New Mexico
New Mexico Police Academy Requirements and New Mexico Police Officer Qualifications
- Must be 21 years of age at the time of graduation. There is no upper age limit.
- Possess a High School Diploma or GED.
- Attend our Academy and receive 30 hours from the San Juan College. Officers then have two years after the date of graduation to attend college part-time to meet the total requirement of 60 college hours required by law.
Or…
- Possess 30 college hours in any subject and attend our Academy, which is accredited for 30 college hours through the San Juan College in Farmington, NM. Applicants will be required to pay for enrollment and fees.
Or…
- Possess 60 college hours in any subject.
- Must be a United States Citizen.
- Must be in excellent physical health with no conditions which would restrict ability to effectively perform the duties of a State Police Officer.
- 20/30 corrected vision or 20/100 uncorrected vision, normal depth perception, and satisfactory color vision.
- Must have no felony convictions, history of criminal activity, improper conduct, or poor driving record which may affect suitability for law enforcement work.
- Obtain a valid New Mexico driver’s license prior to being commissioned as a New Mexico State Police Officer.
- Must be willing to accept assignment anywhere in the state of New Mexico.
- While in the academy, our recruits can earn up to 30 credit hours from San Juan College. The SJC courses recruits earn credit for include:
- ENGL 218 Technical Writing
- PLSC 110 Introduction to Criminal Justice
- POLI 120 Law
- POLI 130 Patrol, Communication, and Investigation
- POLI 235 Traffic
- POLI 240 First Responder for Law Enforcement
- POLI 245 Police Proficiency I
- POLI 246 Police Proficiency II
- POLI 247 Police Proficiency III
- PHED 116 Physical Education
The 60 credit hours required must be made up of unique credits – that is, credit for these same courses previously taken at San Juan College or from another college that would transfer as equivalents to these courses may not be counted in addition to the hours earned in the academy. Final decisions on the applicability of credit in our program lie with the New Mexico State Police and San Juan College.
