Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officer Career Assessment
Patrolling communities and responding to calls
Welcome
Police officers and sheriff's deputies patrol communities, answer 911 calls, investigate crimes, and help people in trouble.
In North Dakota, a deputy may cover a whole county alone on a winter night. You will explore whether this work fits you.
This takes about 15 minutes.
What is a Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officer?
A patrol officer drives a marked car, answers calls for help, stops traffic violations, investigates crimes, writes reports, and testifies in court. City police work inside town limits. Sheriff's deputies cover the county, including farms, highways, and small towns. Tribal police serve tribal communities.
The Reality: The job can be dangerous and the hours are hard. You will deal with people at their angriest and saddest. Hiring is very strict: fingerprint and FBI background check, psychological exam, medical exam, and sometimes a polygraph. State rules permanently bar anyone with a felony conviction or a domestic violence conviction. Ask the ND POST Board or the agency before you spend any money on training.
Your Responsibilities:
- Patrol a city or county in a squad car
- Respond to 911 calls
- Make traffic stops and enforce laws
- Investigate crashes and crimes
- Interview victims, witnesses, and suspects
- Arrest people and take them to jail
- Write detailed reports
- Testify in court
You keep your community safe and help people in crisis.
A Day in the Life
6:00 AM — Shift briefing. Read what happened overnight.
6:45 AM — Patrol the county roads. Check on a stalled car in the cold.
8:30 AM — Crash call on the highway. Direct traffic and take statements.
10:30 AM — Serve court papers at a rural address 25 miles out.
12:00 PM — Lunch at the office, catch up on reports.
1:30 PM — Theft report at a farm shop. Take photos and statements.
3:30 PM — Welfare check on an older woman whose family cannot reach her.
5:00 PM — Finish reports before turning over to the night shift.
A lot of driving, a lot of paperwork, and calls you cannot predict.
Training in North Dakota
North Dakota requires a POST license. You must complete an approved basic training academy and pass the state licensing exam. In North Dakota there are two approved academies.
Training Pathways:
- Get hired first: Many ND agencies hire you, then send you to the academy and pay you while you attend. This is the cheapest route.
- Academy first: Attend Lake Region State College's Peace Officer Training Program on your own, then apply to agencies.
- Degree plus academy: A criminal justice degree, then the academy. Helpful for federal, tribal, or promotion jobs.
Where to Train in North Dakota:
- Lake Region State College (Devils Lake, with sites in Grand Forks and West Fargo) — Peace Officer Training Program, one-semester certificate, 17 credits; also an AAS in Law Enforcement (60 credits). LRSC is the only college in ND authorized to deliver a POST police academy (lrsc.edu/programs/peace-officer-training)
- ND Law Enforcement Training Academy, Bismarck — the state academy listed by the ND POST Board, run through the ND Highway Patrol (post.nd.gov/LawEnforcementAgencies/TrainingAcademies.html)
- United Tribes Technical College (Bismarck) — Criminal Justice, AS and BS; strong focus on tribal law enforcement (uttc.edu/academics/programs/criminaljustice)
- Minot State University (Minot) — Criminal Justice, BS (minotstateu.edu/cj)
Before You Start: U.S. citizen or resident alien status. High school diploma, high school equivalency diploma, or GED. A valid U.S. driver's license. You must be allowed to own a firearm. You must pass a medical exam and a board-approved psychological exam. State rules do not set one minimum age, but most ND agencies require 21 — ask the agency.
Tip: Start with financial aid, scholarships, and any help an employer offers — that is where the money starts. After that, ask a career counselor or Job Service North Dakota whether WIOA or other programs can help with what is left over, like training, tools, work boots, or exam fees. What can be paid for depends on the program and on your own situation, so ask before you sign up rather than after. Registered apprenticeships let you earn a paycheck while you learn — see jobsnd.com/job-seeker/apprenticeships for ND programs.
Certification & Licensing
The ND POST Board licenses every peace officer. POST stands for Peace Officer Standards and Training. You cannot work as an officer in North Dakota without their license.
What the POST Board Requires:
- Citizenship — U.S. citizen or resident alien status
- Education — high school diploma, equivalency diploma, or GED
- No felony conviction — a guilty plea, no contest plea, or conviction for any felony bars you
- No moral turpitude, sexual violation, domestic violence, or child abuse conviction — these also bar you
- Firearm eligibility — you cannot be barred from having a firearm; you must pass sidearm qualification
- Background check — full investigation plus state and FBI fingerprint check
- Medical and psychological exams — both must be current within one year
- Basic training — at an approved academy
- Licensing exam — 70% to pass, about a $25 fee, given at the end of basic training
The Exams: The licensing exam is given at the end of basic training. You need 70%. You get one retest, and the Board must approve it.
Cost: The licensing exam fee is about $25. Academy tuition varies, and agencies often pay it if they hire you first. Prices change — check with LRSC and the POST Board.
Keeping It Current: Licenses are maintained through your agency, with ongoing training. If you leave law enforcement, your license can lapse and you may need to requalify.
Salary & Job Outlook
North Dakota Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officer Pay (May 2025):
- Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $28.18–$30.13/hour ($58,620–$62,670/year)
- Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $35.82/hour ($74,500/year)
- Experienced (top 25–10%): $37.52–$43.96/hour ($78,050–$91,440/year)
What that means: ND pay is close to the national median at the middle, but tops out lower than in big states. Overtime, shift pay, and court time can add more. City departments in larger ND cities usually pay more than small rural counties.
Jobs in North Dakota: About 1,920 people do this work in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 2,040 (about 6% growth). Expect about 160 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 3% growth — average.
Outlook: Good, with about 160 openings a year in ND. Rural sheriff's offices and small-town departments often have trouble filling positions, so openings come up statewide.
Who Hires in ND: City police departments, county sheriff's offices, tribal police departments, campus police, the ND Highway Patrol, and state agencies.
Work Setting: Mostly in a patrol car, in every kind of weather. Long winter drives on rural roads. Nights, weekends, and holidays. Small agencies mean working alone with backup far away.
Physical Demands: High. Long hours sitting, then sudden running, lifting, and physically controlling people. You must pass a fitness test and a medical exam.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 33-3051); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.
Where This Leads
Path 1: Patrol Officer or Deputy — The core job.
Path 2: Investigator or Detective — Work cases in depth.
Path 3: K-9 or Traffic Officer — Specialty assignments.
Path 4: School Resource Officer — Work in schools.
Path 5: Sergeant or Lieutenant — Supervise a shift.
Path 6: Chief or Sheriff — Lead an agency; Sheriff is an elected job.
The Real Talk
What's Great:
- Steady pay and good benefits
- Openings all across ND
- Many agencies pay you to attend the academy
- Pension and retirement plans
- Real variety — no two shifts alike
- You help people in your own community
What's Hard:
- Real danger and risk of injury
- Nights, weekends, and holidays
- Hard things you cannot unsee
- A felony or domestic violence conviction permanently bars you under state rules
- Strict background check, psychological exam, and sometimes a polygraph
- Long solo drives in winter with backup far away
- Public criticism and stress on your family
Be Honest: North Dakota state rules are clear and strict: if you have pled guilty to or been convicted of any felony, or of a crime involving moral turpitude, a sexual violation, domestic violence, violating a domestic violence protection order, or child abuse or neglect, you cannot be licensed as a peace officer here. If you cannot legally own a firearm, you cannot be licensed. Other records, past drug use, and credit or driving history are judged case by case, and each agency adds its own rules on top. The POST Board uses written Criminal History Guidelines and can review borderline cases. Before you spend a dollar on an academy, call the ND POST Board at 701-328-5500 and ask about your own record. Certain medical conditions can also stop you from passing the required medical exam.