State training requirements
Washington Peace Officer Training Requirements
Who governs peace officer standards in Washington, 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 Washington are set by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.
Annual in-service requirement
Washington requires 24 hours of in-service training annually for every peace officer certified under RCW 43.101.095, with a 2-hour crisis intervention course required within that annual 24. Separately, officers certified before December 7, 2019 must complete a minimum of 40 hours of continuing de-escalation and mental health training every three years, and incumbents must complete their first three-year cycle by January 1, 2028. The 40-hour de-escalation and mental health training may substitute for the annual 24 in the year it is completed. New general-authority officers complete 200 hours of initial de-escalation and mental health training in the Basic Law Enforcement Academy.
Source: CJTC 24-hour in-service audit (annual in-service requirement)
Mandated topics relevant to CodeBlu
Violence de-escalation
Recurring de-escalation training is required: a minimum of 40 hours of continuing de-escalation and mental health training every three years for officers certified before December 7, 2019, plus 200 hours of initial de-escalation and mental health training in the Basic Law Enforcement Academy for new general-authority officers.
Mental health
Mental health training is a recurring requirement combined into the 40-hour de-escalation and mental health package completed every three years.
Source: WAC 139-11-020 (de-escalation and mental health training)
Crisis intervention
A 2-hour crisis intervention course is required within the annual 24 in-service hours.
Source: RCW 43.101 (Criminal Justice Training Commission; crisis intervention)
Who decides in-service credit
Hybrid
For the general annual 24 hours, agencies have latitude in selecting training. The mandated de-escalation and mental health training is centralized: the Commission sets the hour requirements and the curriculum and either provides the trainings or authorizes private parties or agencies to provide them.
Source: RCW 43.101.455 (Commission-set curriculum and provider authorization)
What this means for training like CodeBlu
Washington 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 Washington State Criminal Justice 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 siteWashington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (official site)
- StatuteRCW 43.101 (Criminal Justice Training Commission)
- StatuteRCW 43.101.450 (violence de-escalation training)
- StatuteRCW 43.101.455 (Commission-set curriculum and provider authorization)
- Administrative codeWAC 139-11-020 (de-escalation and mental health training)
- POST-equivalent siteCJTC 24-hour in-service audit
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 Washington?
- Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission sets peace officer standards and training requirements in Washington.
- How many annual in-service training hours does Washington require?
- Washington requires 24 hours of in-service training annually for every peace officer certified under RCW 43.101.095, with a 2-hour crisis intervention course required within that annual 24. Separately, officers certified before December 7, 2019 must complete a minimum of 40 hours of continuing de-escalation and mental health training every three years, and incumbents must complete their first three-year cycle by January 1, 2028. The 40-hour de-escalation and mental health training may substitute for the annual 24 in the year it is completed. New general-authority officers complete 200 hours of initial de-escalation and mental health training in the Basic Law Enforcement Academy.
- Who decides what training counts for in-service credit in Washington?
- For the general annual 24 hours, agencies have latitude in selecting training. The mandated de-escalation and mental health training is centralized: the Commission sets the hour requirements and the curriculum and either provides the trainings or authorizes private parties or agencies to provide them.