How to Become a Police Officer in Idaho

Who can apply

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• You must be at least 21 years old to be a patrol officer.
• You need a high school diploma, GED or state equivalency certificate, or at least 15 credits from a regionally accredited college.
• You need a valid driver's license from your state of residence and must be able to qualify for an Idaho license.
• You cannot have a felony conviction from age 18 or older.
• You are ineligible for set periods after certain misdemeanors: one DUI in the past 2 years or two DUIs in the past 5 years; domestic violence, deceit or sex offenses in the past 5 years; a drug offense in the past year. A domestic violence conviction at any time bars disciplines that carry a firearm.
• You are ineligible if you used marijuana in the past year, committed a felony drug violation (charged or not) in the past 3 years, or misused prescription drugs in the past 3 years.
• You cannot have a dishonorable, bad conduct, or other-than-honorable military discharge, and cannot have a revoked or denied certification in any state.

Step by step

1. Get hired by an Idaho law enforcement agency. POST certification requires employment with an agency, and the agency applies to POST for you.
2. Pass the agency's background investigation (fingerprints, references, past employers, interview), its aptitude test, and its physical readiness assessment. A psychological evaluation is required when questions about mental fitness come up.
3. Sign the POST application and Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. Your agency submits it to POST with your documents.
4. Attend and pass the POST Patrol Basic Academy in Meridian, keeping a 75 percent academic average.
5. Complete at least 40 hours of field training and six consecutive months of probation with your agency.
6. All of this must be finished within 12 months of starting employment. POST then issues your basic certification.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: The POST Patrol Basic Academy runs about 14 weeks on the POST campus in Meridian. The 2026 curriculum totals 565 classroom and skills hours. You must hold a 75 percent academic average through the academy. Another route: four colleges teach the POST Basic Patrol and Detention Academy curriculum (Idaho State University, College of Western Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, North Idaho College). Graduates must be hired by an agency within three years of graduating to use it for certification.

Exam: Academy students take written exams during the academy and must keep a 75 percent academic standard. Officers using the challenge (equivalency) route must pass the POST Challenge Exam. The aptitude test is required by POST rule but given through the hiring process.

What it costs in Idaho

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

POST says the full process (academy, field training and probation) takes about a year. By rule, it must be completed within 12 months of starting employment.

Keeping your certification

Renewal: Peace officers must complete at least 40 hours of POST-approved training every two calendar years. It must include 8 hours of firearms plus a yearly qualification, 8 hours of arrest techniques/defensive tactics, 4 hours of emergency vehicle operation, and 4 hours of legal updates. Certification lapses if you do not serve as an officer in Idaho for 3 consecutive years.

Good to know in Idaho

Physical readiness test: The POST Patrol/Detention Physical Readiness Test has five events. Applicants must reach at least: vertical jump 14.0 inches, 15 sit-ups in one minute, 21 push-ups, 300-meter run in 77.0 seconds, and 1.5-mile run/walk in 17:17. Failing any one event fails the test.

Officers from other states: You still must be hired by an Idaho agency first. If you were an officer in another state or federal agency within the last 5 years (or finished an equivalent academy within 3 years), you can use the challenge process: submit your training records, pass the POST Challenge Exam, then complete 40 hours of field training and six months of probation. The challenge must be done within one year of being hired.

Three-year limit after academy: If you are not certified within three years of finishing a basic academy or approved college program, you must repeat the whole academy.

Returning after a break: If you were out of law enforcement 3 to 5 years, you can be recertified through a challenge packet. After more than 5 but under 8 years out, you must attend the basic academy again unless the Council grants a waiver.

Sources

• IDAPA 11.11.01 - Rules of the Idaho POST Council
• Idaho POST - Frequently Asked Questions
• Idaho POST - Basic Training (Academy)
• Idaho POST - Patrol Academy Classes and Hours (effective Jan 1, 2026)
• Idaho POST - Patrol/Detention Physical Readiness Test
• Idaho Code Title 19, Chapter 51 - Peace Officer Standards and Training