Whether you are a student, someone working in another field, or an experienced officer from another state or the military, if you are interested in a career as a professional peace officer in Minnesota, the Minnesota POST Board is here to get you on the right path.
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Minnesota Statute 626.84, charges Minnesota’s licensed peace officers with the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of general criminal laws of the state, and, gives them full power of arrest. But Minnesota’s peace officers do more. They work to solve problems and respond to emergencies in our communities. They do what it takes to protect and promote the peace and safety of Minnesotans.
The Minnesota POST Board licenses nearly 11,000 profession peace officers who are employed at more than 400 law enforcement agencies in the state. These officer have received specialized education and training before being employed at state, county and local levels.
Licensed peace officers include municipal police officers, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, Minnesota State Patrol officers, enforcement officers of the Department of Natural Resources, special agents of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and officers at other law enforcement agencies. For a detailed list of all of Minnesota’s law enforcement agencies, how many officers they employ and other information go to the POST Board’s home page or Statistics Page.
The Minnesota POST Board does not license or regulate standards for federal officers like U.S. Marshals, agents of the FBI and DEA, officers of the U.S. Border Patrol or others employed by the federal government.
STANDARDS FOR BECOMING A PEACE OFFICER
Anyone interested in becoming a Minnesota peace officers must meet standards for admission to a board-certified Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) Program as well as standards for license eligibility.
Standards for Admission into a certified PPOE Program minimally include:
Passing a psychological evaluation to determine the candidate is not a danger to self or others during participation in courses that are mentally, physically and psychologically challenging,
Passing a criminal history screening to determine the candidate has not been convicted of a crime that is a bar to licensure according to the Minimum Selection Standards, MN Rules 6700.0700, Subp.1, E. or F., and
Pass a medical screening and a physical fitness test.
Schools can also have additional standards for admission. For the admission standards of a particular school contact the school’s PPOE coordinator.
Standards for Peace Officer License Eligibility and Employment
Minnesota Rules 6700.0700, sets minimum standards for peace officer license eligibility. These standards go beyond those required for enrollment into peace officer education. There are also Rules that set standards of conduct for licensed peace officers. Go to the following links for more information.
Minimum Selection Standards for Peace Officer License Eligibility [Minn Rules 6700.0700]
Standards of Conduct for Licensed Peace Officers [Minn Rules 6700.1500]
ROUTES TO PEACE OFFICER LICENSURE
ROUTE 1: FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A POSTSECONDARY DEGREE
The requirements for taking Minnesota’s Peace Officer Licensing Examination are:
· Earn a postsecondary degree from a regionally accredited college or university, and
· Successfully complete a board-approved Professional Peace Officer Education program.
Both can be accomplished at any of thirty Minnesota POST Board certified schools listed on the Professional Peace Officer Education Directory.
License eligibility is granted after completion of these requirements and passing the licensing exam. A peace officer license is issued when a license eligible candidate is hired in a peace officer position by a Minnesota law enforcement agency.
If you are interested in becoming a Minnesota peace officer but want to earn your degree from a school that is not certified by the Minnesota POST Board there are some things you need to know.
1. Minnesota requires a degree from a regionally accredited school. A degree from a nationally accredited school does not meet the requirement for a postsecondary degree. For more information about regional accreditation of postsecondary schools and to see if your school is regionally accredited click Regional Accreditation.
2. In addition to the degree you will need to complete education and training to meet the requirements for professional peace officer education (See Route 2).
ROUTE 2: FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DEGREE*
People who have earned a degree from a regionally accredited college or university do not need to complete another degree even if their degree is not related to criminal justice or law enforcement. They do, however, need to complete the professional peace officer education provided by a POST Board certified school.
Some POST certified schools have special programs especially intended to meet the needs of people who already have a degree. For more information on these special programs see Peace Officer Education Programs for Degree Holders or go to Professional Peace Officer Education Directory for the full list of certified schools.
* Note: Degrees from nationally accredited schools do not meet the degree requirement for licensure. For more information about regional accreditation of postsecondary schools and to see if your school is regionally accredited click Regional Accreditation.
ROUTE 3: FOR PEOPLE WITH PEACE OFFICER EXPERIENCE IN ANOTHER STATE AND/OR MILITARY EXPERIENCE
People who have peace officer experience in another state or the military and have been working in law enforcement within the past six years may qualify to take the Minnesota Reciprocity Licensing Examination without having to complete additional education.
Qualifications for taking the reciprocity exam are:
OR
For more information about reciprocity go to the Exams page on our website.
MINNESOTA'S PROFESSIONAL PEACE OFFICER EDUCATION (PPOE)
WHAT IS THE PROFESSIONAL PEACE OFFICER EDUCATION (PPOE) PROGRAM, WHERE IS IT OFFERED AND WHAT DOES IT INCLUDE?
The Minnesota POST Board has certified thirty colleges and universities to provide a program of professional peace officer education (PPOE). These programs are based on board-approved Learning Objectives for Professional Peace Officer Education. Successful completion of this education is one of the requirements for peace officer licensure. The goal of the PPOE program is to produce candidates for peace officer license eligibility who have the basic knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for entry into a peace officer career.
Click on the following links for:
Current PPOE Learning Objectives.
2021 Learning Objectives
A directory of all the schools that are certified to provide the professional peace officer education required for licensure.
PPOE Directory dated 1-10-25
