New Jersey POST Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• Age: Minimum 18–21 depending on agency (municipal departments commonly require 21).
• Education: High school diploma or GED at minimum; many agencies require 60+ college credits or a degree.
• Citizenship: U.S. citizen (naturally-born or naturalized).
• Driver license: Valid driver’s license (NJ license required upon appointment).
• Criminal history: No felony convictions; no domestic-violence convictions; must meet New Jersey Civil Service and PTC moral character standards.
• Other requirements:
  • Successful completion of New Jersey Civil Service testing (where applicable).
  • Background investigation.
  • Psychological evaluation.
  • Medical examination and drug screening.
  • Meet all Police Training Commission (PTC) entrance requirements.
  • Complete a PTC-certified Basic Course for Police Officers academy.

Physical Fitness Standards

New Jersey PTC uses standardized entrance and graduation fitness tests based on Cooper-style physical fitness benchmarks.

• 1.5-mile run.
• Push-ups (1 minute).
• Sit-ups (1 minute).
• 300-meter sprint.
• Vertical jump (in some academies).

New Jersey publishes official numeric standards for entry and graduation; academies enforce identical PTC requirements statewide.

Academy Training Requirements

Minimum academy hours: 900

New Jersey’s Basic Course for Police Officers requires approximately 900+ hours of academy instruction covering criminal law, traffic enforcement, firearms, EVOC, investigations, report writing, ethics, use of force, and scenario-based training.

Reference: New Jersey Police Training Commission (PTC) – Basic Course for Police Officers curriculum standards.

Reciprocity / Lateral Entry

New Jersey does NOT offer traditional reciprocity but provides a Waiver of Training process for officers previously certified in other states or federal agencies.

• Submit prior academy curriculum, certification, and experience to PTC for equivalency evaluation.
• If approved, complete New Jersey-specific training modules (law, firearms, use-of-force updates).
• Pass PTC firearms qualification and written assessments.
• Meet full NJ background, medical, and psychological requirements.

Waivers are NOT automatically granted — PTC evaluates whether prior training meets NJ’s high standards.

POST Contact Information

New Jersey Police Training Commission (PTC)
Police Training Commission
Department of Law & Public Safety
P.O. Box 863
Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone: 609-341-3000
Website: https://www.nj.gov/lps/dcj/ptc

Official POST Requirements:
https://www.nj.gov/lps/dcj/ptc/bcpo.html