What is required to maintain APOSTC certification every year?

• A. Attend a wellness seminar
• B. Qualify with firearms
• C. Complete a test on procedures
• D. Retake the academy

Answer: (B)

Annual firearms qualification is the ongoing standard for maintaining APOSTC certification. This requirement ensures officers stay proficient with their duty weapon and demonstrates safety, accuracy, and reliability under real-world conditions. Because weapon use carries high risk and consequences, certification bodies rely on a measurable, repeatable performance standard each year, typically through range drills, scoring, reloads, and malfunction management. If the annual qualification isn’t met, certification can be suspended until remediation and re-qualification are completed.

Other items like a wellness seminar or a procedural test may appear in various training contexts, but they are not universally the yearly credential for preserving certification. Retaking the academy is not an annual obligation either; it’s generally reserved for more significant gaps in credentialing.