Basic Course Waiver

Out-of-state applicants may meet California's Regular Basic Course (academy) training requirement by completing the Basic Course Waiver process. The Regular Basic Course is the training requirement for POST-program city police officers, sheriff's deputies, marshals, district attorney investigators, campus police officers, park police, Level I reserve peace officers and a few miscellaneous peace officer positions identified in the California Penal Code.

There are two types of Basic Course Waivers.

  1. Regular Basic Course Waiver
  2. Specialized Investigators’ Basic Course Waiver

An applicant must successfully complete the entire Basic Course Waiver (BCW) process to obtain a waiver. Agency sponsorship is not required to participate in the BCW process, and acceptance of a waiver for meeting the Regular Basic Course training standard is at the discretion of the employing agency.

Questions regarding the BCW process, application, or the Specialized Investigators' Basic Course Waiver (SIBCW) process may be directed to the Basic Course Waiver unit at (916) 227-3915 or bcw@post.ca.gov. Please note, the minimum qualifications to apply for a BCW increased on January 1, 2026. Applicants may review the qualification changes here (pdf).

Qualifications & Documentation

The BCW is a four step process that evaluates prior law enforcement training and tests knowledge and skill level. These steps must be completed in the order shown below. There are fees for Steps 1 and 3.

Minimum Qualifications to Apply:

  •   At least a 400-hour general law enforcement basic course
  •   At least 664 hours of general law enforcement training (including basic course),
  •   At least two years of continuous general law enforcement experience with one agency
    • Please note: At this time, deputies with corrections experience only, federal police officers in Police Series 0083, and military police do not qualify
  •   No more than a six-year break from the applicant's last peace officer employment prior to the date of the application
  •   Attestation that the applicant is leaving/has left their previous law enforcement employer(s) in good standing
  •   Training in the legislatively mandated training subjects included in California’s Regular Basic Course – applicant will attest to having completed training in most/all of these subjects within the online application

The applicant will need to gather all of the following documents prior to beginning the application process:

  1. Academy completion certificate or verification letter from academy
  2. Academy hourly/subject breakdown schedule, course syllabus, or summaries
  3. Employment verification letter
  4. Job classification/description document
    •   This is an official job posting or Human Resources document that lists duties, responsibilities, and minimum qualifications; it should come from the same agency that writes the employment verification letter
  5. State/or agency in-service training profile (optional, but strongly encouraged)
  6. Additional course completion documents or certifications (optional, but strongly encouraged)
  7. College transcripts (optional)

There is a file size limit in the online application, so if one of the documents is too large to be submitted with the application, please contact us at bcw@post.ca.gov and we’ll provide instructions to move forward.

Process

Step 1: Application/Self-Assessment

An applicant is encouraged to review the Regular Basic Course Waiver Application Overview & Instructions (pdf) prior to applying.

  1. After creating a POST PASS Account, submit application, documents, and evaluation fee electronically.
  2. POST staff will review the initial application and email the applicant if anything is missing.

Step 2: POST Training Evaluation

  1. Once all application documents are received, POST will conduct a training evaluation.
  2. If any training deficiencies are identified, the applicant will receive a letter to complete additional training. They have 6 months to complete this and provide proof of completed training to POST staff.

Step 3: Basic Course Waiver (BCW) Assessment Process

  1. Once above training items are completed, the applicant will receive a letter to attend the 161-hour Requalification Course in person in California. They have 6 months to complete the course and can be sponsored through the course as a trainee if the hiring agency is on board. All BCW applicants must attend the course unless they meet the test-only criteria listed in Commission Regulation 1005(a)(1)(C)(2). A list of available Requalification Courses can be found in the POST Course Catalog.
  2. Upon passing the Requalification course, the applicant must submit their Requalification Course certificate to POST staff.

Step 4: Waiver Issuance

  1. The Basic Course Waiver is issued to the applicant via email 1-2 weeks after the Requalification course certificate is provided to POST. The Waiver is valid for three years.