{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-16.055","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 16.055","heading":"Promotions -- Terms and conditions.","body":"(1) Promotions to sergeant within the department shall be on the following terms\nand conditions:\n(a) The applicant must have served six (6) years of continuous service as a\ncommissioned State Police officer to be eligible for promotion to sergeant;\n(b) The  applicant may  be  excluded from promotion eligibility by  the\ncommissioner for up to thirty-six (36) months on the basis of substantiated\nmisconduct, as set forth in department policy;\n(c) Promotions  shall be  based  on  cumulative scores computed  from\ntwenty-five percent (25%) on personnel performance evaluation, thirty\npercent (30%) on job simulation examination, and forty-five percent (45%)\non  a written examination on which the applicant achieved at least a\nminimum  score as determined by the commissioner in consultation with\nthe Kentucky State Police Promotional Review Board;\n(d) The  promotional list shall be valid for one (1) year, shall consist of the\nnumerical scores and rankings of each applicant, and promotions shall be\nmade  in consecutive order beginning with the highest numerical ranking\nto fill an interim vacancy. When  two (2) or more applicants receive the\nsame  numerical score, the order of placement on the list shall be\ndetermined by seniority of service. Upon  the determination of a new\nnumerical ranking following a new examination, all previous rankings shall\nbe null and void;\n(e) The  written examination shall be prepared and administered by an\nindividual designated by the commissioner. The materials and textbooks\nwill be  selected by  the commissioner and  his or her staff. The\ncommissioner will inform all applicants at least three (3) months prior to\nthe examination date of the exact material from which test questions will\nbe taken and the minimum score required to be eligible for placement on\nthe promotional list;\n(f) The written test shall be administered to all applicants at the same time.\nImmediately upon completion of the written test the applicant will receive\nhis or her numerical score. Such numerical score shall remain valid for a\nperiod of two (2) years following the date of examination unless the\nsource material upon which the test is based is changed by more than\nthirty percent (30%), provided that the numerical score meets or exceeds\nthe minimum score set in paragraph (e) of this subsection for the current\nyear's promotional list;\n(g) The job simulation examination shall be evaluated by boards designated\nby  the commissioner consisting of the commissioner or his or her\ndesignated appointee not lower than rank of captain, an officer from\nanother police agency of the rank equal to the position for which the\napplicant is competing, an instructor from an accredited law enforcement\neducation program, a personnel director from private industry, and an\nofficer from the Kentucky State Police of the rank equal to the position for\nwhich the applicant is competing;\n(h) The  designated job simulation examination boards will perform all\nevaluations under  guidelines developed  and  approved  by  the\ncommissioner; and\n(i) Personnel evaluations shall be made  by the appropriate supervisory\npersonnel  under  procedures  established and  approved  by  the\ncommissioner.\n(2) Promotions from sergeant to lieutenant within the department shall be on the\nsame  terms and  conditions as promotions to sergeant. In addition, any\napplicant for lieutenant must  have  completed at least one  (1) year of\ncontinuous service in grade as sergeant.\n(3) Promotions from lieutenant to captain within the department shall be on the\nsame  terms and conditions as promotions to lieutenant. In addition, any\napplicant for captain must have completed at least one (1) year of continuous\nservice in grade as lieutenant.\n(4) The  department will develop and administer only one (1) test for each of the\nabove  ranks. All eligible applicants will be permitted to participate in the\npromotional process to the next highest position of responsibility wherever a\nvacancy exists.\n(5) Officers promoted to rank of sergeant, lieutenant, or captain shall serve a\nprobationary period for one (1) year of continuous service from the effective\ndate of their promotions, and may be reverted to their previous rank with or\nwithout cause at any time during this period. If reverted to a previous rank, an\nindividual is ineligible for promotion the next time the promotional process is\noffered.\n(6) The provisions of KRS  16.140 to the contrary notwithstanding, all ranks above\nthe grade of captain are temporary and shall not be subject to the provisions\nfor selection and promotion as required herein. All officers in such temporary\npositions shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner and shall revert to\ntheir previous permanent  rank upon  the termination of their temporary\nappointment.\n(7) The total number of supervisory officers of all classifications shall be limited to\na  ratio not to exceed one (1) supervisor for every five (5) nonsupervisory\nofficers.\n(8) No  officer of the department, other than temporary positions above the rank of\ncaptain, shall be promoted to the next highest rank without competing with\nother officers as prescribed by this promotional procedure.\n(9) There shall be no discrimination based on race, sex, age, national origin, color,\nreligion, creed, or political affiliation with respect to the department promotional\nsystem. All personnel actions are to be based solely on merit.","path":["KRS Chapter 16"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=48562","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:48:36Z","sha256":"0f9fcc8493a14cc07f27c330691d9154bd2ee3b1769015b31e3f1b8cac30b1d8","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-16.052","next":"us-ky/krs-16.060"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}