Massachusetts
Massachusetts’ Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission certifies all law enforcement officers for 3-year terms, must revoke certification on 16 grounds, publishes decertifications, and reports them to the National Decertification Index. Chapter 6E has not been amended since 2023. The changes since then are a public officer database rule, a civil service hiring route with a police cadet program, and a 2026 law creating a state civil-rights action against anyone acting under color of law.
- Sources checked
At a glance
- Certifying body
- Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission, created by Acts 2020, c.253. Its division of police certification certifies all law enforcement officers, under standards set jointly with the Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC). A division of police standards (c.6E s.8) investigates and adjudicates (M.G.L. c.6E s.4). There is no separate sheriffs’ body.
- Statute
- M.G.L. c.6E: s.4 (certification and databases), s.9 (suspension), s.10 (revocation), s.13 (public database and the Index), s.14 (use of force), s.15 (duty to intervene). Regulations are in 555 CMR, including 1.00 (procedure), 6.00 (use of force), 7.00 (recertification), 8.00 (databases), 9.00 (initial certification), 10.00 (school resource officers), 11.00 (regulatory action), and 12.00 (records, reporting, and audits).
- Minimum standards
- Standards set by POST and the MPTC must include: age 21; high school or equivalent; MPTC basic training; physical and psychological fitness evaluation; a state and national fingerprint background check with full employment history, including prior complaints and discipline; a Commission-approved exam; first aid and CPR; an oral interview; and good moral character. POST “shall not” certify anyone convicted of a felony, listed in the National Decertification Index or the POST decertified database, or who would have been revoked if employed in Massachusetts (c.6E s.4(d), (f)).
- Decertification
- After a hearing, on clear and convincing evidence, POST “shall” revoke for 16 grounds. They include a felony conviction, fraud in getting certified, revocation elsewhere, false arrests or evidence, false reports or perjury, force that violates s.14, excessive force causing death or serious bodily injury, a prohibited chokehold, hate-crime conduct, witness intimidation, and failure to intervene. POST “may” suspend or revoke for a misdemeanor, bias, a pattern of unprofessional conduct, or repeated sustained complaints. Suspension is immediate on arrest, charge, or indictment for a felony (c.6E ss.9, 10).
- Public decertification list
- Yes, by statute. POST “shall maintain a publicly available database” of decertified, suspended, and retrained officers (c.6E s.13(a)), and “shall publish any revocation order and findings” (s.10(g)). Under 555 CMR 8.06, a searchable public database is to cover everyone who has served or been certified since July 1, 2021, including a summary of complaints, their outcomes, and discipline. Its launch date is set by Commission vote; whether it is live could not be checked from official sources on October 19, 2026.
- National Decertification Index
- Reporting required by statute. POST “shall provide all revocation information to the national decertification index” (c.6E s.10(g)) and “shall cooperate” with it (s.13(b)). A person listed in the Index cannot be admitted to an academy, appointed, or certified.
- Continuing training
- Certification expires 3 years after it is issued, and recertification requires meeting the s.4(f) standards again. POST “shall” administratively suspend an officer who has not completed in-service training within 90 days of the deadline, and reinstates the officer on completion (c.6E s.9(b)). The yearly in-service hour count could not be checked from official sources on October 19, 2026.
Changes, 2023 to 2026
State civil-rights action against anyone acting under color of law; limits on civil immigration enforcement
Section 2 adds M.G.L. c.12 s.11I 5/6: a state-law action for damages and equitable relief against “every person” who, under color of any state or federal law, deprives someone of federal constitutional rights. Any defense available under 42 U.S.C. 1983, including qualified immunity, is equally available. Section 7 adds c.147 s.64, effective 30 days after the act: state and local officers “shall” not ask about immigration status except for a documented, articulable, case-specific reason tied to human trafficking (c.265 ss.50 to 52) or a felony under investigation, and “shall” not take part in federal civil immigration enforcement, with exceptions. Section 1 requires the governor to publish guidelines for state agencies and private entities, including on verifying the identity and authority of officers doing civil immigration enforcement. The act does not change c.6E or POST certification.
For officers: You can be sued under state law for violating federal constitutional rights, with the same defenses as in federal court.
Civil service: local hiring registers for police and firefighters, and a police cadet program
Under new c.31 s.59A, the civil service administrator “may” let an appointing authority keep its own register of entry-level police and firefighter candidates. The authority must agree to merit principles and diverse recruiting and adopt anti-nepotism and anti-patronage policies. Candidates can be appointed without the civil service exam if they meet listed conditions. No appointee may do sworn duties before finishing the MPTC academy or getting a waiver. New s.59B lets an appointing authority run an entry-level police cadet program leading to civil service tenure; cadets must complete an MPTC-approved academy before permanent appointment. Section 148 repeals ss.59A, 59C, and 59D on January 1, 2035; s.59B, the police cadet program, has no end date. Acts 2025, c.14 added MBTA police to the registers. POST certification is still required to work as an officer (c.6E s.4(g)).
For officers: Some departments can now hire through their own registers or a cadet program, but you still need POST certification.
Public officer database rule, including disciplinary summaries
Section 8.06 says POST “shall establish, by a date adopted by a vote of the Commissioners,” a searchable public database of everyone who has served as an officer or been certified since July 1, 2021. It is to show name, certification status, employment history, commendations, decertifications, suspensions, retraining orders, and copies of s.10 decisions. It also shows a summary of the officer’s disciplinary record: complaints, their final outcome, and any discipline imposed. Complaints not resolved against the officer are generally withheld from the public, and decisions under challenge are flagged. The rule carries out c.6E s.4(j). Whether this Register date marks the first version of 555 CMR 8.00 or an amendment could not be checked from official sources on October 19, 2026.
For officers: Sustained complaints and the discipline imposed are slated to appear in a public database under your name.
Not yet in force and pending
- Acts 2026, c.163, sections 6, 12, and 13, 90 days after August 5, 2026: legal-access notices and confidential attorney calls in correctional facilities (new c.127 s.87B), a new chapter on civil arrests in courts (c.221D), and a rewritten chapter on certifications for victims of crime and trafficking (c.258F). By computation, these take effect November 3, 2026. Acts 2026, c.163
- S.2975, “An Act protecting access to justice”: on civil arrests and law enforcement conduct in courthouses, including officers identifying themselves to court personnel. Reported favorably by the Judiciary Committee May 14, 2026, and referred to Senate Ways and Means. S.2975
- H.4684: would amend c.41 s.98 so an officer “shall not wear any mask or personal disguise” while dealing with the public. Sent to a study order (H.5281) on March 26, 2026. H.4684
Checked and unchanged
- M.G.L. c.6E: no 2023–2026 act amends it. None of the c.6E section pages carries an amendment note.
- The duty to intervene (s.15), use-of-force limits (s.14), the public decertification database and Index reporting (ss.10(g), 13), and the 3-year certification term (s.4(f)(3)) are as enacted in 2020.
- Other 555 CMR chapters (1.00, 6.00, 7.00, 9.00, 10.00, 11.00, and 12.00) have versions dated within or near the period. They were not compared with earlier text and are not counted.
- No Massachusetts statute on Brady or Giglio lists, or on officer masks or identification, was enacted from 2023 to 2026.
- Individual POST decertification actions could not be checked from official sources on October 19, 2026.
Last updated October 19, 2026Source: United States Council for Law & InvestigationCite as: United States Council for Law & Investigation, “Massachusetts officer certification: Officer Certification Tracker,” uscli.org/officer-certification-tracker/massachusetts (last updated October 19, 2026). Text licensed CC BY 4.0.