Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; State POST commissions and legislatures, State peace officer standards: statutes, administrative rules and POST commission pages. Data captured September 30, 2026.
How to become a police officer in Colorado
- Certifying body
- Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board, Colorado Department of Law (Attorney General)
- Certification
- POST Basic Peace Officer Certification. Also available: Provisional certification (out-of-state transfer) and Reserve certification.
- Minimum age
- Neither POST Rule 10 nor the POST certification pages set a minimum age. POST says hiring agencies set it (usually 21).
- Education
- High school diploma, high school equivalency certificate, or other evidence of completing high school, incl. official college transcripts/degree. Current first aid and CPR certification is also required (4 CCR 901-1 Rule 10(a)(I)-(II); C.R.S. §24-31-305(1)). Foreign credentials need a NACES/AICE evaluation.
- Citizenship
- No state citizenship requirement. Applicants must be able to lawfully possess a firearm under federal and state law to finish firearms training (C.R.S. §24-31-305(1)(a)(II); Rule 10(a)(V)(B)). Non-citizens can be certified, but hiring agencies require legal U.S. work authorization (e.g. DACA, refugee, asylee).
- Driver's license
- Current driver's license or state-issued ID card (Rule 10(a)(V)(D)). A driver's license is not strictly required by POST.
- Disqualifiers
- Any adult felony conviction, including deferred judgments, deferred prosecution and diversion (no variance); sealed records are considered. Listed misdemeanors committed on or after 7/1/2001 (e.g. 3rd-degree assault, sexual offenses, prostitution, obstruction, resisting, false reporting, perjury 2nd, harassment, bias-motivated crimes, controlled-substance offenses); a Rule 8 variance is possible. Dishonorable military discharge (C.R.S. §24-31-301(5)). Decertification grounds also include: untruthfulness findings (§24-31-305(2.5)); unlawful force or failure to intervene (§24-31-904); intentional body/dash-cam non-activation; ketamine direction (§18-8-805); Rule 28 training noncompliance. Federal domestic-violence firearm bars apply.
- Basic academy
- POST-approved Basic Academic Training Program, effective 7/1/2026, minimum 554 hours: academic 376, arrest control 62, driving 44, firearms 72. The 7/2025 program was 558 hours, and some POST pages still cite 556. There are no online academies. A 92-hour Refresher academy is available for renewal and provisional applicants.
- State exam
- POST written certification examination, up to 3 attempts within 2 years of academy graduation, plus academy skills testing in arrest control, law enforcement driving and firearms (Rules 10, 15, 16).
- Time to certify
- Basic certification is required before appointment, except for provisional holders. Academy and exam results are valid 2 years (Rule 10(a)(V)(F)). Training under C.R.S. §24-31-315 (anti-bias, community policing, de-escalation, holds/restraints, disability interactions, MMIR) is due within 6 months of appointment. Sheriffs must be certified within 1 year of taking office (C.R.S. §30-10-501.6).
- Officers from other states
- Provisional certification (Rule 11; C.R.S. §24-31-308) requires full certification by another state or federal jurisdiction with substantially equivalent standards, obtained within the preceding 3 years, and more than 1 year of service. The applicant then passes the POST written exam and skills proficiency within 6 months, through skills at a basic academy, the Refresher academy, or a one-day test-out. The provisional letter allows up to 6 months of work (one 6-month extension possible). A federal/military-police reciprocity pilot runs 7/9/2025-12/31/2026. Applicants who don't qualify must complete a full basic academy; there is no challenge route.
- Continuing training
- 24 hours of in-service training each calendar year, including at least 12 hours of perishable skills (arrest control, driving, firearms, at least 1 hour each) (Rule 28; C.R.S. §24-31-303(1)(r)). Mandated C.R.S. §24-31-315 topics recur on a 5-year cycle. Noncompliance leads to suspension.
POST certification is required for Colorado peace officers under C.R.S. Title 16, Art. 2.5. Covered officers include police officers, deputies, town marshals and Colorado State Patrol troopers; the CSP Basic Training Academy is a POST-approved basic academy. Sheriffs must obtain basic certification within 1 year of taking office (C.R.S. §30-10-501.6, quoted in the POST Manual). A physical exam and psychological evaluation within 1 year before appointment are required by Rule 29 / C.R.S. §24-31-303(5), with agency-set standards. There is no state-mandated physical fitness test; the academy includes wellness instruction only. Certification lapses after 3 years without peace officer service.
Source: State POST commissions and legislatures, State peace officer standards: statutes, administrative rules and POST commission pages. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Pay in Colorado, all employers Sourced
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) in Colorado, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | CO |
|---|---|
| Workers | 9,610 |
| 10th percentile | $65,340 |
| Median | $97,350 |
| 90th percentile | $109,300 |
| National median, government employers | $76,300 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Pension in Colorado
Local employees: Local police and firefighters
| Plan | Accrual | Normal retirement | Employee pays | Social Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPPA Statewide Retirement Plan - Defined Benefit Component Statewide Retirement Plan (current provisions) | — | age 55 with 25 years of service | 12% | Varies |
The statewide plan a new hire usually joins. Some cities and counties run their own plans; check with the employer. Each plan's formula, vesting, cost-of-living adjustment and retiree health are on the Colorado pension plans list.
Source: State retirement systems, Official state retirement system pages, member handbooks and statutes. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Employers in Colorado
158 police departments in Colorado.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer — law-enforcement agencies by state (API). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Free practice tests for Colorado
Colorado POST Peace Officer Certification ExamColorado exam · free on Open Exam Prep- IPMA-HR / PSHRA Entry-Level Police Officer Test (PO-EL)Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
- Law Enforcement Aptitude Battery (LEAB)Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
- National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory (NCJOSI-3)Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
- National Police Officer Selection Test (POST)Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
- NTN FrontLine National - Law Enforcement ExamPractice for a named exam · free on Open Exam Prep
- Police Aptitude and Character Test (PACT)Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
Source: Open Exam Prep, Open Exam Prep free practice tests. Data captured October 1, 2026. Each link was opened and its exam title checked on the date shown.
More about this job
Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Police Officer page.
Police Officer in other states
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Colorado government jobs · Colorado public pension plans · police officer standards in Colorado · exam practice in Colorado