The PA DUI Association is pleased to offer Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies the following impaired driving courses. All PA DUI Association instructors are current Certified Drug Recognition Expert Instructors. For a full description of any of the workshops listed below please scroll down.
Drug Recognition Expert – for more information click here
ARIDE (Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement)
Basic Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST)
SFST Instructor Development Course
SFST Refresher Course
Sobriety Checkpoint (SCP) – full day
Sobriety Checkpoint Refresher
Medical Marijuana Workshop
Drugged Driving Legally.
Everything You Forgot About DUI-D: A Comprehensive Review
Click Course ID number to register. Trainings are added on an ongoing basis, please check back for new classes/locations or if you’d like to receive our weekly law enforcement training announcement, email us at [email protected] .
If a training is marked as full, you can click on the registration link for instructions on how to be put on a wait list.
The Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) program was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with input from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Technical Advisory Panel and the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. ARIDE was created to address the gap in training between the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) programs.
The class begins with a SFST review to ensure students are proficient and error free in their administration of SFSTs as they are the cornerstone of all impaired driving enforcement. Students must be able to demonstrate proficiency with the administration of SFSTs to continue with the remainder of the training. The remaining instruction introduce the seven (7) established drug categories, signs and symptoms associated with each category, methods of ingestion, paraphernalia, additional roadside tests including the Modified Romberg Balance and Lack of Convergence tests, current drug trends and an overview of the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DECP).
It is not designed to replace the DRE program; rather, it is intended to supplement the DECP by enabling officers to recognize impairment resulting from controlled substances and to utilize a DRE. ARIDE is a prerequisite course for Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).
This course utilizes curriculum developed and approved by NHTSA and the IACP to train law enforcement officers in the detection and apprehension of impaired drivers utilizing the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. Officers receive training in the three (3) phases of DUI detection – Vehicle in Motion, Driver Contact and Pre-Arrest Screening as well as documentation of their observations and courtroom testimony. The majority of classroom time involves proper administration and interpretation of the three standardized field sobriety tests – Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Walk and Turn and One Leg Stand. Alcohol workshops utilizing impaired volunteer subjects are recommended; however, “dry” workshops utilizing NHTSA developed videos are available. Students successfully completing the curriculum receive a certificate as SFST practitioners. This course serves as the initial course for impaired driving detection. It is the prerequisite course for the advanced roadside enforcement class and SFST instructor school.
(Hybrid workshops using a combination of both “Wet” & “Dry” labs can be requested by the host during the scheduling process.)
This course utilizes curriculum developed by NHTSA and the IACP to train officers to teach Standardized Field Sobriety Testing. All students must be SFST trained and they must be proficient in knowledge, administration and interpretation of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.
The course is designed to enable officers to effectively teach the NHTSA / IACP certified SFST Basic Practitioner class. Topics covered include a definition of learning, the three (3) established domains of learning, different methods of teaching and their effectiveness, identification and utilization of various teaching aids, team teaching, the basics of running an alcohol workshop and more. Officers successfully completing the curriculum will receive a certificate. Please note; it is highly recommended students completing this course should assist in teaching several SFST Basic Practitioner courses and act as a dosing instructor in a wet lab before becoming a lead instructor and acting as administrator of the basic course. This course is also a prerequisite for Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).
The length of the course (3 or 4 days) is determined by the maximum class size requested by the host.
The curriculum for this course is through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the IACP. This course refreshes officers in the three (3) phases of DUI detection, proper administration and interpretation of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, covers recent and pertinent case law and provides updates and any changes to the current curriculum for the Basic Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. This Refresher course is recommended by NHTSA to be taken every 2 years for officers who have completed the SFST Basic Practitioner Class and required every 2 years by PennDOT if the officer is a member of an Impaired Driving Task Force.
SFST Refresher Course with Live Alcohol Workshop – (8 hours)
This course is intended for newer, less experienced officers who completed Basic Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST-B) course with the “dry” workshops, or experienced officers who previously attended SFST-B but have been away from the patrol function in law enforcement for an extended period. The curriculum for this course is through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the IACP. This course refreshes officers in the three (3) phases of DUI detection, proper administration, and interpretation of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, covers recent and pertinent case law and provides updates and any changes to the current curriculum for the Basic Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. This course also includes a live alcohol workshop where students administer the three standardized field sobriety tests on impaired volunteer subjects who have been dosed with alcohol.
This course is intended for newer, less experienced officers who completed Basic Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST-B) course with the “dry” workshops, or experienced officers who previously attended SFST-B but have been away from the patrol function in law enforcement for an extended period. The curriculum for this course is through the National Highway Safety Administration and IACP. This course refreshes officers in the three (3) phases of DUI detection, proper administration, and interpretation of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, covers recent and pertinent case law and provides updates and any changes to the curriculum for the Basic Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. This course also includes a live alcohol workshop where students administer the three standardized field sobriety tests on impaired subjects who have been dosed with alcohol.
This course is designed to train law enforcement officers to participate in Sobriety Checkpoints. It is a NHTSA / IACP requirement that all officers participating in a Sobriety Checkpoint receive this training followed by refresher training every two (2) years.
Topics covered include the legality of Sobriety Checkpoints, relevant case law, case law update(s), site selection criteria, operation plans, briefing, set up, individual assignments and responsibilities, execution, handling of evidence, tear down, debriefing and post checkpoint administrative procedures. There is a statutory review of both Title 75 and Title 18 regarding offenses most often encountered at a checkpoint along with instruction in how to deal with unusual or challenging situations such as sovereign citizens or uncooperative motorists. Lastly, officers participate in setting up, executing and tearing down a mock checkpoint utilizing a task force trailer and equipment. They see first-hand the relative positions and responsibilities of all members of the checkpoint as well as getting hands on experience with the associated equipment. Officers successfully completing the curriculum receive a certificate and are certified to work Sobriety Checkpoints.
This course is designed to fulfill NHTSA / IACP and PennDOT requirements that officers having already attended the 8-hour Sobriety Checkpoint Training and working sobriety checkpoints receive periodic refresher training. NHTSA / IACP and PennDOT require checkpoint refresher training every four (4) years for officers who work checkpoints. PennDOT has an additional requirement for PTS coordinators or their designee who instruct checkpoint refreshers classes within their county or task force to attend the refresher training every four (4) years.
The course covers the legality of sobriety checkpoints, relevant case law, any applicable case law updates, operation plans, site selection criteria, briefing, individual assignments, set up, execution, tear down, debriefing and post checkpoint administrative procedures. There is also a statutory review of Title 75 and Title 18 regarding offenses regularly encountered at checkpoints along with instruction in dealing with unusual situations such as sovereign citizens and uncooperative motorists. Officers successfully completing the curriculum receive a certificate and are considered trained in compliance with NHTSA / IACP and PennDOT guidelines.
On April 17, 2016, Governor Wolfe signed the Medical Marijuana Law in Pennsylvania, making it legal for Pennsylvania residents to possess medical marijuana in various forms for treatment of certain ailments. As of 2021, there are over 500,000 patients and caregivers registered for PA’s Medical Marijuana Program with over 280.000 active certifications.There are also more than 1500 doctors registered and approved by the Commonwealth.
This workshop will address the challenges presented to law enforcement with the advent of the new law. Topics covered include a brief history of marijuana, society’s changing attitudes towards marijuana, the plant itself, various forms and ingestion methods, paraphernalia, the current Federal and Pennsylvania laws, conflicts between the Federal and State statutes, signs and symptoms of impairment and recommended procedures for traffic stops. The course was initially designed for law enforcement officers; however, it is applicable and beneficial to other members of the criminal justice system including District Attorneys, Assistant District Attorneys, Probation & Parole officers, County DUI Coordinators, and other professional highway safety partners.
This course is designed to address the challenges presented to law enforcement by individuals impaired by prescription medications. Drug impaired driving is becoming more and more prevalent on Pennsylvania’s highways and illicit drugs only comprise part of the problem; prescription drugs and medical marijuana contribute greatly to the issue.
This course looks at the seven (7) established drug categories and focuses on the four (4) categories to which most prescription medications belong. Basic signs and symptoms for each of the drug categories are addressed and additional field sobriety tests are discussed which can help an Officer to determine impairment. There is an overview of the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program and lastly, the issue of drug impaired senior drivers is examined as this is a growing problem in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has an aging population and seniors are prescribed and are taking more medications now than at any time in our history.
At the end of this course, officers should have a solid grasp of the drugged driving problem, the role prescription medications play, the DEC program and the challenge of drugged driving by our seniors.
This course is a 4-hour basic refresher for drug impaired driving enforcement and is designed to complement NHTSA’s upcoming ARIDE refresher.
This course provides a review of the following:
The validation of the SFSTs for drug impairment detection, administration and interpretation of the Lack of Convergence, Modified Romberg Balance and Finger to Nose tests, law enforcement’s definition of a drug, the seven (7) established drug categories, signs and symptoms affiliated with the drug categories, methods of ingestion, basic paraphernalia, the four (4) possible effects of combining drugs and drug categories, the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DECP) and the requirements and training for Drug Recognition Experts.
Student requirements: All applicants must have successfully completed Standardized Field Sobriety Test – Basic Practitioner and ARIDE.