Policing Training Commission adopts licensing rules

PTC Update

Since S2742/A4194 was signed into law last July, there has been a great deal of rumor and conjecture on how licensure will affect our profession, and while the rules that were passed by the Police Training Commission on Feb. 1 were the result of intense negotiations and greatly driven by the attorney general’s office, I am grateful for the work of my fellow members of the licensing subcommittee of the PTC and their willingness to listen in many of the areas of concern.

As a very high-level overview of the process that will occur, effective Jan. 1, 2024, all active law enforcement officers will be issued either a one-, two- or three-year license. After that time, licenses will be renewed on a three-year basis. These renewals will be driven through the department under a process driven by the chief law enforcement officer of that department. There will be no fees associated with a license for anyone who is a law enforcement officer on Jan. 1, 2024, with the exception of a nominal document replacement or duplicate fee. Future law enforcement officers will be subject to a $500 fee for their initial license (which the PBA has opposed from its introduction).

During the renewal process, the LEO and the chief LEO will be required to sign an attestation that nothing has changed since their previous license was issued. I will warn you that at the renewal, the chief will be required to conduct a comprehensive records search, and any disqualifying event will preclude the member from being issued a new license.

If there is going to be an adverse action against your license at either renewal or as a result of an incident that was reported to the commission (as enumerated in the rules), you will be entitled to a hearing that, for the most part, will be heard by a hearing officer (although the full licensing committee may hear the matter). This report will be submitted to the full commission for action.

If the licensee has a disqualifying action in their background, such as an FRO, they will be disqualified from retaining their license.

We have posted the proposed rules on our website, and copies have been emailed to your president and State Delegate. You can review them at https://www.njspba.com/news/read.aspx?id=418. We encourage every member to review them and note any issues that you might have.

The rules will be published in the New Jersey Register in the coming days, and there will be a 60-day comment period on the proposed rules. During this period, many special interest groups will make comments, and we need our voices to be heard, as well.

We are putting together a comprehensive list of concerns and will communicate them through your State Delegate and president. As well, we ask that when you do send comments that you do so in a professional manner and do not represent yourself as a law enforcement officer.

We ask that you submit comments to:

DAG Marie G. McGovern
Administrative Practice Officer
25 Market Street
P.O. Box 085
Trenton, NJ 08625

Or send them electronically to PTC@njdcj.org. Also, please copy klyons@njspba.com so we can monitor any changes that need to be made.