How to Become a Police Officer in Minnesota

Who can apply

• You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible to work in the U.S. under federal rules.
• You need a postsecondary degree from a regionally accredited college or university (any field) and a completed Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) program at a POST-certified school.
• You need a valid Minnesota driver's license, or a valid license from the state where you live.
• A Minnesota felony, or an equivalent out-of-state felony, disqualifies you. Some non-felony offenses (certain assault, stalking, sexual, theft and narcotics offenses, and sex offender registration) also disqualify you. Under POST's rule definition, a conviction counts even if the record was later expunged or the court granted a stay or continuance for dismissal.
• You cannot be listed on the National Decertification Index or have had a law enforcement license revoked anywhere.
• You must pass a background investigation with fingerprints, a medical exam, and a psychological screening.

Step by step

1. Earn a two- or four-year degree in any field from a regionally accredited school.
2. Complete a PPOE program (academic and skills parts) at a POST-certified college or university.
3. Apply for the peace officer licensing exam through Minnesota E-Licensing or on paper. Your PPOE coordinator must sign off.
4. Pass the POST licensing exam. You are then eligible to be licensed for three years.
5. Get hired by a law enforcement agency. The agency runs the background check, medical exam and psychological screening.
6. Apply for your license at the time of appointment and pay the $90 licensing fee.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Minnesota requires a postsecondary degree plus a Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) program at a POST Board-certified school. If you already have a degree in another field, you complete only the PPOE coursework and skills training. You must also complete emergency medical responder-level training, before hire or within your first six months of employment.

Exam: The POST Board's peace officer licensing exam costs $105 (nonrefundable). Your exam eligibility lasts one year after the Board receives your application. If you fail, you may retake it two times with a new application and fee. A third or later retake requires a Board-approved remedial training plan. Passing makes you eligible to be licensed for three years. If you are not licensed in that time, you must pass the exam again.

What it costs in Minnesota

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

Keeping your certification

Renewal: Licenses renew every three years on June 30. You need 48 hours of continuing education per three-year cycle and a $90 renewal fee ($45 for part-time officers). A license expired less than three years can be restored for $125 with proof of continuing education. After more than three years you must pass the licensing exam again.

Good to know in Minnesota

Officers from other states: Out-of-state and federal officers can take the POST reciprocity exam instead of PPOE if they have a degree and three years of law enforcement work after basic training, or five years without a degree. They must have served as an officer in the past six years and never had a license suspended or revoked. Military service does not count toward these years; military police use the separate path below.

Military police: Veterans can take the POST reciprocity exam with four years in a military law enforcement specialty, two years plus a two-year or higher degree, or four years as a full-time officer in another state combined with military law enforcement service. You need an honorable discharge (DD-214) or current active service; if you pass while on active duty, you cannot be licensed until honorably discharged.

Proposed changes: A POST rulemaking proposal dated August 2026 would end the PPOE program on August 1, 2029 (students enrolled before then would have until August 1, 2033) and would limit exam attempts. These are proposals, not final rules.

Sources

• Minnesota POST - Peace Officer Licensing Exam
• Minn. R. 6700.0500 - Peace Officer Licensing Examination
• Minn. R. 6700.0501 - Reciprocity Licensing Examination
• Minn. R. 6700.0600 - Licensing Examinations (fees, retakes)
• Minn. R. 6700.0700 - Minimum Selection Standards
• Minn. R. 6700.0800 - Licensing of Peace Officers
• Minn. R. 6700.1000 - License Renewal
• Minnesota POST - Statement of Need and Reasonableness (Aug 2026)
• Minn. Stat. 626.8517 - Military reciprocity (Revisor)