Apply for Certification - Special State Police Officers (SSPOs)

Hiring departments for Special State Police Officers (SSPOs) should follow the below protocol effective March 1, 2023. 

All applicants for Special State Police Officer warrants must provide a POST Certification Number, along with their SSPO warrant application, to the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Certification Unit.  Please follow the below guidelines to submit the required forms to POST prior to submitting documentation to the MSP.   

• If the candidate for SSPO is a recent graduate of a full-time police academy and has already obtained a certification notice/number, this is evidence of graduation from a full-time academy and POST Certification, so there is no need to re-file with POST, simply provide a copy of the certification notice to MSP.
• If the officer has already been POST certified, as they have been recertified according to their last name, simply provide a copy of the certification notice to MSP.  No further action is required by POST.
• If the candidate was not employed on July 1, 2021, in any law enforcement capacity, but has previously completed a full-time academy and worked in a police capacity, the candidate would be considered a “new hire” and the below forms must be provided to POST for the officer to be certified.  Please provide the certificate of graduation from their full-time academy to POST as well.  A POST Certification notice/number will be issued and the SSPO department would provide that certification notice to the MSP.
• If the officer was certified by statute (due to being employed on July 1, 2021) but has not been recertified according to their last name, although not required by POST, it is PREFERABLE that the officer obtain their POST Certification prior to seeking an SSPO warrant.   Please file the below documents with POST.  If this is the case, the officer would not be submitted for recertification according to last name as they will be obtaining their certification number independent of the recertification process.

Please complete the online candidate intake form below.

Reference documents:

Certification Packet

Certification Packet (fillable worksheet)