How to Become a Police Officer in New York

Who can apply

• Be at least 20 years old on the date of appointment (Civil Service Law 58).
• Be no older than 43 on the date of the written civil service exam. Up to six years of military service can be subtracted from your age.
• Hold a high school diploma or an accepted equivalent (such as a high school equivalency diploma).
• Meet the height, weight, physical and psychological fitness standards set by the MPTC.
• Have good moral character, judged under the MPTC background investigation standards.
• Local agencies and civil service commissions may set stricter requirements.

Step by step

1. Take and pass the competitive civil service exam for police officer given by the hiring jurisdiction.
2. Pass the MPTC physical fitness screening test (sit-ups, push-ups, then a 1.5-mile run), usually before a conditional job offer.
3. Receive a conditional offer, then pass the post-offer medical exam, psychological screening and background investigation.
4. Get appointed as a police officer by a New York municipality.
5. Complete an approved Basic Course for Police Officers, including supervised field training, and pass its written exams.
6. Receive the certificate of completion within one year of your original appointment, or you forfeit the position.

Training and exam

Training: General Municipal Law 209-q and 9 NYCRR Part 6020 require every municipal police officer to complete an approved Basic Course for Police Officers. The MPTC sets the curriculum and hours. It includes academic and skills training plus supervised field training, at least 80 hours of firearms, a 16-hour officer wellness block, and at least six reality-based scenarios per recruit. The course must be done as one unit at one school. Absences over 10% of hours are not excused, and no certificate is issued without the full firearms, use-of-force and physical agility/arrest-techniques instruction.

Exam: The Basic Course requires passing a written exam or series of exams with at least 70% (a 70% average if there is a series). Before hiring, candidates take a physical fitness screening test under 9 NYCRR 6000.8: sit-ups, push-ups and a 1.5-mile run, with minimum scores at the 40th percentile of fitness on each element. Hiring itself is through a competitive civil service exam given by the local jurisdiction.

What it costs in New York

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: New York has no single statewide annual in-service hour requirement for police officers. The MPTC sets minimum standards for in-service training that employers provide, and Executive Law 840 requires training on specific topics such as child abuse reporting, hate crimes and death notifications. An amendment effective December 12, 2026 requires the MPTC to set sexual-assault training for all police officers, including in the basic curriculum. Agencies set their own in-service schedules.

Good to know in New York

One-year deadline: You must finish the Basic Course within one year of original appointment. For exigent reasons such as health or no nearby course, your employer can ask DCJS for an extension, but never beyond two years total from appointment.

Out-of-state and former officers: An officer previously permanently appointed in another state or federal service can apply, through the employing chief, for an equivalency evaluation (9 NYCRR 6020.8). DCJS may waive all or part of the Basic Course; remaining gaps must be completed within the one-year deadline. Former New York officers out of service longer than GML 209-q allows, but less than 10 years, may take the shorter Police Officer Refresher Course.

Pre-employment college route: Graduates of a Pre-Employment Police Basic Training Course (phase I) at an accredited New York college still must complete remaining units after appointment, including 160 hours of supervised field training.

Medical standards: MPTC medical standards are applied case by case. For example, vision should be 20/30 or better in each eye, and uncorrected vision no worse than 20/100 if you wear glasses or contacts. The recommended exam includes a drug screen.

If you leave police work: Your Basic Course certificate stays valid for two years after you leave service, or four years if you had served two or more consecutive years. If your break is no more than ten years, you can keep certification by completing an approved refresher course; otherwise you must retake the Basic Course.

Sources

• DCJS - Municipal Police Training Council
• DCJS - Basic Course for Police Officers Administrator's Guide
• NY Civil Service Law 58 - Requirements for police officers (NY Senate)
• 9 NYCRR 6020.7 - Time limits (Cornell LII)
• 9 NYCRR 6020.6 - Attendance (Cornell LII)
• 9 NYCRR 6000.8 - Physical fitness screening (Cornell LII)
• 9 NYCRR 6000.7 - Medical standards (Cornell LII)
• NY General Municipal Law 209-q (NY Senate)