How to Become a Police Officer in South Dakota

Who can apply

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• You must be at least 21 years old at the time of appointment.
• You must have graduated from an accredited high school or have a high school equivalency certificate the commission accepts.
• You must be of good moral character and be fingerprinted by a qualified law enforcement officer.
• A licensed physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner must certify, on commission forms, that you can perform the duties of a law enforcement officer.
• The hiring agency must interview you in person and do a background investigation (driving, criminal, employment, references, credit, social media and training records).
• You must not have unlawfully used any prescribed drug, controlled substance or marijuana within one year before applying for certification.
• No one may be employed or certified who has pled guilty or no contest to, or been convicted of, any offense that could have resulted in more than one year of incarceration. Lesser offenses are reviewed case by case.

Step by step

1. Get hired by a South Dakota law enforcement agency. The agency sponsors you for the academy.
2. Your agency submits the four-page LES form and two fingerprint cards to Law Enforcement Training (LET).
3. LET finishes background checks and confirms you meet the minimum standards, then schedules you for a Basic Certification Course.
4. Complete the 520-hour Basic Certification Course at the George S. Mickelson Criminal Justice Center in Pierre within 12 months of your hire date.
5. Take the oath of office and receive your certification.

Training and exam

Training: All full-time and part-time officers, including elected sheriffs, must be certified within their first year of employment by completing LET's 520-hour Basic Certification Course. LET holds three Basic Courses a year in Pierre. Training covers police policies and procedures, emergency and non-emergency response, criminal investigations, legal topics and human behavior, plus proficiency in firearms, use of force, emergency vehicle operations and defensive tactics.

Exam: There is no separate state licensing exam after the academy, but to complete the Basic Certification Course you must pass every written and skills examination given in the course. You may retake a failed exam within seven days and may not take any exam more than twice. Out-of-state officers seeking reciprocity must pass a written test.

What it costs in South 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

You must complete the Basic Certification Course within 12 months of your hire date.

Keeping your certification

Renewal: Complete 40 hours of continuing education in each two-calendar-year period (current period: January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026). This must include annual firearms requalification with a score of at least 75 percent and two hours on crisis intervention or mental illness. Domestic abuse training must be repeated at least once every four years. Your certification lapses if you are out of law enforcement for more than 24 months. Reserve officers keep certification by working at least 96 hours in each 12-month period.

Good to know in South Dakota

Officers from other states: If you are certified (or eligible to be certified) in another state and hired by a South Dakota agency, you may qualify for reciprocity. Normally your equivalent training must be completed (or you must have worked as a certified officer) within the past two years; if it has been longer, the Commission may still grant eligibility case by case based on your experience and training. Firearms, EVOC, use of force and the written reciprocity exam cannot be waived. You pass the written exam and then attend about one and a half weeks of training, including South Dakota law, criminal and traffic law, domestic violence, firearms, use of force and emergency vehicle operations, and show proof of ICS 100, 200 and 700.

Technical college graduates: Graduates of the law enforcement programs at Western Dakota Technical Institute, Southeast Technical Institute or Lake Area Tech can take LET's written and skills reciprocity tests within two years of graduation. You become certified when a South Dakota agency hires you within two years of graduation.

Probation limit: A noncertified officer can serve on a temporary or probationary appointment for at most 12 cumulative months (third-class municipalities may get one more year). You may not work in an enforcement capacity until you pass the state qualifying firearms course and get your agency's use-of-force instruction. If you leave and are reappointed within three years of your first appointment, time already served counts against the 12 months.

Prior academy dismissal: If you were dismissed from a basic academy for a handbook violation or for academic or skills failure, you are not eligible unless the commission declares you eligible on application.

Sources

• SD Attorney General - Basic Officer Certification
• SD Attorney General - Law Enforcement Training FAQ
• SD Attorney General - Reciprocity
• SD Attorney General - Continuing Education and Advanced Training
• ARSD 2:01:02:01 - Minimum standards for employment (Cornell LII)
• ARSD 2:01:02:02 - Felons to be rejected (Cornell LII)
• SDCL 23-3-41 - Probationary appointment
• SDCL 23-3-43 - Sheriffs training within twelve months
• ARSD 2:01:06:06
• ARSD 2:01:06:03 - Reciprocity (Cornell LII)