Basic Law Enforcement Academy

About The Basic Law Enforcement Academy

The BLEA provides participants with the basic knowledge and skills needed for safe and effective service. Through a centralized training model and with a focus on a guardian model of policing, students attend a wide array of best-practices courses throughout their 720 academy hours. Training includes 200 hours of LETCSA courses, promoting accountability, transparency, and community-centered policing while helping officers develop the knowledge and skills needed to serve Washington's communities safely and effectively.

Syllabi for past and present academies are available for download on our Curricula page. These will provide a complete breakdown of academy hours. Course topics include: 

Looking for the basic law enforcement equivalency academy (BLEEA)? Visit this page. 

Need to Know

Who can attend our correctional officer training?

This academy is open to recruits who have been hired by a recognized Washington State law enforcement agency. Sponsoring agencies will submit application materials on the recruits' behalf.

BLEA Regulation

All general authority law enforcement officers employed by a general authority Washington law enforcement agency must attend a BLEA session within six months of their hire date, per WAC 139-05-200 and RCW 43.101.200, and all railroad police officers employed by a recognized railroad corporation, per RCW 81.06.030 and WAC 139-05-925.

Mandated agencies: City, County, State Universities, Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, and Railroad

Non-mandated agencies: Tribal Police, Arson Investigators, and Reserves.

To request an extension or exemption of the WAC requirements for their recruits, agency personnel can submit a waiver request here.

Cost

View our full cost share sheet for Fiscal Year 2027 here.

PAT Prerequisite

In order to attend BLEA, recruits must pass the Physical Ability Test (PAT), which is typically administered by the recruit’s employing agency two weeks prior to the start of class.

Agencies, recruits, and prospective applicants can view the PAT requirements here. The PAT scoring sheet can also be found here.

Required Equipment & Attire

The latest equipment and attire requirements can be found here.

Schedule

BLEA classes are typically held 0700 to 1730 Monday through Thursday. Some evening training may be required.

The number of BLEA classes held each year will vary based on legislative decisions and funding.

Please note: The Training Session dates listed below, as well as the attached schedules, are subject to change without notice. Training managers and recruits must read selection notices carefully to ensure they have the correct dates.

Cancellation

Agencies wishing to cancel an applicant’s registration must notify the registrar via phone or email.

Submitting an incomplete registration request in the Acadis Portal is allowed, but it will not be processed until it is complete. Incomplete registration requests will remain in the queue (Application List) until all prerequisites are attached. Submitting an incomplete registration request only guarantees a spot in the queue, not in any specific class. Once registration requests are complete, they are processed into open seats on a first-registered/first-served basis.