​Minnesota Statute 626.84, charges Minnesota’s licensed peace officers with the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of general criminal laws of the state, and, gives them full power of arrest. But Minnesota’s peace officers do more. They work to solve problems and respond to emergencies in our communities. They do what it takes to protect and promote the peace and safety of Minnesotans.

The Minnesota POST Board licenses nearly 11,000 profession peace officers who are employed at more than 400 law enforcement agencies in the state. These officer have received specialized education and training before being employed at state, county and local levels.

Licensed peace officers include municipal police officers, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, Minnesota State Patrol officers, enforcement officers of the Department of Natural Resources, special agents of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and officers at other law enforcement agencies. For a detailed list of all of Minnesota’s law enforcement agencies, how many officers they employ and other information go to the POST Board’s home page or Statistics Page.

The Minnesota POST Board does not license or regulate standards for federal officers like U.S. Marshals, agents of the FBI and DEA, officers of the U.S. Border Patrol or others employed by the federal government.