Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 501 - Law Enforcement Academy
Chapter 3 - Certification of Law Enforcement Officers
Rule 501-3.1 - Certification Through Training Required for All Law Enforcement Officers

(1) All law enforcement officers must be certified through the successful completion of training at an approved law enforcement training facility in order to remain eligible for employment. As a condition precedent to enrollment in a certifying training program, the Iowa law enforcement academy must be provided with verification by the enrollee's hiring agency that the minimum standards for Iowa law enforcement officers have been met as provided in rule 501-2.1 (80B), except for a person elected or appointed as sheriff who may choose to be exempted from the requirement of subrule 2.1(6), and may determine not to participate in physical training and who shall then be eligible only for certification as provided in subrule 3.1(2). Officers must be certified within one year of their employment, except sheriffs who must be certified within one year of taking office. (See rule 501-3.8 (80B) for certification by testing requirements.)

(2) A person elected or appointed sheriff who otherwise successfully completes a basic training course except for the physical training requirements, as provided by Iowa Code section 331.651(1), shall be granted certification limited to and valid only for the position of sheriff of the county in which the person was elected or appointed.

(3) The academy council may, at the council's discretion, extend the one-year time period in which an officer must become certified for up to 180 days after a showing of "undue hardship" by the officer or the officer's hiring agency. To be considered for an extension of the one-year certification period, the person or agency requesting the extension must initiate the request in writing, not less than 10 days prior to the council meeting at which it is to be discussed, and then make a presentation to the council at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the council. Extensions shall not be liberally granted and shall only be granted after a showing that all other alternatives to an extension have been considered and rejected.

(4) In accordance with Iowa Code section 80B.17, the one-year time period in which an officer must become certified is automatically extended for up to 180 days for an officer who is enrolled in training within 12 months of initial appointment. For purposes of this subrule, "enrolled" means physically present in and currently attending a basic certification training class.

(5) The time period within which a person must achieve certification as a law enforcement officer in the state of Iowa as specified in rule 501-3.1 (80B) shall commence on the day a person is first employed as a regular law enforcement officer in the state of Iowa. Any subsequent changes in a law enforcement officer's employment status, including transfers to a different employing agency, shall not toll or otherwise extend the certification period.

(6) Should a person employed as a law enforcement officer fail to achieve certification within the time period or any extensions allowed by rule 501-3.1 (80B), that person shall not be eligible for employment as and shall not serve as a regular or a reserve law enforcement officer in the state of Iowa for a period of not less than 12 months from the date the time period in which to achieve certification specified in rule 501-3.1 (80B) expired, or from the date that the person was last employed as a regular law enforcement officer in the state of Iowa, whichever comes first.