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 Illinois
- Certification
- Law Enforcement Officer Certification (ILETSB). Earned by finishing the Minimum Standards Basic Law Enforcement Training Course and passing the State Comprehensive Certification Examination, or through a reciprocity/equivalency waiver.
- Minimum age
- ILETSB's rules set no age. 65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6 (municipalities with fire and police boards): applicants must be under 35 (veterans may exceed this by up to 10 years); a 20-year-old with 2 years of law-enforcement college may be appointed but has no arrest or firearm powers until 21. ISP (20 ILCS 2610/9): 21, or 20 with an associate degree or 60 credit hours, with no arrest or firearm powers until 21. County merit commissions and home-rule units set their own rules.
- Education
- No statewide minimum in the Police Training Act or ILETSB rules; hiring agencies set it. ISP requires an associate degree or 60 credit hours with a C average, or a qualifying military or 3-year peace-officer exemption (20 ILCS 2610/9).
- Citizenship
- No ILETSB citizenship rule. Municipal police (65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6): U.S. citizens, or non-citizens legally authorized to work in the U.S. or with DACA deferred action who may lawfully possess firearms. ISP troopers must be U.S. citizens (20 ILCS 2610/9).
- Disqualifiers
- Academy entry and certification are barred by: any felony; certain listed misdemeanors (e.g., sex offenses, domestic battery/battery-related offenses, theft, deceptive practices, forgery, Cannabis Control Act §5/5.2, Part E of Title III offenses); and any crime of moral turpitude. Supervision and conditional discharge count as convictions (50 ILCS 705/6(e), 6.1; 20 Ill. Adm. Code 1720.35). The applicant must also be of good character. Separate discretionary decertification rules apply (705/6.3).
- Basic academy
- Basic Law Enforcement Academy, 640 hours (about 16 weeks), at ILETSB-certified academies such as PTI, ISP and Chicago. Curriculum minimums are in 50 ILCS 705/7. The Board sets hours under 20 Ill. Adm. Code 1720.10. Trainees need an overall 70% average on academy written exams (1720.20(d)).
- State exam
- State Comprehensive Certification Examination: passing score 66% since December 15, 2022; 3.5 hours; up to 2 retakes per appointment (20 Ill. Adm. Code 1720.20(h), 1720.25). Reciprocity applicants take the Equivalency Examination: 200 questions, 66%, 3 attempts per career (1720.15).
- Fitness standard
- POWER test (Peace Officer Wellness Evaluation Report) at academy entry: sit-and-reach, 1-minute sit-ups, bench press, and 1.5-mile run. Standards are by age and sex (20 Ill. Adm. Code 1720.30(g)-(j), Appendix A). One retest of a failed event is allowed within 48 to 72 hours, and the test is repeated in the final academy week.
- Time to certify
- Within 6 months of initial full-time employment. The Board may extend this by up to 90 days for good cause; otherwise the officer forfeits the position (50 ILCS 705/8.1(a); 20 Ill. Adm. Code 1720.20(f)). Uncertified individuals may not function as officers.
- Officers from other states
- Only agencies can request a reciprocity waiver (705/8.1(a)). The candidate needs a POST-certified academy, 1 or more years of full-time service in the state where trained, and no break in service over 6 months. 1 to 2 years of service: a 120-hour Transition Academy plus the reciprocity requirements. 2 or more years: a 118-hour online Law for Police course, 4-hour mandatory firearms training, and the 200-question Equivalency Exam (3 attempts). Under 1 year: the Illinois academy. All of this must be done within 6 months of hire. A military police reciprocity path was added in 2025.
- Continuing training
- 3-year mandatory in-service cycle (50 ILCS 705/10.6). It must include at least 12 hours of hands-on scenario training, at least 6 hours on use of force and de-escalation, at least 6 hours on high-risk traffic stops, and training on Fourth Amendment law and officer safety. Other mandated topics have no fixed hours (civil rights, procedural justice, cultural competency, trauma-informed response, etc.). The Board checks compliance every 3 years (705/8.4); certification goes inactive for officers out of compliance.
Since the SAFE-T Act (P.A. 101-652, effective for this section July 1, 2022), every law enforcement officer must hold active ILETSB certification. Elected sheriffs are exempt (705/8.1(a),(c)); they must do 20 hours of training a year (1720.70). Deputy sheriffs are covered. State troopers follow different rules. ISP is excluded from the Act's definition of 'law enforcement agency'. The ISP Merit Board certifies and terminates ISP officers under 20 ILCS 2610/8, 9, 11.5 and 12.6, with its own qualifications (age 21, or 20 with college; U.S. citizen; associate degree or 60 credits or a waiver; valid driver's license; no felony). Part-time officers get a separate part-time certificate (705/8.2). Officers in service on July 1, 2022 who never earned a certificate could get a transitional certificate (1720.90). Unlike most states, Illinois has no statewide age, education or citizenship minimum in its POST law. Those come from municipal, county and ISP hiring statutes, and since January 1, 2024 municipalities may hire work-authorized non-citizens. ILETSB sets no driver's-license rule; ISP requires one. ILETSB announces the basic course as 640 hours; the rule says only that the Board sets the hours.
Source: State POST commissions and legislatures, State peace officer standards: statutes, administrative rules and POST commission pages. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Pay in Illinois, all employers Sourced
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) in Illinois, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | IL |
|---|---|
| Workers | 29,180 |
| 10th percentile | $58,420 |
| Median | $100,520 |
| 90th percentile | $119,560 |
| 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 Illinois
Local employees: the general plan
| Plan | Accrual | Normal retirement | Employee pays | Social Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund - Tier 2 Regular Plan Tier 2 Regular | — | age 67 with 10 years of service | 4.5% | Varies |
The statewide plan a new hire usually joins; where a general plan is shown, some police and fire employers run their own safety plans. 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 Illinois pension plans list.
Source: State retirement systems, Official state retirement system pages, member handbooks and statutes. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Employers in Illinois
722 police departments in Illinois.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer — law-enforcement agencies by state (API). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Free practice tests for Illinois
Illinois Police Officer Written Exam (NCJOSI II)Illinois exam · free on Open Exam Prep- Illinois POST Peace Officer Certification ExamIllinois 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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Illinois government jobs · Illinois public pension plans · police officer standards in Illinois · exam practice in Illinois