The IPMBA Instructor Course is a five-day course designed to certify qualified persons as IPMBA Police, EMS, or Security Cyclist Instructors.  It is an intense course that will increase your confidence, reinforce your understanding of the basic principles of public safety cycling, improve your bike-handling skills, and prepare you to communicate that knowledge to others.  Teaching methods include in-class presentations, on-bike drills, and peer and self-critiques.  Students learn how to identify and correct improper technique, assist students in overcoming individual difficulties, and incorporate various methods of instruction into the Police, EMS, and Security Cyclist Courses.  Instructor certification is contingent upon satisfactory results of written and on-bike tests, as well as evaluated presentations.

Although it addresses topics commonly found in other instructor development courses, the IPMBA Instructor Course is unique in that it focuses on developing the skills needed to teach bicycle-specific topics.  You will learn to set up cone courses and conduct the various drills used in the basic IPMBA courses.  You will learn to properly evaluate bike-handling skills and teach them to others.  You will perform each of the on-bike maneuvers outlined in The Complete Guide to Public Safety Cycling and demonstrate the proper method of teaching those skills.  No other training in the country teaches students how to break down basic bicycling skills for instruction.  And no other training focuses on how to teach the techniques pertinent to operating a bicycle in public safety service

• IPMBA Basic Cyclist Course Theory:  course history and philosophy
• Theories of Instruction and Adult Learning:  what they are and how to apply them
• Creating an Educational Experience:  tools to create an environment conducive to learning
• Responsibilities of an IPMBA Instructor:  administrative (testing & paperwork) and personal (mentoring, safety, & liability) responsibilities of the IPMBA Instructor
• Firearms Training for Bike Officers:  bike-specific firearms and other specialized training
• EMS Equipment and Scene Management:  keeping yourself, your patient, and your equipment safe
• IPMBA Course Planning and Safety:  prevent injuries, reduce liability, and ensure success through planning
• Conducting Mock Scenes:  how to safely conduct mission-specific mock scenes based on real-world situations
• Tour de ITK:  a guided tour through the IPMBA Instructor ToolKit 
• Basic Maintenance & Safety Procedures:  how to teach minor repairs and ensure proper bike fit
• Teaching Basic Bike-Handling Skills:  how to instill the fundamentals
• Teaching Vehicular Cycling Skills:  how to conduct safe road training and testing
• Diagnosing and Correcting Rider Error:  how to identify errors, demonstrate proper technique, and facilitate student practice and skill mastery
• Conducting a Night Ride:  lighting, conspicuity, rider safety in low-light environments

Download an IPMBA Instructor Course curriculum packet.

Your branch of public safety dictates the type of instructor certification for which you are eligible and which courses you are authorized to teach.

In order to apply for certification as an IPMBA Instructor, you must:

1. Complete the IPMBA Police, EMS or Security Cyclist Certification Course taught by an active, certified IPMBA Police, EMS, or Security Cyclist Instructor.*

2. Score at least a 90% on the written portion of the Police/EMS/Security Cyclist Course examination and demonstrate superior bike-handling skills.

3. Be an IPMBA-certified Police, EMS, or Security Cyclist and a current member of IPMBA. Click here to join or renew your membership dues.

4. Be an active public safety cyclist on a full- or part-time basis. **

5. Possess a minimum of twelve months full-time or 24 months part-time experience on bike duty. **

6. Be able to provide proof of licensure or employment as a (state P.O.S.T.-certified or equivalent) law enforcement officer, EMS provider, or security officer. **

7. Be able to demonstrate extensive knowledge of the information contained in the most recent edition of The Complete Guide to Public Safety Cycling.

8. Obtain the endorsement and support of your department. You will be required to complete and upload a letter of expectations and letter of departmental support signed by your supervisor. If you did not attend an IPMBA Public Safety Cycling Course, you will also need to submit an Instructor Recommendation Form (included in the IPMBA Instructor Course registration form), which must be completed by the IPMBA Instructor who administered the written and practical tests.

Certified instructors are expected to maintain the high standards of instruction and safety demonstrated in the IPMBA Instructor Course.  Instructors are required to:

1) Maintain active membership in IPMBA.

2) Teach a minimum of one Police, EMS or Security Cyclist Course every 24 months and submitting all required coursework to IPMBA in a timely manner.

3) Attend refresher training and/or procure updated materials as required (advance notice of updates will be announced).  

As of 2026, IPMBA’s Instructor Application is now included as part of the Instructor Course registration form. Before you register for a course, review the prerequisites carefully.

You will be required to complete and upload the letter of expectations and letter of departmental support signed by your supervisor.

Please note that if you did not attend an IPMBA Public Safety Cycling Course, you will also need to complete and upload an Instructor Recommendation Form (included in the IPMBA Instructor Course registration form), which must be completed by the IPMBA Instructor who administered the written and practical tests.

*IPMBA highly recommends asking a current IPMBA Instructor to administer the written and practical tests and complete the recommendation form in order to gauge your level of preparedness for the course. This will help identify your strengths and weaknesses and enable you to focus your skill practice and study prior to the course.

Individuals who wish to become IPMBA Instructors but have not completed the IPMBA Police, EMS, or Security Cyclist Course may request that other formal bicycle training (minimum 32-hour for Police/EMS; 24-hour for Security) be substituted for IPMBA Police, EMS or Security Cyclist Certification.

The following courses have been approved in lieu of the IPMBA Course:

Candidates who have attended one of the courses listed below must make arrangements with an active IPMBA Instructor to take the written and practical IPMBA tests.  You must score at least a 90% on the written test and demonstrate above-average proficiency with the on-bike skills.  You must obtain a positive recommendation from the IPMBA Instructor who tests you.  Visit Find an Instructor or contact the IPMBA office to locate an instructor in your area.  

• An Garda Siochana (Ireland)
• Aurora (CO) Police Department
• Brunswick (ME) Police Department
• Central Shenandoah (VA) Criminal Justice Training Academy
• Chicago (IL) Police Department
• Columbia County (GA) Sheriffs Office
• Concord (NH) Mountain Bike Training Class
• Denver (CO) Police Department
• Federal Law Enforcement Bicycle Training Program (FLETC)
• Halifax (NS) Regional Police
• Hampton (VA) Police Department
• International Bike Patrol Association (IBPA)
• Ithaca College (NY) Police Department
• Iowa Law Enforcement Academy
• John A. Stamler (NJ) Police Academy
• Knoxville (TN) Police Department Basic Police Tactical Bicycle Training
• LEBA Class A
• LouKa Tactical Basic Police Cyclist/Public Safety Cyclist Instructor Course
• Metropolitan (DC) Police Department
• Michigan State Police
• New South Wales Police Services (Australia)
• New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Law Enforcement Bicycle Patrol Course
• Norfolk (VA) Police Department
• Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy
• Roanoke (VA) Police Department
• Rochester (NY) Police Department
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Police Bike Patrol Course
• Sacramento Sheriffs Office (CA) Advanced Patrol Course
• Saint Paul (MN) Police Department 
• San Diego (CA) Police Department
• South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy
• Union Township (NJ) Police Department
• United States Border Patrol
• United States Capitol Police Mountain Bike Course
• University of Central Florida
• Washington DC Transit Police 
• Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission

Approved with successful completion of the 16-hour IPMBA Bridge Course:

• CAN-Bike II
• COBWEB
• IAMBU
• LEBA Class B
• LEBA Class C
• Ontario Provincial Police
• Salt Lake City (UT) Police Department

Other courses

If the course you attended does not appear on the above list, you may submit, in addition to the completed IPMBA Instructor Application and required documentation, the following items:

• a letter of interest detailing your relevant qualifications, training, and experience;
• a copy of the course outline, lesson plan, and any related handouts from your certification course;
• a copy of your course certificate or other documentation of successful completion

Your packet will be forwarded to the IPMBA Education Committee for review, and a determination will be made based upon the course content and your experience. 

If your training is approved in lieu of the IPMBA Course, you must make arrangements with an active IPMBA Instructor to take the written and practical IPMBA tests.  You must score at least a 90% on the written test and demonstrate above-average proficiency with the on-bike skills.  You must obtain a positive recommendation from the IPMBA Instructor who tests you.  Visit Find an Instructor or contact the IPMBA office to locate an instructor in your area.   

You will be notified of the status of your request within 30 days.

Instructor Course Cone Course Standards Videos for use by Instructor Candidates 

IPMBA Instructor Trainers (IT) are experienced IPMBA Instructors who have been approved to teach the IPMBA Instructor Course.  It is at the discretion of the IPMBA Board of Directors to accept IT applications at any given time.  To apply for Instructor Trainer status, an IPMBA Instructor must: 

• Currently be and have been an active IPMBA Instructor for a minimum of four consecutive years.*
• Have taught a minimum of 4,000 documented student-hours (the equivalent of teaching the 32-hour course to 125 students) in approved IPMBA courses.    
• Have taught a minimum of four approved IPMBA courses within the past four years, at least two with co-instructors and serving as lead instructor in at least two classes taught with co-instructors.
• Have been a lead or co-instructor of a class of 15 or more students.
• Have taught previously at an IPMBA annual conference (including the pre-conference and/or conference).

*An active instructor must 1) have completed the PCID or the five-day Instructor Course; 2) be a current member of IPMBA; and 3) teach a minimum of one approved course every 24 months.

Download the Instructor-Trainer Application Packet. 

In order to teach the IPMBA Bicycle Response Team Training (BRTT), you must:

• Be an active IPMBA Instructor;
• Have attended the IPMBA BRTT (since 2002) or an approved alternative; and
• Successfully complete the IPMBA BRT Instructor Development Module. 

The following courses have been approved in lieu of the IPMBA Bicycle Response Team Training as an eligibility requirement for the BRT Instructor Rating:  

• The Los Angeles (CA) Police Department BRRT Training (since 2000)
• The Portland (OR) Police Department BRRT Training (since 2003)
• The Seattle (WA) Police Department BRRT Training (since 2003)
• The Tacoma (WA) Police Department BRRT Training (since 2005)
• The Minneapolis/Saint Paul (MN) Police Department BRT (since 2007)
• The Montgomery County (PA) Police Department BRT Training (since 2009) 
• The Cypress Creek (TX) EMS BRT Training (since 2011)
• The Palm Beach County (FL) Sheriff’s Office BRT Training (since 2013)
• The Fort Worth (TX) Police Department Mountain Bike Crowd Management Course (since 2015)

In order to teach the BRTT at the Conference or at IPMBA-organized regional trainings, you must be an active IPMBA BRT Instructor who has:

• Completed the IPMBA BRTT or approved alternative;
• Completed the IPMBA BRT Instructor Development Module; and
• Participated in actual BRT operations, to include the following elements (resume or letter describing BRT experience must be submitted):
  • Large-Scale Events (e.g., active protest, demonstrations and sporting events)
  • Full Team Deployment (Strike Team or larger)
  • Multiple Squad Deployment (e.g., multiple bike team/squads, mixed team/squads, MFF/CDU and/or multi-agency team/squad deployments).

In order to teach the IPMBA BRT Instructor Development Module (only when authorized by IPMBA HQ), you must be an active IPMBA Instructor-Trainer who has: 

• Completed the IPMBA BRTT or approved alternative;
• Completed the IPMBA BRT Instructor Development Module;
• Co-taught the IPMBA BRT Instructor Development Module;
• Participated in actual BRT operations (resume or letter describing BRT experience must be submitted); and
• Completed Mobile Field Force or comparable training.