How to Become a Police Officer in North Dakota

Who can apply

• Be a U.S. citizen or in resident alien status.
• Be a high school graduate or have a high school equivalency diploma or GED.
• No felony (including guilty or no-contest pleas). No conviction for crimes of moral turpitude, sexual violations, domestic violence, violating a domestic violence restraining order, child abuse or neglect, or certain firearms offenses.
• Not be prohibited from possessing a firearm, and not be barred from NCIC and criminal justice database access.
• Hold a valid U.S. driver's license.
• Pass a background investigation with fingerprint clearance from the ND Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the FBI.
• Pass a medical exam and a psychological exam by a board-approved provider. Both stay valid for one year.
• No dishonorable discharge, or administrative discharge for conduct that would violate the officer code of conduct.
• Be employed or appointed by a law enforcement agency. The POST rules' minimum license requirements do not list a minimum age; agencies may set one.

Step by step

1. Get hired by a North Dakota law enforcement agency. The agency completes your background check, medical exam and psychological evaluation.
2. Complete the sidearm qualification (shooting course, minimum score 70%) and pass the written use-of-force exam with a score of 100%.
3. Your agency submits forms PFN 1, 2, 3 and 14 online with the $45 fee before your first day. The board issues a limited license so you can work under a fully licensed officer's supervision.
4. Attend the first available basic full-time peace officer course at the Law Enforcement Training Academy (LETA) in Bismarck.
5. Pass the POST licensing exam with at least 70% ($25 fee).
6. Receive your full peace officer license.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: New officers must complete the first available board-certified basic full-time peace officer training course after the limited license is issued, at the Law Enforcement Training Academy in Bismarck (run by the ND Highway Patrol). The course includes classroom, field and firearms training. The course runs about 12 weeks. LETA classes are for newly hired and licensed officers, not the general public.

Exam: The POST licensing exam is a written exam given at the end of (or during) basic training. A score of at least 70% is required. The fee is $25 per attempt. If you fail, you may retake it once (for limited-license holders, within 30 days). After a second failure you must complete the entire basic course again before a third attempt.

What it costs in North Dakota

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

The basic course runs about 12 weeks.

Keeping your certification

Renewal: Licenses renew every three years by December 31 (dates are grouped by surname: A-G, H-M, N-Z; first licenses can run one to three years). You need at least 60 hours of certified training per three-year period, with no more than 20 hours online or video, and surplus hours do not carry over. Four semester credits of job-related college coursework can substitute. You must also qualify with your sidearm every year, with proof received by December 31. A license not renewed within one year after expiration cannot be renewed.

Good to know in North Dakota

Out-of-state and federal officers: North Dakota offers a partial waiver of basic training, not full reciprocity. You must be hired, hold a limited license, and have worked as an officer (or finished your other basic course) less than three years ago. If approved, you attend the criminal and traffic law portion of basic training and pass the licensing exam at 70%. Under the board rule, waiver applicants get two attempts at the licensing exam; the retake must be within 30 days of the first try, and failing twice means completing the entire basic course.

Military police: Military police training or service can qualify for a partial training waiver if completed (or still working in the field) within three years of applying. The agency requests it by letter with proof such as a DD 214.

Trained but not hired: If you finish basic training and pass the exam but are not hired within two years, you must retake the criminal and traffic portions and the exam (two to three years), or the entire course (more than three years).

Working before licensed: You may not perform peace officer duties without at least a limited license; doing so is a class B misdemeanor. The limited license expires if you leave the agency that applied for it or skip the first available basic course without board approval.

Part-time license: North Dakota also offers a part-time peace officer license. After the background check, psychological evaluation and medical exam, the agency submits form PFN 13, and you then have two years to finish the rest of the process. You may not perform peace officer duties until it is complete.

Sources

• ND POST Board - Frequently Asked Questions
• N.D. Admin. Code 109-02-01 - General Provisions (minimum license requirements)
• N.D. Admin. Code 109-02-02 - Licensing and Training Requirements
• N.D. Century Code chapter 12-63 - Peace Officer Standards, Training, and Licensing
• ND Highway Patrol - Law Enforcement Training Academy
• N.D. Admin. Code 109-02-03 - Sidearm qualification and use of force examination