Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.
How to become a police officer in Minnesota
- Certification
- Minnesota peace officer license (3-year renewal cycle)
- Minimum age
- None. POST: 'there is no minimum age requirement in the minimum selection standards'. Candidates have reached license eligibility at 19, and agencies may set their own (PPOE Coordinator's Manual, Aug. 2025).
- Education
- Postsecondary degree (associate or higher) from a regionally accredited institution, plus a POST-certified Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) program (Minn. R. 6700.0500 subp. 3).
- Citizenship
- U.S. citizen, or eligible to work in the U.S. under federal requirements (Minn. R. 6700.0700 subp. 1A, eff. July 26, 2023).
- Driver's license
- Valid Minnesota driver's license, or a valid license from the applicant's state of residence (6700.0700 subp. 1B).
- Disqualifiers
- Any felony. Listed non-felony offenses, including 5th-degree assault (gross misdemeanor), bias crimes, domestic assault, order-for-protection or no-contact violations, harassment and stalking, criminal sexual conduct, theft (except misdemeanor theft of $500 or less), non-marijuana controlled-substance offenses, and misconduct of a public officer. Also: predatory-offender registration, NDI listing or prior revocation, discriminatory conduct, hate/extremist group or gang conduct (6700.0700 subp. 1D-G). Background, medical and psychological screening required.
- Basic academy
- No clock-hour academy. Applicants complete a degree plus PPOE (academic and skills components, board learning objectives) at one of about 30 POST-certified colleges (6700.0300). Some agencies run cadet programs for degree holders.
- State exam
- POST Peace Officer Licensing Examination (6700.0500, 6700.0600). Passing gives 3 years of license eligibility, renewable by re-examination.
- Time to certify
- A license is issued when a license-eligible candidate is hired; the agency must notify POST before the first day (6700.0800). Exam eligibility lasts 3 years. Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) training must be done before hire or within 6 months of employment (6700.0700 subp. 1K).
- Officers from other states
- Reciprocity licensing exam (6700.0501). Eligibility: a degree plus 3 years of law enforcement work after basic training, or 5 years without a degree. Applicants must have served within the past 6 years and never had a license revoked. Eligibility lasts 1 year. Minimum selection standards must also be met.
- Continuing training
- 48 hours of board-approved continuing education per 3-year license renewal period (Minn. R. 6700.1000 subp. 3), plus statutory mandated topics.
No statewide physical fitness test; PPOE skills schools set their own fitness standards (PPOE manual). The part-time peace officer license is closed to new holders: those licenses lapse once the officer leaves an agency that employed them on or before June 30, 2014. Officers licensed before June 1, 2023 are exempt from some newer selection standards for earlier conduct (6700.0700 subp. 1a-1b). The State Patrol trains license-eligible candidates in its own academy.
Source: State POST commissions and legislatures, State peace officer standards: statutes, administrative rules and POST commission pages. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Pay in Minnesota, all employers Sourced
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) in Minnesota, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | MN |
|---|---|
| Workers | 9,160 |
| 10th percentile | $60,670 |
| Median | $83,360 |
| 90th percentile | $106,160 |
| 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 Minnesota
Local employees: Local police and firefighters
| Plan | Accrual | Normal retirement | Employee pays | Social Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PERA Police & Fire Plan Police & Fire Plan | 3% | age 55 (full retirement age) | 11.8% | Not covered |
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 Minnesota pension plans list.
Source: State retirement systems, Official state retirement system pages, member handbooks and statutes. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Employers in Minnesota
281 police departments in Minnesota.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer — law-enforcement agencies by state (API). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Free practice tests for Minnesota
Minnesota POST Peace Officer Licensing ExamMinnesota 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
More government jobs in Minnesota
Minnesota government jobs · Minnesota public pension plans · police officer standards in Minnesota · exam practice in Minnesota