MD Special Police Officer course, you will need to register for 01E Unarmed Security Officer + 05E Arrest Authority + Armed Security Officer Handgun 75E $325

Look for Dates on the website calendar astai.us/calendar

Also, Baton, OC -Pepper Spray, Handcuffing, Red Cross $350

www.astai.us/register-online

www.astai.us/calendar

 

Who Should Apply​ as a Special Police Officer

​A Special Police Officer is an individual who holds a commission granted by the Governor. Generally, a commission authorizes the officer to arrest individuals who trespass or commit offenses on the property described in the commission, exercise the powers of a police officer on the property described in the commission, and exercise the powers of a police officer in a county or municipal corporation associated with the property described in the commission. The following entities may apply for the appointment of an individual as a Special Police Officer:

  • A municipal corporation, county, or other governmental body of the State, in order to protect property owned, leased, or regularly used by the governmental body or any of its units;
  • Another state, or subdivision or unit of another state, that has an interest in property located wholly or partly in this State, in order to protect the property;
  • A college, university, or public school system in the State, in order to protect its property or students;
  • A person that exists and functions for a legal business purpose, in order to protect its business property; or
  • A person that holds a valid license as a Security Guard Agency under Title 19, Subtitle 3 of the Business Occupations and Professions Article, in order to protect property owned or leased by its clients.​​
Qualifications for a Special Police Officer Commission​
The applicant for a Special Police Commission​​:
  • shall be at least 21 years old; and
  • shall be of good moral character, reputation and qualification.​

Prerequisites for a Special Police Officer Commission​​​

 

  • ​LIVESCAN FINGERPRINTS – Within 30-days prior to submitting a Special Police Officer application, the applicant is required to submit Livescan fingerprints for a background investigation. If the applicant is a firm, Livescan fingerprints from each firm member will be required. The applicant must provide a receipt from the Livescan vendor documenting the submission of Livescan fingerprints to Maryland CJIS and the FBI under the Special Police Officer authorization code. This receipt will be required to be uploaded into the Special Police Officer application in the Licensing Portal. The Special Police Officer authorization code and additional information is available on the Fingerprinting webpage.​​​​
    ​All applicants are REQUIRED to sign and date the FBI PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT
    PRIOR TO SUBMITTING THEIR FINGERPRINTS​
  • COLOR PASSPORT STYLE PHOTOGRAPH – The applicant will be required to upload a color passport style photograph into the Special Police Officer application in the Licensing Portal. A photo editor and complete instructions will be found on the photograph page of the Special Police​ Officer application. It is not necessary to purchase passport style photographs for this process.
  • PROOF OF TRAINING – Unless exempt from the training requirement, the applicant will be required to upload proof of satisfactorily completion of an 80-hour training course approved by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions (MPCTC). Additional information for the training requirements can be found at Police and Correctional Training Commissions – Special Police Officer Training.
    • Training requirement exemptions include an applicant who, within 5 years prior to the application, has:
      • completed a basic training course for police officers approved by the Secretary in consultation with the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission;
      • completed a basic training course for police officers similar to the course described in item (i) of this paragraph in another state or for the federal government;
      • separated from a law enforcement agency in good standing; or​
      • completed training approved by the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission for a special police officer at a State institution of higher education.​

How To Apply

​The Maryland State Police application for Special Police Officer appointment can ONLY be completed through the Licensing Portal. Applicants for Railroad Police Officer​ appointment​​ will be required to submit the above prerequisites and required documentation.

Application Process

Once a Special ​Police Officer​ applicant has submitted Livescan fingerprints and has satisfactorily completed the 80-hour training course, they should access the Licensing Portal and begin the application for Special Police Officer.
Applicants who do not have a Licensing Portal account will be required to create one in order to access the Special Police Officer application.
You are required to have your own personal account in the Licensing Portal. Do Not Share Your Portal Account with anyone – there are specific details tied to the expiration of YOUR licenses and YOUR demographic information. Once you have created your account, you will be able to login and start your Special Police Officer application. Upon completing and submitting the applicant portion of the Special Police Officer application, you will receive a confirmation email with your application number and PIN number. Both the application number and PIN number will be required by your Employer.
You will need to provide your Employer with certain information for them to access your application via the Licensing Portal.​ The Employer will access the Special Police Officer application and verify the identity of the applicant, the application data entered, reaffirm the application questions with the applicant and submit the application along with the required fees to the Licensing Division.
The Licensing Division will review the application for completion and accept all complete applications. Should an application not meet the minimum requirements for acceptance, the application will be sent back to the applicant, agency or employer for corrections. After the corrections have been made, the application can be resubmitted for review and acceptance.
Accepted applications will be submitted into the queue for a criminal history background investigation to be completed on the applicant. During the course of this investigation, the applicant may be contacted by a background investigator to schedule an interview if necessary.

Once the background investigation is complete, the Licensing Division will forward a recommendation to the Governor for a final disposition. The Governor will notify the Special Police Officer applicant of the final disposition of the application. If the appointment is granted, the Special Police Officer applicant will be required to take the oath required by Article I, § 9 of the Maryland Constitution before the clerk of the court where the appointment is received. After swearing in, the Special Police Officer​ shall submit a signed copy of the District Court Special Police Officer Certificate received from the clerk of the court to the Licensing Division. The Licensing Division will print and send, via US mail, the Special Police Officer certification card to the Special Police Officer’s employer within 14 days.

If the Special Police Officer application is disapproved, you may contact the Maryland State Police Licensing Division for more information regarding the disapproval and appeals process. The Special Police Officer applicant may log into their Licensing Portal to view the current status of their application at any time.​

When Should I Renew

A Special Police Officer Commission expires three (3) years after its date of issuance.

The Special Police Officer renewal application and any required documentation must be submitted via the Licensing Portal at least 90 business days before a certification expires.