Nebraska recognizes other jurisdictions law enforcement certification as a basis for eligibility for obtaining Nebraska certification.
A reciprocity candidate must apply for, be admitted to and successfully complete the Reciprocity program. An officer is not eligible for Nebraska certification if his/her law enforcement certificate has been revoked, suspended or is under current disciplinary review in the jurisdiction which issued it.
If you have questions about your certificate’s status, please call the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center at (308) 385-6030.
On April 21, 2022, LB 1241 was enacted which changed the reciprocity program. Below are several of the changes to Reciprocity.
- Classifies a Reciprocity officer as a noncertified conditional officer
- Removed attending Nebraska law enforcement training
- Removed admissions examination for the Reciprocity program
- Requires development of study guide for written examination
- Requires testing be conducted monthly
- Requires passing a physical fitness test
- Requires passing a written examination
What did not change with the passage of LB 1241 is the admission requirements into the reciprocity program.
An applicant will need to meet all of the admission standards as outlined in Title 79, Chapter 3 and Chapter 8. At a minimum, the applicant must:
- Show satisfactory completion of a training program determined by the Council to be equivalent to Nebraska’s basic certification training curriculum. The Council will also consider continuing education hours
- Submit the basic training curriculum, any additional certificates
- Complete the Nebraska Record of Equivalent Training. Instructions for completing the Record of Equivalent Training. Course syllabus link.
- Submit letters from previous Law Enforcement Agency Head or Hiring Authority Stating:
- Dates of employment.
- Officer left in good standing.
- Submit a non-refundable processing fee of $200.00.
To complete the application process submit the Reciprocity Application Packet.
After an applicant has met all admission requirements, the applicant will be sent an email link of the study guide for the reciprocity exam. There is a fee of $100.00 to sit for the exam. Testing dates are listed below and appointments for testing must be made no later than 7 days prior to the scheduled testing date. This is to ensure that adequate staffing is available and provide ample opportunity for the applicant to study the study guide provided upon acceptance.
On the day of testing, the applicant will participate in two tests. The first one is a physical test. PSAC has established that an applicant can choose to either participate in the PRET or complete the physical job tasks.
The second exam is a cognitive test. The study guide provided covers the material on the cognitive examination.
An applicant will be given two opportunities to pass each of the exams. If an applicant fails to pass either of the exam(s) he/she will be allowed to retest on the next scheduled testing date.
If the applicant fails to meet the testing requirements, he/she will not be eligible to obtain Nebraska certification through the Reciprocity program. The applicant may apply to attend full basic. (Basic Application Packet)
All application paperwork must be submitted to the NLETC within 21 days of appointment as a law enforcement officer with a Nebraska law enforcement agency.
If applying as a non-law reciprocity candidate all documentation must be submitted no later than 60 days before scheduling the testing for the Reciprocity program.
For questions regarding admission standards contact NCC.NLETCRegistrar@nebraska.gov. For questions specific to the testing requirements, contact mark.stephenson@nebraska.gov.
2024 Testing dates are:
December 18 - 8am-12pm (Deadline for appointment: December 11, 2024)
2025 Testing dates are:
January 21- 8am-12pm (Deadline for appointment: January 14, 2025)
February 18 - 8am-12pm (Deadline for appointment: February 11, 2025)
March 18 - 8am-12pm (Deadline for appointment: March 11, 2025)
April 15 - 8am-12pm (Deadline for appointment: April 8, 2025)