Steps to Become a Police Officer in North Dakota

The first step to become a certified peace officer in North Dakota is to be hired by a police agency.

To help you do that the North Dakota Peace Officers Standards and Training Board provides a complete list of all agencies and contact information. That list can be found here.

Requirements & Qualifications

 In order to get hired as a police officer in North Dakota, a set of qualifications must be met. These minimum qualifications apply statewide, although some jurisdictions may have some additional qualifications above the minimum standards that must be met. First and foremost, the applicant for a job must be a U.S. citizen and have a high school diploma or a GED equivalent.

Disqualifying Factors

No applicant will be accepted if they have pled guilty to or have been convicted in any state or federal court of a felony, a crime of moral turpitude, a domestic violence crime or “any offense that has a direct bearing on the applicant’s ability to serve as a peace officer.” Applicants prohibited from using or possessing a firearm under state or federal law cannot be hired.

Hiring/Application Process

 A valid driver’s license is required, and applicants also must undergo a complete background investigation involving fingerprint cards that will be run through state and federal records. A medical examination and a psychological evaluation will be conducted.

 After these minimum standards are met the candidate can be hired as a peace officer, but is not finished with the certification process. New officers must meet a sidearm qualification, including a written examination and qualify on a shooting range. At that stage the new officer will be issued a limited peace officer license, allowing the new officer to begin performing police duties.

Police Academy Standards & Training

Basic training will be the next step for the new officer, who must then attend the first available training session at the Law Enforcement Training Academy in Bismarck, and then pass the North Dakota Peace Officer Licensing Examination after successfully completing the course. After passing the examination, the new officer will be granted a Peace Officer License that will have to be renewed in three years.

Peace Officer License Process

The state has published fees for granting a license and for renewal of a license, and a schedule for when it has to be renewed based on the first letter of an officer’s surname at http://www.iadlest.org/ndakota/Home/PeaceOfficerStandards.aspx. There you will find a link for Licensing and Training Requirements.

 Candidates should also familiarize themselves with the other links on that page. They provide important details about the process and about the training and firearm certification requirements.

 Even more information can be found on the North Dakota POST homepage, particularly on the FAQ link. The home page can be found at www.iadlest.org/ndakota/Home.aspx.

Average Police Officer Salary in North Dakota

According to the Bureau Of Labor Statistics (2010), a police officer in the state of North Dakota makes between $43,400 – $48,120 per year. However the data collected by BLS is not very accurate because it does not record overtime pay or off duty work. These two factors, if included in the data, would increase the average salary of a police officer in ND.

Police Officer Jobs in ND

There are several law enforcement job openings in North Dakota. Simply visit our Career Job Opening or go to the official website of the agency you are interested in to complete an application of employment. Below is a list of all the law enforcement agencies in the state of North Dakota.

  • Adams County Sheriff’s Office
  • Barnes County Sheriff’s Office
  • Benson County Sheriff’s Office
  • Billings County Sheriff’s Office
  • Bottineau County Sheriff’s Office
  • Bowman County Sheriff’s Office
  • Burke County Sheriff’s Office
  • Burleigh County Sheriff’s Office
  • Cass County Sheriff’s Office
  • Cavalier County Sheriff’s Office
  • Dickey County Sheriff’s Office
  • Divide County Sheriff’s Office
  • Dunn County Sheriff’s Office
  • Eddy County Sheriff’s Office
  • Emmons County Sheriff’s Office
  • Foster County Sheriff’s Office
  • Golden Valley County Sheriff’s Office
  • Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office
  • Grant County Sheriff’s Office
  • Griggs County Sheriff’s Office
  • Hettinger County Sheriff’s Office
  • Kidder County Sheriff’s Office
  • Lamoure County Sheriff’s Office
  • Logan County Sheriff’s Office
  • McHenry County Sheriff’s Office
  • McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office
  • McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office
  • McLean County Sheriff’s Office
  • Mercer County Sheriff’s Office
  • Morton County Sheriff’s Office
  • Mountrail County Sheriff’s Office
  • Nelson County Sheriff’s Office
  • Oliver County Sheriff’s Office
  • Pembina County Sheriff’s Office
  • Pierce County Sheriff’s Office
  • Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office
  • Ransom County Sheriff’s Office
  • Renville County Sheriff’s Office
  • Richland County Sheriff’s Office
  • Rolette County Sheriff’s Office
  • Sargent County Sheriff’s Office
  • Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office
  • Sioux County Sheriff’s Office
  • Slope County Sheriff’s Office
  • Stark County Sheriff’s Office
  • Steele County Sheriff’s Office
  • Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office
  • Towner County Sheriff’s Office
  • Traill County Sheriff’s Office
  • Walsh County Sheriff’s Office
  • Ward County Sheriff’s Office
  • Wells County Sheriff’s Office
  • Williams County Sheriff’s Office
  • Ashley Police Department
  • Belfield Police Department
  • Beulah Police Department
  • Bismarck Police Department[1]
  • Bowman Police Department
  • Burlington Police Department
  • Cando Police Department
  • Carrington Police Department
  • Casselton Police Department
  • Cavalier Police Department
  • Center Police Department
  • Cooperstown Police Department
  • Crosby Police Department
  • Devils Lake Police Department
  • Dickinson Police Department[2]
  • Elgin Police Department
  • Ellendale Police Department
  • Emerado Police Department
  • Fargo Police Department[3]
  • Fessenden Police Department
  • Grafton Police Department
  • Grand Forks Police Department[4]
  • Harvey Police Department
  • Hazen Police Department
  • Hillsboro Police Department
  • Jamestown Police Department
  • Kenmare Police Department
  • Killdeer Police Department
  • Kulm Police Department
  • Lamoure Police Department
  • Larimore Police Department
  • Lincoln Police Department
  • Linton Police Department
  • Lisbon Police Department
  • Mandan Police Department[5]
  • Mayville Police Department
  • Medora Police Department
  • Milnor Police Department
  • Minot Police Department[6]
  • Mohall Police Department
  • Napoleon Police Department
  • New Town Police Department
  • Northwood Police Department
  • Oakes Police Department
  • Parshall Police Department
  • Powers Lake Police Department
  • Rolla Police Department
  • Rugby Police Department
  • St. John Police Department
  • Scranton Police Department
  • Sherwood Police Department
  • South Heart Police Department
  • Stanley Police Department
  • Steele Police Department
  • Surrey Police Department
  • Tioga Police Department
  • Thompson Police Department
  • Valley City Police Department
  • Wahpeton Police Department
  • Watford City Police Department
  • West Fargo Police Department[7]
  • Williston Police Department
  • Wishek Police Department
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