The requirements for taking Minnesota’s Peace Officer Licensing Examination are:

• Earn a postsecondary degree from a regionally accredited college or university, and
• Successfully complete a board-approved Professional Peace Officer Education program.

Both can be accomplished at any of thirty Minnesota POST Board certified schools listed on the Professional Peace Officer Education Directory.
For information about things to consider when choosing a school click Choosing a School.

License eligibility is granted after completion of these requirements and passing the licensing exam. A peace officer license is issued when a license eligible candidate is hired in a peace officer position by a Minnesota law enforcement agency. If you are interested in becoming a Minnesota peace officer but want to earn your degree from a school that is not certified by the Minnesota POST Board there are some things you need to know.

• Minnesota requires a degree from a regionally accredited school. A degree from a nationally accredited school does not meet the requirement for a postsecondary degree. For more information about regional accreditation of postsecondary schools and to see if your school is regionally accredited click Regional Accreditation.
• In addition to the degree you will need to complete education and training to meet the requirements for professional peace officer education (See Route 2).

People who have earned a degree from a regionally accredited college or university do not need to complete another degree even if their degree is not related to criminal justice or law enforcement. They do, however, need to complete the professional peace officer education provided by a POST Board certified school.

Some POST certified schools have special programs especially intended to meet the needs of people who already have a degree. For more information on these special programs see Peace Officer Education Programs for Degree Holders or go to Professional Peace Officer Education Directory for the full list of certified schools.

* Note: Degrees from nationally accredited schools do not meet the degree requirement for licensure. For more information about regional accreditation of post-secondary schools and to see if your school is regionally accredited click Regional Accreditation.

People who have peace officer experience in another state or the military and have been working in law enforcement within the past six years may qualify to take the Minnesota Reciprocity Licensing Examination without having to complete additional education.

Qualifications for taking the reciprocity exam are:

• Complete basic police training in another state or federal law enforcement, and either:
• a post-secondary degree and three years of experience working as an officer, or
• five years of peace officer experience,

OR

Meet the requirements for military reciprocity which are:

• Have four years of cumulative experience in a law enforcement occupational specialty, or
• Possess a post-secondary from a regionally accredited school and have at least two years cumulative experience in a law enforcement occupational specialty.
• For more information about reciprocity go to the Exams (hyperlink) page on the POST Board website.