DPS was founded in 1969, but it has a history that goes back to 1905 when the state fire marshal position was created.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was established in 1927 and the Minnesota Highway Patrol, now known as the Minnesota State Patrol, started with just nine troopers.

During the Cold War, a Department of Civil Defense was set up, which later became part of the Homeland Security Emergency Management division within DPS. 

Today, DPS is a large and varied department with more than 2,200 employees dedicated to making Minnesota safer.