix of central approval and agency discretion for in-service credit. Where the decision rests with the agency, a department can decide whether training like CodeBlu counts toward its in-service hours; where a topic is centrally certified, the formal path runs through Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST Council). Either way, this is not a determination of eligibility: CodeBlu does not certify hours or grant credit, and agency policy, the state's process, and legal counsel govern.
Primary sources
- POST-equivalent siteGeorgia POST Council (official site)
- StatuteO.C.G.A. 35-8-21 (POST Act)
- POST-equivalent siteGA POST annual training requirements
- POST-equivalent siteGA POST FAQ (Rule 464-5-.03.1)
Verified as of July 10, 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 Georgia?
- Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST Council) sets peace officer standards and training requirements in Georgia.
- How many annual in-service training hours does Georgia require?
- Georgia requires 20 hours of training each calendar year, and failure results in loss of the power of arrest on January 1 of the following year. Within the 20 hours, POST rules mandate recurring annual minimums: firearms requalification (1 hour), use of deadly force (1 hour), de-escalation (1 hour), and community policing (2 hours), plus annual use of force, human trafficking, and gang awareness. These minimums are inclusive of, not additive to, the 20.
- Who decides what training counts for in-service credit in Georgia?
- Individual officers are responsible for completing the 20 hours, and agencies verify and report completion, but training must be completed in sessions approved or recognized by the POST Council, and POST registers courses and instructors. Course recognition is centralized while completion tracking is officer and agency-side.