Standardized Field Sobriety Testing

Since the mid-1970s, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with the cooperation and assistance of the law enforcement community, has conducted research that resulted in the development of a battery of three standardized field sobriety tests (horizontal gaze nystagmus, walk-and-turn, and the one leg stand) to assist police officers in detecting impaired drivers. The program, which was previously termed Improved Sobriety Testing, was initially developed by the Los Angeles Police Department and was validated in laboratory and field studies conducted by the Southern California Research Institute. Training in how to conduct the tests is included in the NHTSA course DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing.

In 1986, the Advisory Committee on Highway Safety of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) passed a resolution which recommended that law enforcement agencies adopt and implement the field sobriety testing training program developed by NHTSA. As the program has grown, it has become apparent that in order to insure continued success, nationally accepted standards must be established. These standards, which establish criteria for the selection and training of SFST practitioners, would help insure the continued high level of success of the SFST program. In 1992, the IACP Highway Safety Committee recommended the development of this system of nationally accepted standards.

In April of 1992, the IACP and NHTSA sponsored a meeting at the headquarters of IACP in Arlington, Virginia. Persons invited to this meeting included senior SFST instructors from several states, curriculum specialists, and training administrators. The participants met in working groups to reach a consensus concerning the many issues relating to the SFST program and to develop recommended minimum standards to the IACP Advisory Committee on Highway Safety. The standards were drafted and presented to the committee for their review at the midyear meeting in June 1992.

The Advisory Committee on Highway Safety, by resolution, adopted the nationalstandards for the SFST Program. The standards were subsequently approved by voting membership of the IACP. (see standards in program overview)

Maine has adopted the National Standards and has been instructing the SFST curriculum since the early 1990's. Although we do not offer a certification in the SFST program, students that complete the classroom and field evaluations receive a non-lapsing certificate of proficiency in SFST.

The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety (MeBHS) provides oversight and funding for the SFST program in Maine. The MeBHS works closely with the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) to support the SFST program. To find an SFST Instructor near you, contact MCJA Training Coordinator Don Finnegan at edwin.d.finnegan@maine.gov

We're always looking for ways to improve, so if you have a suggestion or comment, please e-mail the webmaster.

Training and Certification

With 100 certified SFST instructors throughout the State of Maine, a large percentage of Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) SFST training takes place off site. MCJA does offer several in-service classes each year for SFST and SFST refresher training which will be posted in this section.

SFST Refresher Training: (4 hour class)

SFST Refresher training is intended for officers that have previously completed the 24 hour NHTSA DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing program and failed to gain proficiency within the 6 month allotted period. Successful completion of this class will allow the officer an additional 6 month period to complete their field evaluations and meet with an instructor to complete the proficiency process. Some officers that have already received proficiency take the class as a refresher.

Justice Planning and Management (JPMA) in conjunction with MeBHS and AAA Northern New England has created an on-line version of the SFST refresher training that is avaiable to any Maine Law Enforcement Officer that has completed the full SFST training curriculum.

MCJA will post upcoming classes throughout the state. If your agency has a need for refresher training and would like to sponsor a class in your region, we can work with you to schedule a class.

SFST Training: (24 hour class)

SFST training is intended for full time officers that will be working in patrol and enforcing impaired driving laws. Officers that complete this class and desire to be deemed proficient in SFST will have 6 months from the end of class to complete 10 field evaluations and meet with an instructor to complete the SFST proficiency exam.

MCJA will post upcoming classes throughout the state. Although MCJA does not often run in-service SFST classes on site, we do run 6 classes per year for the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program (BLETP) students. We frequently have room for 2-3 students to join these classes if they can not find a class regionally.

SFST Instructor Training: (40 hour class)

MCJA offers SFST Instructor training every other year. We alternate years with the Breath Testing Instructor Development program. Students in this class have to have completed MCJA Methods of Instruction (MOI), be very familiar with the SFST curriculum, and have a sincere desire to teach, The 40 hour class involves classroom and live teaching segments.

SFST Training Schedule:

None at this time.

Forms

Manuals

DWI Detection & Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST Basic) Manuals:

Feb 2000 -- Student Manual (PDF)
Jan 2002 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Sep 2004 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Feb 2006 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Mar 2013 -- Student Manual (PDF)
May 2013 -- Instructor Manual (PDF)
Oct 2015 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Feb 2018 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Feb 2023 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)

DWI Detection & Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST Refresher) Manuals: