Minimum Qualifications

All public safety officer positions have minimum requirements established by Montana law and the Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council.

An applicant:

• Must be a citizen of the United States if the applicant is a peace officer or a public safety communications officer; other public safety officers may be a permanent resident
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must be fingerprinted and subject to a background check to disclose any criminal records
• May not have been convicted of a crime for which he or she could have been imprisoned in a federal or state penitentiary or a crime involving sexual misconduct
• Must be of good moral character, as determined by a thorough background investigation
• Must be a high school graduate or have been issued an equivalency certificate by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, or by an appropriate issuing agency of another state or of the federal government
• successfully complete an oral interview conducted by the appointing authority
• be in good standing with POST and any other licensing or certification boards or committees equivalent to POST in any other state

• Must meet any additional qualifications established by the POST Council

In addition, Montana law requires that individuals seeking employment as peace officers – deputy sheriffs, undersheriffs, police officers, highway patrol officers, fish and game wardens, park rangers, campus security officers or airport police officers – have a medical exam and a psychological evaluation conducted by a licensed professional appointed by the employing agency.

Once employed as a public safety officer, the individual has one year from the date of their initial appointment to attend the appropriate Basic course at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy. (see Attorney General’s Opinion)

Extensions

Under MCA 7-32-303 and 44-4-404, the POST Council may extend the one-year time requirement for attending the applicable Basic course upon the written application of the public safety officer’s appointing authority. ]

The POST Council may not grant an extension that exceeds 180 days (Attorney General’s Opinion 48-22). After 180 days, if the officer does not meet the basic certification requirements, the officer “forfeits the position, authority and arrest powers accorded a peace officer in this state.”

Guidelines for Out-of-State Officers Seeking Employment in Montana

Many officers now working in Montana began their law enforcement careers in other states. As a certified peace officer or correction/detention officer, individuals may be eligible to work as a public safety officer in Montana without having to retake basic training through a process called “equivalency.” Please Note: You must be appointed by a Montana agency before POST can determine your eligibility for equivalency.

Determining Equivalency

In order to meet equivalency in Montana:

• Your state’s POST training records must be reviewed by the POST Council, and
• You must not have had a break in service that exceeds five years.

Equivalency Testing and Training

After being hired by an agency in Montana, out-of-state officers must complete all components of equivalency testing and training within their first year of employment. To initiate equivalency testing, the department hiring the officer must submit a written application for basic equivalency to POST.

If POST finds that the applicant is eligible for equivalency, the appointing authority will be notified by POST. It is the applicant and the appointing authority’s responsibility to contact the Academy to get registered for the next Legal Equivalency Course.

To maintain powers of arrest, peace officers trained out of state must complete all components of the Legal Equivalency Basic Course within their first year of initial appointment as a peace officer in Montana (Section 7-32-303 of the Montana Code Annotated).

Equivalency is a four-step process:

1. Eligibility – Establish eligibility for equivalency through the POST Council.
2. Legal Basic Equivalency Course – Complete all aspects of the Academy’s Legal Basic Equivalency Course.
3. Agency Probation Period – Complete the required 12-month probationary period.
4. POST Certification – POST will automatically issue a basic certificate once you have completed the above.

The officer’s knowledge of general law enforcement practice and procedures will be examined. If they fail, they will have to retake basic training in Montana to be certified.

Further Information

Further information is available from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy or POST Council staff.