About Charleston
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), located in Charleston, South Carolina, is situated on the site of the former Charleston Naval Base. It is one of three FLETC residential training sites in the United States. The Charleston facility officially entered the FLETC inventory through legislation in Fiscal Year (FY) 2003, when the FLETC was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. Current operations began on October 1, 2004.
In December 2004, the U.S. Coast Guard officially consolidated its Boarding Officer and Boarding Team Member Schools by commissioning the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy at the FLETC-Charleston. The U.S. Courts, Federal Probation and Pretrial Academy was established at the FLETC-Charleston in January 2005. In FY 2007, Customs and Border Protection and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement stood up satellite academies. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service also began training at the facility in FY 2007, and the Food and Drug Administration came to Charleston in FY 2012. In January 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services established its academy training center, and in FY 2019, the Transportation Security Administration became the latest training partner to establish an academy at the Charleston site.
The Charleston facility consists of a total of over 200 acres. Additionally, FLETC-Charleston has a use agreement with the U.S. Air Force for outdoor firearms training ranges located on the Joint Base Charleston-Weapons Station in Goose Creek, South Carolina.
The Complex is located on the Cooper River with easy access to the Charleston Harbor and multiple port terminals nearby, which makes it an ideal location for maritime training. Among the site’s maritime training facilities are a 494-foot break bulk freighter that serves as an in-water training platform, an aquatic center, 13 stand-alone boat boarding platforms, and a covered, open-sided structure that holds six trailered vessels, a self-propelled semi-submersible and a yola fishing vessel. The main campus also includes a classroom complex, physical training facilities, non-lethal training areas, an indoor firing range, and a Student Center which includes an express store, barber shop, movie theater, Internet café, and a deli/coffee shop.
Continued construction and renovation of buildings, dormitories, and platforms to accommodate a wide array of Partner Organization training requirements remain a high priority.
Local Map (Directions and Local Area)
Student Handbook Quick Links (PDF)
| Student Housing | Transportation |
| Standards of Conduct | Health and Well-Being |
| Telephone Use Information | Graduation |
| Weapons |
