State training requirements
South Dakota Peace Officer Training Requirements
Who governs peace officer standards in South Dakota, 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 South Dakota are set by the South Dakota Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission.
Annual in-service requirement
South Dakota requires 40 hours of continuing education over a two-year period to maintain basic certification, calculated biennially during even-numbered calendar years, with the report due to the executive secretary by January 25 following an even-numbered year. Within the biennial 40 there must be at least 2 hours in crisis intervention or mental illness, and completion of courses in program administration, police practices and procedures, legal aspects, human behavior, and domestic violence. Officers must separately complete an annual firearms requalification (75 percent or better) on a commission-certified course.
Source: ARSD 2:01:06:17 (continuing education), via SD Attorney General
Mandated topics relevant to CodeBlu
Crisis intervention and mental illness
Within the biennial 40 hours, at least 2 hours must be in crisis intervention or mental illness, an enumerated requirement.
Domestic violence
Domestic violence is an enumerated in-service subject area; SDCL 23-3-39.4 addresses enforcement in domestic abuse situations, community resources, and victim protection, with a refresher at least once every four years. A standalone recurring all-officer de-escalation hour mandate was not confirmed in 2:01:06:17 in this pass; the 2-hour crisis-intervention or mental-illness requirement is the confirmed adjacent mandate.
Who decides in-service credit
Hybrid
ARSD 2:01:06:17 credits completion of courses sponsored by Law Enforcement Training or courses approved and documented by the officer's agency, while firearms requalification is centralized on a commission-certified course with a commission-approved instructor. The agency head certifies completion to the executive secretary.
What this means for training like CodeBlu
South Dakota 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 South Dakota Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission. 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 siteSD LEOST Commission (official site)
- POST-equivalent siteSD Attorney General Continuing Education
- POST-equivalent siteSD Attorney General Law Enforcement Training FAQ
- Administrative codeARSD Article 2:01 rule-amendment notice
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 South Dakota?
- South Dakota Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission sets peace officer standards and training requirements in South Dakota.
- How many annual in-service training hours does South Dakota require?
- South Dakota requires 40 hours of continuing education over a two-year period to maintain basic certification, calculated biennially during even-numbered calendar years, with the report due to the executive secretary by January 25 following an even-numbered year. Within the biennial 40 there must be at least 2 hours in crisis intervention or mental illness, and completion of courses in program administration, police practices and procedures, legal aspects, human behavior, and domestic violence. Officers must separately complete an annual firearms requalification (75 percent or better) on a commission-certified course.
- Who decides what training counts for in-service credit in South Dakota?
- ARSD 2:01:06:17 credits completion of courses sponsored by Law Enforcement Training or courses approved and documented by the officer's agency, while firearms requalification is centralized on a commission-certified course with a commission-approved instructor. The agency head certifies completion to the executive secretary.