Constitutional Charter

The Charter of the National Sheriffs’ Association, granted by the state of Ohio under its non-profit  corporation laws, provides that the objectives of the Association shall and are hereby declared to be:

To encourage and promote fair and efficient administration of criminal justice throughout the United States.

To encourage protection of the jurisdiction of the sheriff as a constitutional/statutory officer, and to support sheriffs throughout the United States in their efforts to discharge their law enforcement, corrections, and judicial responsibilities in a fair, efficient, and professional manner.

To cooperate with criminal justice agencies and other public and private organizations dedicated to the  reduction of crime and improvement of law enforcement.

To encourage and to assist local state associations of sheriffs and other law enforcement officers. 

To develop and encourage the practice of high standards of personal and professional conduct among  sheriffs and other law enforcement officers.

To conduct such research, study, and investigation as may be necessary and advisable to develop information, knowledge, and data that would be useful in improving the administration of criminal justice.

To promote the law enforcement profession by providing appropriate educational courses in cooperation  with institutions of higher learning or otherwise. 

To encourage, plan, and implement programs designed to foster respect for the law by juveniles and to  combat delinquency and unlawful behavior by youths.

To develop and support crime prevention projects at national, state, and local levels.

To acquire, preserve, and disseminate valuable information related to the Office of Sheriff and the administration of criminal justice.

To conduct competitions and make awards for outstanding services to law enforcement.

To sponsor group insurance and other programs, which will provide protection of members of the Association and the governmental agencies, they represent.

To exercise all general powers conferred upon a non-profit corporation by the laws of the State of Ohio  and the Commonwealth of Virginia, where the Association has its principal office, except as prohibited or  forbidden by the Constitution and Bylaws of the National Sheriffs’ Association.

This charter may be amended as authorized by the laws of the State of Ohio and Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Click here to download a copy of our Constitutional Charter.

Click here to download a copy of our Constitutional Charter and Bylaws (amended June 2020).