How to Become a Police Officer in Colorado

Who can apply

• You must be at least 21 to receive POST certification. HB 26-1312, signed June 3, 2026 and effective August 12, 2026, put this age rule into state law.
• U.S. citizenship is not required, but you must be able to lawfully possess a firearm under federal and Colorado law to complete the firearms training. To be hired, you need legal work authorization.
• You need a GED, high school diploma or equivalency certificate.
• You need current first aid and CPR certificates and a state-issued driver's license or ID card.
• Any adult felony conviction makes you ineligible (deferred judgments, deferred prosecution and pretrial diversion agreements are exceptions). Certain misdemeanors also bar certification, though you can ask for a variance under POST Rule 8.
• You must pass a fingerprint-based CBI and FBI criminal history check.
• Before an agency can appoint you, state law requires a physical exam and a psychological evaluation.

Step by step

1. Enroll in a POST-approved Basic academy. Agency academies take only sponsored recruits; community college academies are open enrollment and usually self-funded. There are no online academies.
2. Complete the academy, including the three skills programs: law enforcement driving, arrest control and firearms.
3. Get fingerprinted for the POST background check (CBI and FBI).
4. Pass the POST written certification exam ($150), given at the end of each academy class, within two years of graduation.
5. Receive Basic certification, which lets you seek employment as a Colorado peace officer.
6. Apply to agencies. Pass the physical exam, psychological evaluation and any agency tests (written test, oral board, physical agility, polygraph, background investigation).

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: You must complete a POST-approved Basic academy. POST's Basic Academies page lists the minimum curriculum as 554 hours (its FAQ says 556); all academies exceed it, running 16 to 40 weeks, full-time or part-time. A new Basic Academic Training Program took effect July 1, 2026. If you fail a skills program (driving, arrest control or firearms), you must repeat the full skills program before taking the certification exam, and finish everything within two years of graduating.

Exam: The POST written certification exam is given at the end of each academy class and at one-day test-outs. It costs $150 per attempt, paid by cashier's check, money order, agency check or the POST payment portal (no cash or personal checks). You may take it up to three times within two years of academy graduation. Colorado does not let people who attended an out-of-state academy 'challenge' the exam. Out-of-state (provisional) and renewal applicants take a one-day test-out: written exam $150 plus $125 for each of three skills tests (arrest control, driving, firearms), $525 total, with three attempts each and the fee charged again for each retake.

What it costs in Colorado

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

How long it takes

Pass the certification exam within two years of academy graduation; academies run 16 to 40 weeks.

What other sites get wrong about Colorado

Keeping your certification

Renewal: Basic certification is valid for three years; once you are hired it stays active while you are employed as a Colorado peace officer (or reserve) and for three years after you leave. Every employed full-time, part-time and reserve officer must complete 24 hours of in-service training each calendar year (POST Rule 28). At least 12 hours must be perishable skills (arrest control, driving and firearms), with at least one hour in each. Under C.R.S. 24-31-315, officers must also complete training in proper holds and restraints, anti-bias, community policing, de-escalation and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives at least once every five years. A lapsed Basic certification can be renewed at any time by submitting the renewal packet and fingerprints and passing the written exam and three skills tests, or by attending the Refresher Academy.

Good to know in Colorado

Officers from other states: Officers fully certified in another state who served at least one year within the last three years can get Provisional certification. You must have your Provisional letter from POST before starting work. You then have six months to pass the written exam and three skills tests, and you must also complete Colorado's required DNA evidence collection and retention course. If your break in service is over six months, you must pass the written exam first. Some federal and military police officers may qualify under a federal reciprocity pilot program.

Failing the test-out: Failing a skill three times at the test-out means attending the full academy program for that skill (at least 72 hours for firearms, 44 for driving, 62 for arrest control). Failing the written exam three times means attending the full academic portion of an academy (378 hours).

Decertification: A certified officer convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors is decertified, and revocation proceedings begin at sentencing, even for deferred sentences. A finding of untruthfulness can also lead to decertification after due process.

Foreign diplomas: Non-U.S. citizens must prove high school or GED equivalence with a credential evaluation from a service recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (a NACES or AICE member).

Leaving a job early: If you leave an agency less than six months after being hired, your certification expiration date reverts to the prior end date instead of being extended.

Sources

• Colorado POST - Basic Certification
• Colorado POST - Basic Academies
• Colorado POST - FAQs
• Colorado POST - Provisional Certification
• Colorado POST - Renewal of Certification
• Colorado POST - Exam Schedule and FLATROCK Training Center
• Colorado POST - Mandated Training for Peace Officers
• Colorado POST - Non-United States Citizens Eligibility
• Colorado Legislative Council - Final Fiscal Note, HB 26-1312 POST Board Changes