12 NCAC 10B .1002          ELIGIBILITY FOR PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES

(a)  In order to be eligible for one or more of the professional certificates, a sheriff or deputy sheriff who is a full-time sworn law enforcement officer of a North Carolina sheriff's office shall first meet the following preliminary qualifications:

(1)           be an elected or appointed sheriff or be a deputy sheriff who holds valid general or grandfather certification as defined in G.S. 17E-7(a). A deputy sheriff serving under a probationary certification is not eligible for consideration. Any justice officer subject to suspension or revocation proceedings, under investigation for possible decertification action, under a period of active revocation of their certification, or under probation or suspended sanction, by the Commission or the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, is not eligible for professional certificates for the pendency of the proceedings or period of probation, suspension, or revocation; and

(2)           meet and maintain the requirements of certification pursuant to Rule .0301 and Section .0500 of this Subchapter.

(b)  Employees of a North Carolina Sheriff's Office who have previously held general or grandfather law enforcement officer certification but are presently, by virtue of promotion or transfer, serving in non-sworn positions not subject to certification are eligible to participate in the Professional Certificate Program. Eligibility for this exception requires continuous employment with the sheriff's office from the date of promotion or transfer from a sworn, certified position to the date of application for a professional certificate.

(c)  Only training or experience gained in an officer's area of expertise as described in Paragraph (d) of this Rule is eligible for application to this program.

(d)  Certificates shall be awarded based upon a formula that combines formal education, law enforcement training, and experience in a sworn law enforcement position as defined in Rule .0103(19) of this Subchapter. These professional certificates shall be for sworn sheriffs and full-time deputy sheriffs. Points are computed in the following manner:

(1)           each semester hour of college credit shall equal one education point and each quarter hour shall equal two-thirds of an education point. No correspondence or vocational courses shall be credited towards education points unless an accredited institution, as set out in Rule .1004(b) of this Section, credits the courses towards a degree;

(2)           20 hours of law enforcement training shall equal one training point; and

(3)           experience as a sworn law enforcement officer as defined in Rule .0103(19) of this Subchapter is acceptable.

(e)  In addition to the qualifications set forth in Paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this Rule, applicants for the Intermediate Law Enforcement Certificate shall have acquired the following combination of educational points or degrees, law enforcement training points, and years of law enforcement experience:

Educational Degrees	None	None	None	Associate	Bachelor
Years of Law Enforcement Experience	8	6	4	4	2
Minimum Law Enforcement Training Points	20	35	50	24	23
Minimum Total Education and Training Points	39	69	99	24	23

(f)  In addition to the qualifications set forth in Paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this Rule, applicants for the Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate shall have acquired the following combination of educational points or degrees, law enforcement training points, and years of law enforcement experience:

Educational Degrees	None	None	Associate	Bachelor	Doctoral, Professional or Master
Years of Law Enforcement Experience	12	9	9	6	4
Minimum Law Enforcement Training Points	35	50	33	27	23
Minimum Total Education and Training Points	69	99	33	27	23

(g)  Educational points or degrees claimed shall have been earned at a technical institute, technical college, community college, junior college, college or university accredited as such by the Department of Education of the state in which the institution is located, a national or regional accrediting body, or the state university of the state in which the institution is located. No credit shall be given for any correspondence or vocational courses unless credited towards a degree by an accredited institution.

(h)  No more than 160 hours of training obtained by completing an accredited basic law enforcement training program required to serve in a sworn law enforcement position as defined in Rule .0103(19) of this Subchapter shall be credited toward training points.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 17E-4;

Eff. January 1, 1989;

Amended Eff. January 1, 2013; January 1, 2006; August 1, 2000; August 1, 1998; February 1, 1998; January 1, 1992; January 1, 1991; January 1, 1990;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. March 6, 2018;

Amended Eff. December 1, 2025; December 1, 2023.