I was a Federal agent for 20 years what do I need to do to become LE certified in Virginia?

  1. There is no complete exemption or lateral for former federal officers seeking law enforcement certification in Virginia. Applications for partial training waivers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, reviewing prior training and experience as a law enforcement officer.  Partial training waivers are only available for certified officers separated from a law enforcement agency as a certified officer for less than 2 years.
    1. Applicant officer must have at least 5 years continuous previous experience as a certified law enforcement officer; and
       
    2. Be out of such employment for less than 2 years.  (§ 9.1-116)
       
  2. The training requirements for prior federal officers are based upon a comparison of the officer’s prior training and experience.  Virginia law enforcement certification is for local law enforcement, which is significantly different than federal agents.  The training requirements will include at a minimum, training in the high liability areas to including legal issues, patrol techniques, defensive tactics, use of force, weapons use and driver training.  This training includes successful completion of the Virginia Certification Exam and a minimum of 100 hours of field training in conjunction with answering law enforcement calls for service with the employing Virginia agency.
     
  3. These exemptions are only available at the request of a Virginia law enforcement agency and would not be available to you on a pre-employment basis.  There are also some Virginia agencies that will not accept any exemptions and do mandate the completion of the entire basic academy regardless of the certification status of the officer. (§ 9.1-116)