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 Oklahoma
- Certifying body
- Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET)
- Certification
- CLEET Full-Time Peace Officer Certification (Basic Peace Officer Certification)
- Minimum age
- Must be 21 to be employed as a peace officer or reserve (70 O.S. § 3311(E)(1)(h)); officers employed before Nov. 1, 1985 grandfathered.
- Education
- High school diploma or GED, verified by the employing agency (70 O.S. § 3311(E)(1)(d)).
- Citizenship
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or resident alien status via USCIS employment eligibility verification (70 O.S. § 3311(E)(1)(i)).
- Disqualifiers
- Conviction of a felony, crime of moral turpitude, or domestic violence (unless fully pardoned); deferred sentence for such crimes or any pending criminal charges; current CLEET revocation/suspension/surrender order; current treatment for a qualifying mental illness; failing the required psychological evaluation (bars hire/certification for at least 1 year). OSBI and FBI fingerprint searches must show no felony record.
- Basic academy
- Basic Peace Officer Certification Academy: statutory minimum 600 hours for full-time officers (subject to funding), run as a 16-week in-residence academy at CLEET's K.O. Rayburn Training Center in Ada; CLEET-approved entity academies may also be used. Reserves: 240-hour reserve academy.
- State exam
- CLEET certification (qualification) examination at the end of the basic academy; one retake within 10 business days, a second failure requires re-enrolling in a basic academy (OAC 390:15-1-13(e)).
- Fitness standard
- Entry: minimum 70% on CLEET's 'Test for Safe Participation' physical assessment before admission to the CLEET academy (70 O.S. § 3311.11). Separate entry requirement: 70% on a CLEET-approved reading/writing test (POSSE or POST) within 90 days of hire. No state exit fitness test identified.
- Time to certify
- Uncertified appointees hold the position temporarily and must qualify within 6 months of appointment or forfeit it; the Council may extend for good cause (70 O.S. § 3311(E)(4)). The same 6-month window applies to elected sheriffs and their deputies (§ 3311(E)(6)).
- Officers from other states
- Certification by reciprocity (OAC 390:10-1-6): officers certified by another state's POST, a recognized federal agency, or comparable military police must meet Oklahoma employment standards and have served full-time within the past 5 years. They must finish CLEET reciprocity training within 6 months of hire and pass the certification exam (80%, one retest); the Director may require a bridge academy instead.
- Continuing training
- 25 hours of CLEET-accredited continuing education every year for active full-time officers, including 2 hours on mental health (70 O.S. § 3311.4(A)); reserves need 8 hours a year including 1 hour on mental health.
70 O.S. § 3311(E)(6) expressly covers elected sheriffs and their deputies; the § 3311(F) bar on employing unqualified officers reaches state, county and city employers. Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers go through OHP's own academy (Troop T, Robert R. Lester Training Center). No statewide driver's-license standard appears in § 3311 or OAC 390:10-1-5, so it is left to employers. Reserve officers who have served 6 months may attend a 360-hour bridge to full-time certification (§ 3311(E)(3)).
Source: State POST commissions and legislatures, State peace officer standards: statutes, administrative rules and POST commission pages. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Pay in Oklahoma, all employers Sourced
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) in Oklahoma, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | OK |
|---|---|
| Workers | 9,660 |
| 10th percentile | $36,480 |
| Median | $59,700 |
| 90th percentile | $94,940 |
| 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 Oklahoma
Local employees: Local police and firefighters
| Plan | Accrual | Normal retirement | Employee pays | Social Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System Post-July 1, 2025 provisions | 3% | 20 years of credited service, any age | 9% | 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 Oklahoma pension plans list.
Source: State retirement systems, Official state retirement system pages, member handbooks and statutes. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Employers in Oklahoma
318 police departments in Oklahoma.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer — law-enforcement agencies by state (API). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Free practice tests for Oklahoma
Oklahoma CLEET Peace Officer Certification ExamOklahoma 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 Oklahoma
Oklahoma government jobs · Oklahoma public pension plans · police officer standards in Oklahoma · exam practice in Oklahoma