Becoming a Minnesota Peace Officer

Nearly 10,000 peace officers serve the 5.5 million people who live in Minnesota.  Standards for police officers are set by the Minnesota Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board.

Here are the steps you can take to become a police officer in Minnesota.

1. Complete pre-service education and training.  You can obtain a two or four-year degree or certificate.
   
2. Apply for and pass the Peace Officer Licensing Exam.
3. Meet the Peace Officer Standards Training (POST) standards and be appointed by a law enforcement agency.

At the completion of those steps, you apply for and receive a peace officer license.

Here do I find the available peace office educational programs in Minnesota?

State of Minnesota directory of POST Board Certified Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) programs.

What is the POST Board (Peace Officer Standards Training)?

POST is a regulatory agency responsible for licensing over 10,500 active peace officers and 109 active part-time peace officers.  The board has the legislative authority to adopt administrative rules that have the force and effect of law, rules that enable the board to establish policies and standards to which all licensees must adhere.