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 Mississippi
- Certifying body
- Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training (BLEOST), Dept. of Public Safety Office of Standards and Training
- Certification
- BLEOST professional certificate: full-time or part-time law enforcement officer
- Minimum age
- 21 (Miss. Admin. Code Title 31, Part 301, Ch. 2).
- Education
- High school diploma or GED. An associate degree or higher is accepted in lieu, and an ACT composite of 15 or more can replace the GED; technical certificates are not accepted (Part 301 Ch. 2).
- Citizenship
- U.S. citizen (Part 301 Ch. 2).
- Disqualifiers
- Any conviction, guilty or nolo plea, probation, pretrial diversion or fine for a felony, a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, or a crime directly related to law enforcement duties. Conduct that would greatly diminish public trust. Non-honorable military discharge. Physician-verified physical and mental fitness and a background investigation are also required (Part 301 Ch. 2; authority Miss. Code §§45-6-3, 45-6-7).
- Basic academy
- Full-time Law Enforcement Basic Training Course: 480 hours at a BLEOST-accredited academy (Part 301 Ch. 7 curriculum). Part-time officers take a separate, shorter part-time course.
- State exam
- None required
- Fitness standard
- BLEOST fitness test: push-ups, timed agility run and 1.5-mile run, age- and gender-normed. Recruits need at least 50% on each event at academy entry and 70% on each at graduation (Part 301 Ch. 8).
- Time to certify
- Complete training and obtain certification within 1 year of hire (full-time) or 2 years (part-time) (Part 301 Ch. 2; authority Miss. Code §§45-6-3, 45-6-7).
- Officers from other states
- Out-of-state, federal and military transfers with equivalent basic training take a refresher course and need First Aid/CPR, completed within 1 year of hire (full-time). Under universal license recognition, residents licensed in good standing in another state for at least 1 year are certified after passing a Mississippi jurisprudential exam (70%, within 120 days); otherwise they take the refresher course (Part 301 Ch. 9).
- Continuing training
- Municipal police officers: 24 hours per year (8 hours in years 0-2 and 16 in years 3-4 after July 1, 2004). Sheriffs: 20 hours per year. Annual handgun qualification (Part 301 Ch. 10).
There is no statewide licensing exam for academy graduates (academy exams only); a jurisprudential exam exists only for out-of-state applicants. No driver's-license rule appears in the BLEOST minimum standards. The manual does not say whether the 24-hour annual requirement covers deputy sheriffs; it names municipal officers and sheriffs. It also does not mention the Highway Patrol. The Part-Time to Full-Time Bridge Program is posted but marked 'NOT IN EFFECT - PENDING BOARD APPROVAL'. The citations are to the Board's 2023 manual.
Source: State POST commissions and legislatures, State peace officer standards: statutes, administrative rules and POST commission pages. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Pay in Mississippi, all employers Sourced
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) in Mississippi, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | MS |
|---|---|
| Workers | 8,070 |
| 10th percentile | $33,230 |
| Median | $46,140 |
| 90th percentile | $61,550 |
| 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 Mississippi
Local employees: Local police and firefighters
| Plan | Accrual | Normal retirement | Employee pays | Social Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PERS Hybrid Retirement Plan - Tier 5 Tier 5 (Hybrid Retirement Plan, House Bill 1) | 1% | any age with 30 years of creditable service | 9% | Not stated |
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 Mississippi pension plans list.
Source: State retirement systems, Official state retirement system pages, member handbooks and statutes. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Employers in Mississippi
167 police departments in Mississippi.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer — law-enforcement agencies by state (API). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Free practice tests for Mississippi
Mississippi POST Peace Officer Certification Exam (MBLEOST)Mississippi 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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Mississippi government jobs · Mississippi public pension plans · police officer standards in Mississippi · exam practice in Mississippi