Keith Calloway, Executive Director | JB Pritzker, Governor
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Frequently Asked Questions

General Information Training P.O.W.E.R. Test Waiver Firearms
  • General Information

    How do I get information regarding employment of a law enforcement or correctional officer?

    Request information through a written Freedom of Information request. More information is available on the FOIA page.

    How do I get verification of my own certification as a law enforcement or correctional officer?

    Request information through a written Freedom of Information request. More information is available on the FOIA page.

    How do I file a complaint against an officer?

    Please complete the Officer Complaint Form Q found here. Once completed please submit the form to PTB.Complaints@illinois.gov for processing.

    How do I notify the Board that I think a law enforcement agency is not complying with the Illinois Police Training Act?

    Write a letter to the Executive Director's attention informing the Board of why you think the agency is not in compliance. 

    If I am full time certified in Illinois and am working at 2 (or more) agencies in a part time capacity, can I work more than 1560 hours a year?

    The purpose of the 1560 hour annual limit for part-time officers was to ensure that any officer working full-time hours was required to be full-time certified.  Therefore, the Board only monitors the hours of part-time certified officers.  A full-time certified officer has already met the training requirements to work full-time hours.

  • Training

    How do I know if a class/course is reimbursable?

    The certified classes are listed in the State of Illinois Training Schedule of Board Certified Courses. The training Schedule is replaced approximately every six months. The classes without an asterisk (*) are eligible for reimbursement if funds are available. 

    How does a police department file a reimbursement claim?

    The department must complete and submit the claim form promptly after the class ends. The directions are included when a form is downloaded. The Board's fiscal year is from 7/01 to 6/30 of any year. The claim form must be submitted before July 15 of that year. See the next question for the forms required for reimbursement. 

    What reimbursement form do I complete?

    Three different reimbursement forms may be found online.

    The Basic Reimbursement form must be used for basic law enforcement or correction training when an employee becomes a full-time law enforcement officer or a full- time county correctional officer.

    The Part-Time Basic Reimbursement form must be used when an employee becomes a part-time officer.

    A Non-Basic Reimbursement form must be used for all other certified and reimbursable (non-asterisk*) training listed in the State of Illinois Training Schedule of Board Certified Classes.

    When will I get my reimbursement

    The Basic Courses may be reimbursed periodically throughout the fiscal year. Non-Basic Courses are reimbursed after the fiscal year deadline (July 15 each year). The Departments usually receive their reimbursements in the third and fourth week of August.

    What happens if I submit the claim late?

    It is denied. The Board is an agency of the State of Illinois, as such, we cannot pay a reimbursement after the close of the fiscal year. The denied agency may then file the claim with The Court of Claims for determination.

    What is eligible for Part-Time Basic reimbursement?

    Part-time training is only eligible for tuition and power exam reimbursement. Salary, meals, and travel expenses are not eligible for part-time training reimbursement.

    I paid for my part-time basic training. Will the Board reimburse me for my tuition?

    No. An officer cannot pay for his/her training. Only units of government can pay or send an officer to training, only units of government can be reimbursed for training.

    What steps do I need to take if my new law enforcement recruit gets deployed before he/she has had completed the Basic Training Academy and won’t be back to work in time to meet the 6 month deadline to complete the training?

     This situation would require a military freeze.  The employing agency would need to submit a letter to the Executive Director of the Board requesting a military freeze, along with a copy of the recruit’s military orders. Upon receipt of this request, the recruit’s training clock will be suspended.  Upon the recruit’s return to the department, a letter from the employing agency would need to be sent to the Board as notification that the recruit has returned to duty, and the training clock will again begin ticking.  The recruit must then be immediately enrolled in an academy.  (Note: In the past, we are advised that National Guard assignments have been waived by the Guard, upon request of the employing agency, due to the nature of the Board’s training requirements.)

  • P.O.W.E.R. Test

    What does P.O.W.E.R. stand for?

    Police Officer Wellness Evaluation Report

    Has the POWER Test changed since implementation?

    Yes: In December of 2022 the standards were adjusted to assist in the measurement of performance improvement.

    Since there is no testing information for age range above 59 years old, what do I do for this person?

    Test them on the same level as the 59 year old.

    What is the policy on retaking the POWER test?

    In the event that a recruit officer fails to perform at the established minimum level in one or more of the four assessment areas, then he or she may not be admitted to the academy. A recruit may be given one additional retake, no more than 72 hours from the time of the initial POWER test administration. The retest consists of the failed assessment area(s) only.

    Is there a specific sequence for the four assessments in the POWER test?

    Yes, the order is Sit & Reach Test, 1 Minute Sit Ups Test, 1 Repetition Maximum Bench Press, and the 1.5 mile run

    How long is the Pre-POWER test and physical exam good for?

    Pre-POWER: 45 days, Physical Exam: 60 days

    Is the POWER Test part of the hiring or selection process for an agency?

    No, it is not a hiring or selection standard.

    How do you measure the Sit & Reach Test?

    Subject sits on the floor or mat with legs extended at right angles to a taped line on a box. The heels touch the near edge of the box and are eight inches apart. The subject reaches forward in one smooth motion with both hands overlapped knuckle upon knuckle, middle finger over middle finger, as far as possible moving the slide forward. The distance reached on the scale by the fingertips in inches is recorded. The best of three trials is considered as the flexibility score.

  • Waiver

    What is the length of time out of law enforcement before an officer has to re-take the academy?

    Board policy directs that if an Illinois basic trained officer has been out of law enforcement for three years or more, the Board will redirect that he/she complete the "Law for Police or Illinois Law Review" course. If an officer has not worked in the capacity of a law enforcement /correctional officer for an extended amount of time, upon receipt of the waiver application it is at the discretion of the Board's Executive Director to apply any and all requirements deemed necessary.

    Why does a law enforcement agency have to file a waiver application for a full-time officer moving into a part-time position within the same agency?

    The Illinois Police Training Act indicates a waiver or training is required for employment purposes, when moving an officer to a new classification of employment a new waiver and Form E must be filed for that new position. The requirement also applies if you are moving an officer into any other sworn capacity, such as court security, corrections, etc.

    Why file a waiver application on an officer who has basic training and is moving from another agency?

    The Illinois Police Training Act stipulates that an officer upon employment must complete basic training with-in the first six months of his/her hire date. The waiver application filed on behalf of the officer by his new employing agency is seeking a waiver of that training responsibility due to previous training. Since officers are not licensed a waiver must be filed for each employment.

    You do, however, have the option, and may send the officer back through a basic training academy.

  • Firearms

    If I have officers qualify using another agency's range, do I need to report that agency's name on the Firearms Roster?

    No. There is a column for "qualified at another agency", however, this is only for officers who have provided documentation that they have previously fired at another agency prior to coming to work for your agency.

    When is the Firearms Roster due?

    All departments should report their most recent annual qualification dates when they sign their roster biannually. Every officer listed on the roster should have a qualification date listed unless otherwise documented. If an officer was unable to qualify at any time during the calendar year, please indicate a reason for non-compliance in the comments column.

    What are the minimum standards for annual firearms qualification of active law enforcement officers?

    The minimum standards are provided in the administrative rules for annual firearms qualification of active law enforcement officers. This is recorded annually on the agency personnel paper roster or through EDI.

    If we qualify more than once a year, do we need to continue sending in paperwork to the Training Board?

    No. The State Mandate only requires you to report all officers qualification dates once a year. Example: If an officer qualifies in April 10 and again in October 10, you may use either of those dates.

    How do I report our firearms qualifications if they differ from the State requirements?

    Staple a copy of your department requirements to the Firearms Roster. If you use EDI, then mail the requirements in stating that you are an EDI user. The Board Office will review your qualifications and send you approval status. This is only required to be on file once.

    When is the 4 hour firearms training course applicable?

    The 4 Hour Firearms Training Course is assigned through the waiver process only. Example: out-of-state trained law enforcement officers; some county correctional officers previously trained by IDOC; Grandfathered law enforcement officers who did not receive the mandated firearms training prior to 1970.