Basic Training Program

KSA 74-5603 mandates that "The director (KLETC director) shall be responsible for determining the curriculum of the program, subject to such changes and modification as are directed by the law enforcement training commission." Pursuant to KSA 74-5603, the director has determined that a 571-hour basic training competency-based curriculum is necessary with all programs conducted on or after August 9, 2021. The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Commission concurred in a public meeting held on December 2nd, 2021. Therefore, the Commission acting pursuant to the authority granted in KSA 74-5603(b) has approved, authorized, and required 571-hours as the minimum number of hours required for full-time law enforcement basic training in Kansas.

The 571-hour basic law enforcement training curriculum culminates an extensive law enforcement officer job task analysis and curriculum review beginning in the late fall of 2018. This comprehensive work relied on a job task analysis from Kansas, and several other states and large police agencies, to create a curriculum based on recent and commonly recognized and accepted police best practices. The curriculum team also relied on a great deal of input from field experts and law enforcement administrators and personnel from across the state to complete their task. It is paramount to law enforcement officers in Kansas and across the nation and also recognized in such cases as Canton V. Harris (1989), a United States Supreme Court case, that "adequate training" is a necessity for law enforcement today.

The curriculum that took effect on August 9, 2021, was a direct result of countless hours of work by the curriculum team and instructional and administrative staff of KLETC to create a curriculum that was reflective of changes needed for law enforcement officers in Kansas to effectively serve their communities. While the building process was ongoing, end users of the curriculum were frequently involved in the work needed to tailor curricula to the needs of new officers through meetings, visits, phone conversations, and conferences via the internet, with law enforcement leaders and trainers from across the state.

The final results of this work are significant in terms of what are now recognized as core competencies that a newly trained law enforcement officer must possess. The new curriculum relies heavily on teaching adult learners using more of a “learner-centric” approach by using smaller class sizes while the instructional staff become learning facilitators more frequently than lecturers of the subject matter. The team also created a curriculum that was more cross-curricular in nature and less siloed, in other words, a curriculum in which several different key topics might be instructed in one class or series of classes. This allows for a greater understanding and application of policing knowledge across the entire spectrum of what a police officer is expected to be able to do.

In 2025, the curriculum is undergoing a review with modifications.

The following is some basic information that we hope you will find beneficial about minimum police and law enforcement officer eligibility requirements and admission to a law enforcement basic training program at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) or any of KLETC's certified and authorized satellite academy programs operated by municipal, county, or state agencies.

Kansas law does not permit "self-sponsorship" academy admissions. In other words, you must first be hired by a law enforcement agency before admission to KLETC or any of the certified and authorized satellite academy basic training programs.

The requirements to be a law enforcement officer in Kansas are established by the legislature in KSA 74-5605. Generally, you must:

1. Be a United States citizen
2. Have no felony convictions of any kind; and no conviction of certain misdemeanors, including domestic violence
3. Be a high school graduate or the equivalent thereof
4. Be of good moral character
5. Pass psychological testing
6. Be free of any physical or mental condition which adversely affects the ability to perform the essential functions of a law enforcement officer
7. Be at least 21 years of age

Again, this is only a summary of the requirements. The minimum qualifications are listed in full detail at the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training website.

There is no statutory requirement that you possess a college degree to be a law enforcement officer, but individual police agencies may have a completed degree as a required or preferred entry-level qualification. More importantly, there is strong competition for employment opportunities with higher-paying police agencies, so advance preparation to set yourself apart from other applicants may be a plus in your favor.

Once an individual is employed by a Kansas law enforcement agency, they will be enrolled by their employing agency in a basic law enforcement training program. The current KLETC basic training program is 14-weeks, 571-hours in length. New officers attending basic training are provided intense education and training in contemporary law enforcement procedures and legal topics such as constitutional law, search and seizure, interview, and interrogation law, rules of evidence, warrant requirements, and use of force. In addition, this training has a heavy emphasis on de-scalation, resiliency, and the health and well-being of officers. Not only do new officers learn about contemporary policing in the classroom, but they also get to experience it in scenario-based performance outcome training practical exercises.

The curriculum implemented August 9, 2021, is a competency-based curriculum requiring new officers to use critical thinking skills to solve complex problems facing society today. Communities expect to be treated fairly and safely, this curriculum addresses community interactions to build trust between the community and the officers. There are 30+ inter-related topics where officers learn the basic tasks expected of a new police officer.

Currently, there continues to be a high demand for well-qualified individuals seeking a career in law enforcement. Please be aware that there is a vast range of beginning salaries for new Kansas law enforcement officers. Past history has reflected those police agencies that have the ability to pay higher starting salaries (and provide better benefits) typically do not have difficulty in attracting applicants. You are encouraged to contact law enforcement agencies directly to determine hiring requirements, starting salaries, and recruitment opportunities.

There are many four-year universities and colleges, and two-year community colleges, that offer criminal justice or administration of justice degrees. While these programs do not take the place of law enforcement basic training, they do help you better understand the criminal justice profession. Many of these institutions recognize KLETC classes for academic credit.

KLETC will not conduct basic training courses during the following enrollment breaks or holidays.

June 29, 2026 - July 3, 2026 | Independence Day Break

November 23-27, 2026 | Thanksgiving Break

December 20, 2026 - January 1, 2027 | Holiday Break

Kansas law prohibits law enforcement officers from working as officers while they are enrolled and attending a basic training course at KLETC.

Specifically, Kansas Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training (KSCPOST) Kansas Administrative Regulation (KAR) 106-3-2 states: "Each officer who has been granted provisional certification shall work as an officer while enrolled and attending a basic training course only as required by the course curriculum, except whenever the director of police training announces that the training center is closed or otherwise will not conduct basic training courses."

Accordingly, officers enrolled and attending KLETC's basic classes may not work as law enforcement officers at any time during their enrollment and attendance, including weekends. Officers are permitted to work during times KLETC is officially closed. KLETC closes to students during these times of the year*:

• Independence Day Holiday Break (one week)
• Labor Day Thanksgiving Break (one week)
• Christmas Holiday Break (two weeks)

*Please refer to the Annual Schedule - Class Session Break tab.

Any known violation of this regulation must be reported to the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training. Your compliance with KAR 106-3-2 is appreciated.