(a) No person required to comply with the certification provisions of this chapter shall be employed or appointed by any law enforcement unit without certification from the council that the applicant has met the preemployment requirements established in this chapter, and no candidate shall perform any of the duties of a peace officer involving the power of arrest until such training shall have been successfully completed.

(b) Peace officers commencing any employment or service on any terms with the Department of Public Safety, counties, municipalities, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Revenue, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Unit, the Secretary of State's investigative section, or a railroad after July 1, 1975, are required to comply with the certification provisions of this chapter. Peace officers commencing such employment or service prior to July 1, 1975, and whose employment continues on July 1, 1975, are exempt and excused from compliance with the certification provisions of this chapter except as provided in this Code section so long as the registration provided for in subsections (d) and (e) of this Code section remains in effect. Any peace officer otherwise exempt from the certification provisions of this chapter must meet the qualifications and requirements specified in paragraphs (2), (4), (5), and (8) of subsection (a) of Code Section 35-8-8.

(c) If, after July 1, 1975, any other employment or service is conditioned on compliance with this chapter, persons so employed or serving shall be required to comply with the certification provisions established in this chapter, except that persons so employed or serving whose employment or service commenced prior to and continues upon the effective date of the peace officer's law enforcement unit becoming subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be exempt and excused from compliance so long as registration provided for in subsections (d) and (e) of this Code section remains in effect. Notwithstanding this subsection, the effective date of requirements for certification or registration shall be determined by the council based upon identification of the applicability of this chapter to particular peace officers. Nothing in this subsection shall be deemed to grant an exemption to persons required to be certified by subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section.

(d) Peace officers exempt from the certification provisions of this chapter are required to register with the council. The registration shall remain in effect for the period of time said person is employed as a peace officer.

(e) Any registration granted in this Code section shall not terminate upon a subsequent employment or appointment as a peace officer, provided that subsequent employment or appointment as a peace officer is recognized by the council to be substantially the same or similar to the employment or appointment by virtue of which said peace officer was exempted and registered as such; provided, further, that such subsequent employment or appointment is commenced within 12 months of such prior termination as a peace officer.

(f) Except as otherwise provided by subsection (b) of this Code section, nothing in this subsection or in subsection (d) shall be deemed to require any exempt peace officer to comply with Code Sections 35-8-8 and 35-8-9 for the period of time the registration shall remain in effect.

(g) A peace officer excused from mandatory compliance with this chapter by this Code section may choose to be certified under this chapter. If so, the council shall have the authority to recognize instruction received by such a peace officer as equivalent to all or part of the instruction required for certification under this chapter.

(h) Any person who was serving as a sheriff on July 1, 1970, and who subsequently becomes a peace officer shall not be required to comply with this chapter.

(i) A retired peace officer may be voluntarily registered by the council as an exempt peace officer without meeting the qualifications and requirements specified in paragraphs (2), (4), (5), and (8) of subsection (a) of Code Section 35-8-8. Such registration of a retired peace officer shall not terminate, as provided for in subsection (e) of this Code section. Nothing in this subsection shall be deemed to grant an exemption to persons required to be certified or registered by this chapter.