Drug Recognition Expert Instructor School

Overview

The development of the DRE Instructor training program was a joint effort between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Transportation Safety Institute (TSI). It is designed to enable law enforcement officers to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to effectively fill roles as instructors in support of IACP/NHTSA’s Drug Evaluation Classification program which targets drug impaired drivers.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is the regulating and certifying organization for the DRE program. To receive certification as a DRE instructor, the instructor candidate must complete two phases of training:

Academic Phase:

This phase is conducted over two days. Topics include adult learning theory, effective presentation skills, and techniques for conducting effective training. Each instructor candidate must pass the written test with an 80% or higher. If the instructor candidate fails he/she will be dismissed from the class.

Certification Phase:

After successfully completing the academic portion, the instructor candidate must complete the certification phase. The student must complete all modules assigned, in an approved Drug Recognition Expert training course. Candidates must be approved by two current and certified DRE Instructors.

Candidates may be asked to train more than two hours and must complete all training objectives to be certified. In addition, the instructor candidate must supervise the administration of at least two DRE evaluations.

In summary, an officer/candidate WILL NOT be certified as a DRE Instructor until they meet both the Academic and Certification phase of training.

All instructor candidates must be Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) instructors and have been certified as a DRE for a minimum of one year.

DRE Instructor candidates are recommended by current DRE Instructors.

There is no cost for this training.

Attire, Costs and Other Requirements

Students must bring a highlighter and note-taking materials.

Dress is professional casual or uniform of the day.

Dates, Times and Location

Dates: To Be Announced

Times: To Be Announced

Location:

Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission (MPCTC)

6852 4th Street

Sykesville, MD 21784

Registration

To register, please contact your respective DRE Agency Coordinator.