Former Florida Officer Reinstatement

This procedure, which took effect on August 21, 2006, allows former Florida officers who have a four year break in service, who wish to avoid taking the full basic training again prior to sitting for the state exam, to request an exemption based upon their prior training and experience.  In order to be eligible for an exemption you must:

1. Have been a certified Florida officer in the discipline for which you are seeking an exemption (law enforcement, corrections, or parole/probation).  If you are not currently employed as a criminal justice officer, there cannot be more than an 8-year gap from the end of your most recent qualifying employment to the submission of your complete Equivalency of Training Application.

VERIFICATION OF EXPERIENCE: Your prior certification will be verified through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

How to apply:

To apply for an exemption please submit the following items:

1.  Print out and complete an Equivalency of Training application.  The application is 7 pages long and the last page is a CJSTC Form 58.  Be sure you have the last page of the application and the CJSTC Form 58 notarized.  This document is a .pdf file.  If you do not have a program that reads .pdf files, you can download the free Adobe Reader to open it.  If you need Adobe Reader, you can download it by using the link below

2.  A personal check or money order for $50.00 made payable to Gulf Coast Community College.

If mailing these items, send them to:

Criminal Justice Selection Center
Gulf Coast Community College
5230 West U. S. Highway 98
Panama City, FL 32401-1058

If you live in the area and wish to hand deliver these items, our office is located at:

North Bay Campus
637 Highway 2300
Southport, Florida

If you do not hear from us within 8-10 working days, you can consider that we found no problems with your application for exemption.  We must verify your employment and training through FDLE.  If you qualify for an exemption, we will enter your approval into the FDLE computer system.  We will then send you a Form 76 by certified mail officially granting your exemption and allowing you to enroll in the Review Course and sit for the State Exam.

NOTE:  Once you receive the certified letter you must complete the required proficiency demonstration or Review Course and pass the state exam within 12 months.  If you fail to complete these requirements in the 12 month time period, you will be required to take the full basic academy in order to become certified.  The state exam is NOT offered as part of the Review Course, it is given at a different location and time by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  You can obtain information about test dates and locations and register for the exam at this website http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cjst/exam/


If you have any questions or need further assistance you can contact us at:

Phone:  (850) 747-3242
Toll Free:  1-800-311-3685 ext 5609
Fax:  (850) 873-3556
E-Mail:  mdwyer@gulfcoast.edu or pkeesler@gulfcoast.edu
 

• Gulf Coast Community College no longer offers the  Comparative Compliance Review Course or Equivalency Course.  There are only two training academies in north Florida that offer the course on a regular basis, Chipola College and Tallahassee Community College.  Any questions concerning this course should be directed to:
  
  Chipola College
  Criminal Justice Training Center
  3094 Indian Circle
  Marianna, FL 32446-1701
  Phone:  (850) 718-2479
  FAX:  (850) 718-2497
  
  Tallahassee Community College
  Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy
  75 College Drive, Suite 203
  Havana, FL 32333-7615
  Phone:  (850) 201-7992
  FAX:  (850) 201-7013