Minnesota POST Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• Age: At least 21 years of age for most peace officer appointments (some agencies may consider candidates at 20½–21 if they will reach 21 by hire).
• Education: Completion of a Minnesota POST-certified Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) program plus an associate’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Citizenship: U.S. citizen.
• Driver license: Valid driver’s license, typically a Minnesota license by time of appointment.
• Criminal history: No felony convictions and no crimes that are a bar to licensure under Minnesota Rules 6700.0700; must meet POST Board minimum selection standards and standards of conduct.
• Other requirements:
  • Pass a POST-mandated psychological evaluation before admission to a PPOE skills program and before licensure eligibility.
  • Pass a medical screening and physical fitness test consistent with POST minimum selection standards.
  • Pass a criminal history check (including state and federal records) with no disqualifying offenses.
  • Successfully complete PPOE academic coursework, a board-certified skills program, and First Responder/EMR or higher emergency medical certification.
  • Pass the Minnesota Peace Officer Licensing Exam to become license-eligible.
  • Receive a job offer from a Minnesota law enforcement agency and be appointed to a peace officer position before the POST Board issues an active license.

Physical Fitness Standards

Minnesota POST sets minimum selection standards that include passing a physical fitness test prior to skills training; individual PPOE skills providers publish their own specific fitness benchmarks tied to essential job functions.

• Timed run or shuttle-run to measure aerobic capacity.
• Push-ups and sit-ups or similar upper-body and core-strength events.
• Defensive tactics and practical scenario work requiring lifting, dragging, and ground-fighting movements.
• Scenario-based skills (e.g., building searches, arrests, control tactics) performed under time and stress.

There is no single statewide numeric chart published like Cooper standards; instead, POST requires that applicants be physically able to safely complete the mentally and physically demanding PPOE skills curriculum, and schools implement their own PFAT/fitness benchmarks. Candidates should train well above minimum entry levels to handle intensive skills blocks.

Academy Training Requirements

Minimum academy hours: 1050

Minnesota does not operate one central state academy. Instead, Professional Peace Officer Education consists of a POST-approved academic program plus a separate skills program. The nationwide training-hours analysis estimates roughly 1,050 total hours of basic training when academic and skills components are combined, making Minnesota one of the highest-hour states. Individual colleges and skills programs design their curricula to meet POST learning objectives and licensing outcomes, and many go beyond the minimums.

Reference: Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training – PPOE Program and Minimum Selection Standards; nationwide minimum training hours memo for Minnesota’s approximate 1,050-hour baseline.

Reciprocity / Lateral Entry

Minnesota offers licensing pathways for out-of-state, federal, or military officers, but there is no simple automatic reciprocity; all candidates must ultimately pass the Minnesota Peace Officer Licensing Exam and meet POST Board standards.

• Out-of-state officers may have prior training evaluated and then complete any missing PPOE learning objectives and a Minnesota skills program before taking the licensing exam.
• Officers with extensive prior training and experience may be allowed to complete a tailored program through a POST-certified school and proceed to the Minnesota licensing exam.
• All reciprocity candidates must meet minimum selection standards, including criminal history, psychological, and medical screening, and must hold a qualifying degree.

Details of reciprocity and recognition of prior training are updated periodically by the Minnesota POST Board. Candidates should review the current reciprocity/licensing guidance before planning a transfer into Minnesota.

POST Contact Information

Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST Board)
1600 University Avenue, Suite 200
Saint Paul, MN 55104
Phone: 651-643-3060
Website: https://mn.gov/post

Official POST Requirements:
https://mn.gov/post/applicants/minimumselectionstandards/