An applicant identified by the board as eligible to be licensed or a peace officer currently licensed in Minnesota may apply for a peace officer position with a law enforcement agency. Prior to employment, the law enforcement agency must establish and document that the following minimum selection standards are met by the applicant. The applicant must:
be a citizen of the United States or eligible to work in the United States under federal requirements;
possess a valid Minnesota driver's license or, when residing in another state, a valid driver's license from that state;
provide a complete personal history using a form provided by the law enforcement agency and submit to a thorough background investigation conducted by the agency that meets the requirements of part 6700.0670;
not been convicted of:
a felony in Minnesota or an offense in another jurisdiction that would be a felony if committed in Minnesota;
a felony in another jurisdiction, unless the felony has been expunged, set aside, or pardoned, or the person's civil rights have been restored and expressly provides for the possession of a firearm; and
any of the following nonfelony offenses or the equivalent in another jurisdiction:
bias crimes, including assaults motivated by bias under Minnesota Statutes, section 609.2231, subdivision 4, and criminal damage to property under Minnesota Statutes, section 609.595, subdivision 2, paragraph (b);
violation of a domestic abuse no contact order under Minnesota Statutes, section 629.75, subdivision 2;
violation of an order for protection under Minnesota Statutes, section 518B.01, subdivision 14;
violation of a harassment restraining order under Minnesota Statutes, section 609.748, subdivision 6;
any mistreatment of a vulnerable adult, including under Minnesota Statutes, sections 609.2231; 609.231; 609.2325; 609.233; 609.2335; 609.234; and 609.72, subdivision 3;
making false claims for profit to a public body or officer under Minnesota Statutes, section 609.465;
theft under Minnesota Statutes, section 609.52, except that misdemeanor theft of movable property valued at $500 or less is not an automatic disqualification;
interference with an emergency call under Minnesota Statutes, section 609.78, subdivision 2, clause (1);
not be listed on the National Decertification Index or have had a law enforcement license, certification, or authorization to serve as a law enforcement officer in any jurisdiction revoked or rescinded;
be fingerprinted, and the fingerprints must be forwarded by the agency to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The results of the fingerprint check must be maintained in the background investigation report;
be free from any physical condition that would adversely affect the performance of peace officer duties, as established through an exam by a licensed medical professional;
have completed training equivalent to or exceeding the requirements for emergency medical responder registration under Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.27, subdivision 2, or to be completed within the first six months of employment.
An officer with a current active or current inactive license on June 1, 2023, is exempt, as applied to conduct that occurred before June 1, 2023, from minimum selection requirements under items A and B, unless that license was inactive for a period of more than 12 consecutive months at any time after June 1, 2023:
Unlicensed applicants who enrolled in a professional peace officer education program or an agency cadet or training program prior to January 1, 2023, and completed the program and passed the licensing exam before December 31, 2028, are exempt from the following minimum selection requirements for conduct that occurred prior to January 1, 2023, when applying for a law enforcement position:
The chief law enforcement officer must ensure that documentation necessary to show compliance with subpart 1 is retained by the law enforcement agency for the duration of any resulting employment. If the applicant is not employed by the agency, the background investigation must be retained for six years or as required by the agency's retention schedule, whichever is longer. The documentation is subject to periodic review by the board, and must be made available to the board at its request.
A law enforcement agency may require its applicants to meet more rigid standards than those prescribed in this part.
11 SR 2337; 14 SR 12; 18 SR 1961; 25 SR 1242; 26 SR 209; 30 SR 903; 47 SR 1120
July 26, 2023
Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes