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 New Jersey
- Certifying body
- New Jersey Police Training Commission (PTC)
- Certification
- Law Enforcement Officer License (PTC): a one-year probationary license after the Basic Course for Police Officers (BCPO), then a 3-year permanent license
- Minimum age
- Municipal police appointees must be 21-35 (N.J.S.A. 40A:14-127; prior service can offset the maximum under 40A:14-127.1). The PTC licensing floor for all law enforcement officers is 18 (N.J.S.A. 52:17B-71b(a)(1); N.J.A.C. 13:1-10.2).
- Education
- High school graduate or GED (N.J.S.A. 52:17B-71b(a)(3); N.J.A.C. 13:1-10.2(a)3). Municipal police must also read, write, and speak English well (40A:14-122(3)).
- Citizenship
- U.S. citizen (N.J.S.A. 40A:14-122(1) for municipal police; 52:17B-71b(a)(2) where the position requires it).
- Driver's license
- Driver's license valid in New Jersey (N.J.S.A. 52:17B-71b(a)(10); N.J.A.C. 13:1-10.2(a)4).
- Disqualifiers
- Mandatory license denial for any crime (indictable offense) in any jurisdiction, an act of domestic violence, or an offense barring firearm possession. Waivable bars: disorderly-persons offenses involving dishonesty, or 2+ DWI or reckless-driving convictions. Also disqualifying: dishonorable discharge, a DV restraining order or ERPO, hate/extremist group activity, or listing on the National Decertification Index (52:17B-71b; 40A:14-122(4) moral turpitude).
- Basic academy
- Basic Course for Police Officers (BCPO) at PTC-approved academies, mostly county police academies; the curriculum is set by performance objectives (revised April 2022). The NJ State Police trains troopers at its own academy and is exempt from the PTC basic-course requirement (52:17B-68(a)).
- State exam
- None required
- Fitness standard
- PTC pre-academy physical fitness test before each course: 15-inch vertical jump, 28 sit-ups in 1 minute, 300 m in 70.1 s or less, 24 push-ups in 1 minute, and 1.5 miles in 15:55 or less, all in one 8-hour period. Applicants must be found physically fit to be licensed (N.J.A.C. 13:1-10.7).
- Time to certify
- A probationary or temporary appointment may last at most 1 year to complete the basic course, with extensions capped at 6 months. Appointees can't perform full duties until they finish the course, which earns a 1-year probationary license; they then apply for the permanent license (N.J.S.A. 52:17B-69; N.J.A.C. 13:1-10.1).
- Officers from other states
- PTC may waive all or part of the BCPO for substantially equivalent federal or out-of-state training, reviewed case by case on agency request (form PTC-15) (N.J.S.A. 52:17B-68(a); N.J.A.C. 13:1-8.4). Waivers require no more than 3 years since voluntary separation (5 years after an economy layoff). Out-of-state officers must still meet every license requirement and sign an internal-affairs records waiver (52:17B-71b(e)).
- Continuing training
- Annual mandatory continuing education from a list PTC issues each December, with no fixed hour total, as a condition of the 3-year license renewal (N.J.A.C. 13:1-13.1; 52:17B-71b(d)). The 2025 list included twice-yearly firearms qualification, use-of-force, pursuit, and DV policy training, case-law updates, and defensive tactics.
Since Jan. 1, 2024 every sworn officer, including State Police, sheriff's officers, and county investigators, must hold a PTC license under P.L.2022, c.65. Age differs by role: the 21-35 limit in 40A:14-127 applies to municipal police, while the PTC licensing floor is 18 and other titles follow their own statutes. There's no separate state licensing exam; the academy director affirms the trainee met the BCPO performance objectives with at least 90% attendance (N.J.A.C. 13:1-5.1).
Source: State POST commissions and legislatures, State peace officer standards: statutes, administrative rules and POST commission pages. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Pay in New Jersey, all employers Sourced
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) in New Jersey, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | NJ |
|---|---|
| Workers | 21,780 |
| 10th percentile | $57,740 |
| Median | $92,610 |
| 90th percentile | $134,260 |
| 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 New Jersey
Local employees: Local police and firefighters
| Plan | Accrual | Normal retirement | Employee pays | Social Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) - Tier 3 Membership Tier 3 | 2% | age 55 or older (mandatory retirement at 65) | 10% | 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 New Jersey pension plans list.
Source: State retirement systems, Official state retirement system pages, member handbooks and statutes. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Employers in New Jersey
488 police departments in New Jersey.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer — law-enforcement agencies by state (API). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Free practice tests for New Jersey
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 New Jersey
New Jersey government jobs · New Jersey public pension plans · police officer standards in New Jersey · exam practice in New Jersey