TRENTON – A new state law went into effect this month requiring New Jersey’s approximately 40,500 police officers to hold valid, active licenses issued by the Police Training Commission in order to serve as law enforcement officers.
Signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in July 2022, the Police Licensure Act (P.L. 2022, c. 65) became effective on Jan. 1. The law is designed to ensure that police license holders are in good standing with their employers, meet certain uniform professional standards, and receive ongoing training in best practices in the field, in order to become and continue to serve as officers. The law makes policing a licensed profession in New Jersey, with the aims of improving officer development and safety and bolstering trust between law enforcement officers and the public. With the launch of the police licensing program at the beginning of year, New Jersey joined over 40 states across the country that require police to be licensed.
“When I signed the police licensing bill into law in 2022, I did so recognizing the importance of maintaining a law enforcement force consisting of highly trained and skilled officers who fulfill their duties with honesty and integrity,” Murphy said in a release. “The police licensing program assures us that those who are hired to protect and serve the communities of our state are held to the high standards we expect of our law enforcement officers.”
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin called the licensure requirement a “major milestone” for improved public safety.
“This law will ensure that our police personnel have the latest knowledge to be safe and effective while playing their critical roles in our society, and while reassuring community members that their safety and well-being is in the hands of individuals who are truly New Jersey’s finest,” Platkin said.
Existing officers who were already on the job and beyond their probationary period as of the beginning of this year, have been issued initial licenses valid for one, two, or three years. Officers were randomly assigned to one of those three groups to avoid the need to renew every officer in the state at the same time.
Any individual seeking to become a law enforcement officer in New Jersey will need to meet certain professional standards and maintain those standards in order to maintain their license. Those who fall short of the standards could face suspension or revocation of their license, which could temporarily or permanently prevent them from working as officers. Suspension and revocation make it tougher for officers with a track record of disciplinary problems to move from police department to police department and evade accountability.
Chief law enforcement officers must notify the PTC of any separation from employment with their agencies or any change to an officer’s employment status, any pending criminal charge or a conviction of any crime, disorderly persons or driving while intoxicated offense. The PTC also must be advised about agencies’ imposition of major discipline, and of sustained findings that an officer used excessive force, was unfit for duty, or engaged in fraudulent conduct.
The new rules also stipulate that law enforcement agencies must terminate, suspend, or refuse employment to any individual whose license has been denied, revoked, or suspended.
