How to become a police officer in South Dakota
In South Dakota, police officers are hired by city police departments and county sheriff's offices. The South Dakota Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission sets the statewide standards; the credential is Law Enforcement Officer Certification. At the Sioux Falls Police Department, new hires start at $72,030 a year. You must be at least 21.
Pay at the Sioux Falls Police Department
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Sioux Falls Police Department, the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $72,030 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | — |
| Scale effective | 2026 |
Sioux Falls police officer starting pay for 2026.
Source:[siouxfalls.gov]
Pay for this work across South Dakota
Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in South Dakota, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 2,000 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $47,540 |
| Median pay | $60,740 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $91,900 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 21
- Education: Graduate of an accredited high school or a high school equivalency certificate acceptable to the Commission
- Citizenship: U.S. citizen
- At least 21 years of age at the time of appointment
- Fingerprints taken by a qualified law enforcement officer
- Good moral character
- Examined and certified by a licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner as able to perform the duties of a law enforcement officer
- In-person interview by the hiring agency
- Background investigation covering driving history, criminal history, previous employment, personal references, credit reports, social media accounts, and law enforcement training records
- Takes the oath of office
- No unlawful use of any prescribed drug, controlled substance, or marijuana within one year before applying for certification
- No prior certification revocation/suspension, consented decertification, refused certification, or dismissal from a basic academy (Commission may declare eligibility on application)
- Must complete basic certification within the first year of employment (SDCL 23-3-41; probationary appointment cannot exceed one year, two in third-class municipalities)
Source:[sdlegislature.gov]
Hiring process
- Application to a city/county law enforcement agency
- Fingerprinting
- In-person interview by the hiring agency
- Background investigation
- Medical certification by a licensed physician, PA, or nurse practitioner
- Oath of office and probationary appointment
- Basic Certification Course (520 hours) at the George S. Mickelson Criminal Justice Center, Pierre, within the first year
- Certification by the Commission
Source:[atg.sd.gov]
Required training
520 hours minimum. All full-time and part-time officers must be certified within their first year of employment by completing Law Enforcement Training's Basic Certification Course (520 hours); three courses per year in Pierre. No separate state licensing exam: students must pass end-of-phase exams (70%), the NCIC exam (75%), DWI and threat-pattern exams (80%), graded scenarios, and firearms qualification within the course (2026 Student Handbook). Out-of-state officers can qualify by reciprocity after passing a written test and about 1.5 weeks of training.[atg.sd.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: South Dakota Retirement System (SDRS), Class B Public Safety
- Benefit formula: 2% of final average compensation for each year of Class B credited service (generational members, SDCL 3-12C-1205)
- When you can retire: Generational members: normal retirement age 57 for Class B (public safety) credited service (SDCL 3-12C-1203)
Sioux Falls participates in SDRS. Generational members also get a variable retirement account (0-1.5% of pay, SDCL 3-12C-1302).
Source:[sdlegislature.gov]