← Release notes

July 16, 2026 · All agencies

Certification Messages, Welcome Emails, Agency Directory & CA POST Updates

This release brings clearer applicant messaging around PHQ certification, updated wording in investigation finalization, a unified welcome email for every invited applicant, Agency Directory safeguards, and CA POST compliance updates for the 2-251 and 2-255 questionnaires.

These updates will be applied automatically. There is no action required on your part, though it's a good time to review your welcome email template in your agency settings.

Here's what's included:

Clearer Certification Messages for Applicants

When an applicant can't certify a PHQ because another one still needs work, they'll now see a clear message telling them exactly which PHQ and which sections need to be finished first.

This replaces the old, sometimes confusing message — and should mean fewer applicant support calls about certification issues.

Investigator Finalization – "Complete" Status Wording Update

We've updated the wording for the "Complete" option wherever it appears in the investigation finalization process. It now reads:

"Complete. The investigation has been completed."

This removes language that could be read as the investigator making a recommendation or disqualification determination. An investigator's role is to gather and report information — the hiring decision remains with the agency's decision-makers.

This update has been updated in all places the "Complete" option appears:

• When an investigator finalizes an investigation (moving it to a pending state)
• Where "Complete" is selected as the outcome in both the Triage Center and Investigation Center

Applicant Welcome/Invitation Emails

Every invited applicant now receives your agency's configured welcome email — whether they're new to Guardian or already have an applicant account.

What changed

Previously, Guardian sent two different welcome emails: your agency-editable version for new applicants, and a separate system version for applicants whose email address already matched an existing Guardian account. That meant returning applicants may not have seen the custom instructions your agency configured.

Now there is one welcome email template. Any instructions you've configured are delivered to every invited applicant, every time.

What's still automatic

One small section of the email remains system-controlled and adjusts based on the applicant's account status:

• New applicants are instructed to set up their Guardian account
• Returning applicants are instructed to sign in to their existing account

That's the only part that varies. Everything else in the email — including all of your agency's custom instructions — is identical for every applicant.

What you should do

Nothing is required, but it's a good time to review your welcome email template in your agency settings, knowing it now reaches all applicants — including returning ones who previously received the generic version.

Agency Directory Improvements

New Warning When Editing Agency Records

The Agency Directory is a shared, national database — when any user edits an agency record (such as Contact for Record Checks), that change applies everywhere, for every Guardian agency user and investigation that references it. Previously, nothing in the interface communicated this, so a user could reasonably assume their edit only affected their own agency's view.

We've added a clear warning experience to prevent accidental global changes:

• Before editing: When the user clicks to edit an agency's contact information, a new information step appears before describing the national impact and affected user count, and requires the user to check an acknowledgment box before the "Confirm & Save" button becomes active.
• While editing: A persistent notice appears at the top of the edit form for as long as it's open, explaining that the record is shared nationally.
• After saving: Every confirmed edit is written to the Activity Log with who made the change, when, and which fields were changed.

Note: Guardian customer agencies continue to maintain their own contact records for their agency.

CA POST Compliance Updates

CA POST 2-251 Sworn Officer PHQ – Compliance Update

The CA POST 2-251 PHQ required final wording and instruction updates to match the official standard. The form includes revised family, education, residence, and housemate instructions, along with clearer question titles and additional address fields where required.

Scope: Changes apply only to the CA POST 2-251 (Sworn Officer) version unless noted otherwise.

Section 2: Relatives and References

• Section instructions updated to: "Provide all applicable information below regarding your immediate family. This includes your parents, spouse, children, brothers or sisters, and your spouse's parents. Mark 'Deceased' if appropriate."
• Q1 (Current Spouse/Registered Domestic Partner) — renamed to "Spouse / Registered Domestic Partner"; all instructional text removed.
• Q2 (Former Spouse/Registered Domestic Partner) — renamed to "Former Spouse / Former Registered Domestic Partner"; all instructional text removed.
• Q3 (Parents/Guardians/In-laws) — instructions updated to: "List ALL parents/guardians/in-laws living or deceased, including biological, adoptive, foster, step-parents, etc."
• Q4 (Siblings) — renamed to "Brothers / Sisters."

Section 3: Education

• Q4 (Basic Course/Public Safety Academy) — instructions updated to: "List ALL POST basic courses attended."

Section 4: Residence History

• Section instructions updated to: "List ALL residences during the last 10 years or since age 15. Provide complete addresses (include markers such as Street, Drive, Road, East, West, etc., and unit/apt/dormitory). Do NOT use PO Boxes. If the residence is a military base, identify name of base in address, nearest city, state, and zip code. Do NOT list military barracks mates unless you shared individual quarters."
• Q1 (Current Residence) — renamed to "Address where you now live." Housemate instructions updated to: "Provide contact information for all housemates with whom you have resided with at this address during the past 10 years or since age 15. Do NOT list anyone for whom you have already provided contact information." New fields to be added per housemate entry: current address (if different), standard address fields.

Also on 2-251: The Legal section Petty theft and Grand theft wording updates described under the 2-255 PHQ below also apply to the CA POST 2-251 version.

CA POST 2-255 Dispatcher PHQ – Compliance Update

Version: CA POST PHS 2-255 | Dispatcher (1/2024)

The CA POST 2-255 Dispatcher PHQ contained questions, instructions, and wording that differed from the official form. The questionnaire has been updated to align with CA POST requirements, including revised instructions and question text, removal of non-applicable questions, and added details for areas such as residence history and housemate information.

Section 1: Personal

• Q13 (Social Media Accounts) — removed entirely.

Section 2: Relatives and References

• Section instructions updated to: "Provide all applicable information below regarding your immediate family. This includes your parents, spouse, children, brothers or sisters, and your spouse's parents. Mark 'Deceased' if appropriate."
• Q1 (Current Spouse/Registered Domestic Partner) — renamed to "Spouse / Registered Domestic Partner"; all instructional text removed.
• Q2 (Former Spouse/Registered Domestic Partner) — renamed to "Former Spouse / Former Registered Domestic Partner"; all instructional text removed.
• Q3 (Established Dating Relationships) — removed entirely.
• Q4 (Parents/Guardians/In-laws) — instructions updated to: "List ALL parents/guardians/in-laws living or deceased, including biological, adoptive, foster, step-parents, etc."
• Q5 (Siblings) — renamed to "Brothers / Sisters."

Section 3: Education

• Q1 (High School Education Certification Type) — renamed to "High School Education." Answer options reworded (meaning unchanged): "High School Diploma," "High School Equivalency Certificate," "California High School Proficiency Certificate."
• Q6.3 (Campus Police/College Public Safety contact) — removed entirely.

Section 4: Residence History

• Section instructions updated to: "List ALL residences during the last 10 years or since age 15. Provide complete addresses (include markers such as Street, Drive, Road, East, West, etc., and unit/apt/dormitory). Do NOT use PO Boxes. If the residence is a military base, identify name of base in address, nearest city, state, and zip code. Do NOT list military barracks mates unless you shared individual quarters."
• Q1 (Current Residence) — renamed to "Address where you now live." Housemate instructions updated to: "Provide contact information for all housemates with whom you have resided with at this address during the past 10 years or since age 15. Do NOT list anyone for whom you have already provided contact information." New fields to be added per housemate entry: current address (if different), standard address fields.

Section 5: Experience and Employment

• "Performance" info box (after Q4) — removed entirely.
• Q8 (Public Safety Agencies) — renamed to "Law Enforcement Agencies." Instructions updated to: "List EVERY agency you have applied to, starting with the most recent. All agencies MUST be listed regardless of the outcome or current status. If you have applied more than once to the same agency, list each occurrence separately. Give complete and accurate addresses. Check all boxes that apply for each agency." Question reworded to: "Have you ever applied for any position at this or any other law enforcement agency (city, county, state, or federal)?"

Section 6: Military Experience

• Q2 — reworded to: "Have you ever served in the military?"
• Q5 (Refused entrance into U.S. military) — removed entirely.

Section 8: Legal (renamed to "Disclosures of Arrests and Convictions")

• Instructions unchanged.
• Q1.1 — reworded to: "Have you ever been convicted of (and, for criminal justice agency applicants, detained by law enforcement for investigation, arrested, indicted, or charged with) any misdemeanor or felony offense in this state or any other legal jurisdiction (including offenses in the Uniform Code of Military Justice)?"
• Q2.9 (Petty theft) — reworded to: "Petty theft (value up to $950, including shoplifting/switching price tags)."
• Q2.20 (Alcohol possession as a minor) — reworded to: "Possession of alcohol as a minor (under the age of 21)."
• Q2.28 (On-duty sexual contact/touching) — removed entirely.
• Q2.29 (On-duty non-consensual nude/sexual photo sharing) — removed entirely.
• Q3.12 (Grand theft) — reworded to: "Grand theft (value of over $950, automobile, any firearm)."
• Q3.12.1 (Theft of a firearm) — removed entirely.
• Q3.21 (Stalking) — reworded to: "Stalking."
• Q3.26.1 (Hate group membership/activity) — removed entirely.
• Q3.31 (Discriminatory postings/advocacy) — removed entirely.
• Q3.32 (Exhibited bias) — removed entirely.
• Q4.2 (Recreational drug use) — split into two separate Yes/No questions:
  1. "Prior to the past six months: Have you never used any drug recreationally? (You may answer 'Yes' if the only drug you have used recreationally was cannabis.)"
  2. "Excluding any use of cannabis, have you tried or used one or more drugs, but only under limited circumstances (for example, experimentation, at parties, concerts, special events, etc.)?"
• Q5–5.13 (Government Code §1029(a) Disqualifiers, all sub-questions) — removed entirely.

Section 9: Motor Vehicle Information

• Q6 (Motor vehicle accident, past 7 years) — removed entirely.

Section 10: Misc

• Q1–Q5 — removed entirely. Remaining question (formerly Q6) becomes the section's sole question, renumbered Q1.

CA POST Dispatcher Narrative Template

Releasing next week. Guardian is adding a new template specifically for the CA POST Dispatcher narrative summary. More info to come next week.

Thanks for reading — and thanks, as always, for partnering with us.

Questions? Reach our support team at support@guardianalliancetechnologies.com