The Minnesota State Patrol (MSP) offers officers a variety of impaired driver courses. Learn more about the courses and available opportunities below.

The following courses are sponsored by MSP:

• Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) – Two-day course
• Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) — Update
• Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) — Stand-alone
• Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) — Refresher
• DRE School  

 

Calendar  

The calendar includes our recurring substance-impairment programs: SFST – 2day course, SFST Update, ARIDE Stand Alone, ARIDE Refresher and DRE School. 
 

 

 

 

Drug- and alcohol-impaired driving trainings

Our substance-impairment courses keep officers up-to-date on observing, identifying and articulating the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol or a combination of both. This helps reduce the number of impaired driving incidents, serious injury and fatal crashes.  

These trainings help other criminal justice professionals (prosecutors, toxicologists, etc.) understand the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol or a combination of both, and effectively work with law enforcement to reduce the number of impaired driving incidents, serious injury and fatal crashes.

Interested in hosting a training course? Please contact DWItraining@state.mn.us​.  

Learn more about law enforcement support on our Drugged driving: Law enforcement support and training webpage.

Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE): "Stand Alone"  

14 POST credits

Officers will learn the difference between alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers, how they are detected and what can be expected. Officers will review the standardized field sobriety tests and will learn the observable signs of seven major drug categories, medical conditions that mimic drug influence, and what they will see when they encounter drivers under the influence of specific drugs.  

This course is a prerequisite for those attending DRE School.

Course resources

ARIDE participant manual​ from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Next training

See calendar for classes

How to enroll

[need info]

Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE): “Refresher”

4 POST credits

Officers will learn the difference between alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers, how they are detected and what can be expected. Officers will learn the observable signs of seven major drug categories, medical conditions that mimic drug influence, and what they will see when they encounter drivers under the influence of specific drugs.  

This course is self-paced and takes approximately 4 hours.  

Next training

ELearning: start at anytime

How to enroll

Access the Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Refresher eLearning course.

How to receive POST credits

For POST Credits, please send your certificate and POST number to DWItraining@state.mn.us​. Post rosters will be sent once a month.

Drug Evaluation and Classification (aka DRE School)

72 POST credits

The Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE) is an officer trained to determine if a motorist is impaired by substances other than (or in addition to) alcohol. The DRE will perform a 30-45 minute evaluation on the impaired driver. After the evaluation, the DRE will be able to determine the category of drug(s) that is impairing the driver’s ability to drive safely.  

Drug Evaluation and Classification training is sponsored by the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety. It is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and administered by the International Association of Chief’s of Police (IACP). The training is free of charge and offered annually.  

This course consists of three training phases that, collectively, prepare police officers and other qualified persons to serve as DREs. The phases include the Preliminary School (16 hours), the Main School (56 hours) and certification training which involves evaluating actual impaired individuals. Law enforcement officers who have arrested a drug-impaired driver should utilize the assistance of a DRE to assist in gathering important evidence for the impaired driving investigation

As part of the investigation, the DRE will be able to determine:  

1) Determine if the subject is impaired  

2) Determine if the impairment is resulting from an injury, medical condition or drugs  

3) Determine, if drug-related, what category (or categories) of drugs is (or are) the likely cause of the subject’s impairment

Next training

2025 (information to come)  

​More Information about DRE School

• DRE program overview
• Chief Memo on current DRE school
• DRE training and certification

Prerequisites

You must have completed Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE): "Stand Alone".

How to enroll

Fill out the DRE School Application form​ and follow the instructions on the form.

Law Enforcement Phlebotomist

32 POST credits

Phlebotomy is the act of drawing blood for either testing or transfusion. This training prepares POST-licensed law enforcement professionals to successfully obtain blood samples from DWI arrestees pursuant to Minnesota statutes.

The training has of three sections: an eight-hour online course, a 24-hour classroom section and a clinical section that includes 50 successful blood draws at an ambulatory care site.  

All equipment, supplies, and housing costs are paid.

Next training

May 2024​

How to enroll

See Chief Memo

Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST)

16 POST credits

This 16-hour course guides police officers through the traffic stop, the face-to-face interview, standardized field sobriety tests, processing, report writing and courtroom testimony. By incorporating classroom, dry run and practical exercises, officers will be better prepared to detect and remove impaired drivers. The course also offers additional information to law enforcement officers on detecting impairment caused by more than just alcohol. Oftentimes law enforcement officers who have not received training regarding drug impairment tend to not be able to identify these characteristics: therefore, they may unknowingly release an impaired driver. The law enforcement officer will also be more familiar with the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program and its function. This will facilitate better communication and transfer of critical roadside indicators of impairment to the evaluating Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) for a more complete and accurate assessment of the impairment.

Course resources

Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) Course Sponsor Responsibilities

SFST participant manual  

 SFST sponsor responsibilities​

 

Next training

See calendar for classes

How to enroll

Click on the class you want to attend in the calendar and follow the provide instructions.  

Standardized Field Sobriety Testing: DWI Update

4 POST credits

This four-hour course discusses the ever-changing DWI law, the newest and most relevant court cases affecting law enforcement procedures, tips on solidifying your DWI case, and a refresher of SFST skills and techniques. The course also gives an overview of drugs other than alcohol that impair. This session contains information to improve the participant’s ability to recognize subjects who may be medically impaired or impaired by drugs other than alcohol and, when encountering such subjects, to take appropriate action.

Prerequisites

This is a refresher for those officers who have previously attended the 16-hour SFST course.

Next training

See calendar for classes

How to enroll

Click on the class you want to attend in the calendar and follow the provide instructions.

 

LIDAR and RADAR training

Our LIDAR and RADAR operation courses train peace officers in the basics of these remote-sensing technologies.  

Initial LIDAR for Allied Agencies  

6 POST credits  

In this six-hour class, peace officers learn basic LIDAR operation.  

The first of two phases is a four-hour block of instruction in a classroom environment. Officers learn basic operator information, court history and testimony, and familiarization with detectors and jammers.  

Phase two is conducted in the field. It includes hands-on operation of the LIDAR unit, and operation and testing procedures.  

Students will receive a training certificate upon completion of the course.  

This course is offered by Minnesota State Patrol free of charge, as a service to Allied Agencies. Students will have a one-hour break for lunch.  

Next training  

May 2025 (dates and locations to come)  

How to enroll  

Contact john.perrin@state.mn.us.

Initial RADAR for Allied Agencies  

8 POST credits  

In this eight-hour class, peace officers learn basic RADAR operation.  

The first of two phases is a six-hour block of instruction in a classroom environment. Officers learn basic operator information, familiarization with setup and installation, proper testing procedures, court history and testimony, and familiarization with detectors and jammers.  

Phase two is conducted in the field. It includes hands-on operation of the RADAR unit, and operation and testing procedures.  

Students will receive a training certificate upon completion of the course.  

This course is offered by Minnesota State Patrol free of charge, as a service to Allied Agencies. Students will have a one-hour break for lunch.  

Next training  

May 2025 (dates and locations to come)  

How to enroll  

Contact john.perrin@state.mn.us.

Initial RADAR for Allied Agencies

8 POST credits  

In this eight-hour class, peace officers learn basic RADAR operation.  

The first of two phases is a six-hour block of instruction in a classroom environment. Officers learn basic operator information, familiarization with setup and installation, proper testing procedures, court history and testimony, and familiarization with detectors and jammers.  

Phase two is conducted in the field. It includes hands-on operation of the RADAR unit, and operation and testing procedures.  

Students will receive a training certificate upon completion of the course.  

This course is offered by Minnesota State Patrol free of charge, as a service to Allied Agencies. Students will have a one-hour break for lunch.  

Next training

May 2025 (dates and locations to come)

How to enroll

[Contact john.perrin@state.mn.us.]

​Child Passenger Safety Training

Child passenger safety training is provided by Office of Traffic Safety. Classes are scheduled around the state, typically spring and early summer.​​​