State training requirements
Vermont Peace Officer Training Requirements
Who governs peace officer standards in Vermont, 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 Vermont are set by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council (VCJC).
Annual in-service requirement
Vermont requires a minimum of 30 hours of certified or certifiable in-service each calendar year for Level I and II officers, per Council rule. It must include firearms requalification with a Council-certified instructor, a 4-hour use-of-force and tactics refresher with a Council-certified instructor, and first aid unless currently certified. A biennial domestic violence update falls in even years and a biennial fair and impartial policing update in odd years. A one-time Act 80 mental-health-crisis course was required of all officers by June 30, 2017. Agency heads report by March 1.
Mandated topics relevant to CodeBlu
Use of force and tactics
A 4-hour use-of-force and tactics refresher is a recurring annual requirement, delivered by a Council-certified instructor.
Source: VCJC Rule 20
Domestic violence
A biennial domestic violence update is required (even years), building on the baseline 8 hours established by 2011 under 20 V.S.A. 2365(a).
Source: 20 V.S.A. 2365
Fair and impartial policing
A biennial fair and impartial policing update is required (odd years).
Source: VCJC Rule 20
Mental health crisis interaction
The Act 80 mental-health-crisis course was a one-time requirement completed by June 30, 2017. Later annual guidance lists mental health as recommended or agency discretion rather than a mandatory recurring topic.
Source: VCJC Rule 20
Who decides in-service credit
Hybrid
The 30 hours must be certified or certifiable. The firearms, use-of-force, domestic violence, and fair-and-impartial-policing components require Council-certified instructors, and the mental-health curriculum requires a Council-certified instructor. Agencies sponsor or approve training and self-report, and online is permitted with documentation.
What this means for training like CodeBlu
Vermont 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 Vermont Criminal Justice Council (VCJC). 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 siteVermont Criminal Justice Council (official site)
- Statute20 V.S.A. 2365 (domestic violence training)
- POST-equivalent siteVCJC Rule 20 (annual requirements)
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 Vermont?
- Vermont Criminal Justice Council (VCJC) sets peace officer standards and training requirements in Vermont.
- How many annual in-service training hours does Vermont require?
- Vermont requires a minimum of 30 hours of certified or certifiable in-service each calendar year for Level I and II officers, per Council rule. It must include firearms requalification with a Council-certified instructor, a 4-hour use-of-force and tactics refresher with a Council-certified instructor, and first aid unless currently certified. A biennial domestic violence update falls in even years and a biennial fair and impartial policing update in odd years. A one-time Act 80 mental-health-crisis course was required of all officers by June 30, 2017. Agency heads report by March 1.
- Who decides what training counts for in-service credit in Vermont?
- The 30 hours must be certified or certifiable. The firearms, use-of-force, domestic violence, and fair-and-impartial-policing components require Council-certified instructors, and the mental-health curriculum requires a Council-certified instructor. Agencies sponsor or approve training and self-report, and online is permitted with documentation.