Hawaii POST Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• Age: Minimum 21 years old for appointment as a certified full-time police officer in Hawaii.
• Education: High school diploma or GED required; many agencies require some college credits.
• Citizenship: U.S. citizen.
• Driver license: Valid driver’s license required (Hawaii license by appointment).
• Criminal history: No felony convictions; must meet moral character and Hawaii POST standards.
• Other requirements:
  • Pass physical, medical and psychological evaluations.
  • Pass drug screening.
  • Be employed or have conditional employment with a Hawaii law enforcement agency.
  • Complete a Hawaii POST-approved basic academy program (hours vary by agency) along with state certification exam.

Physical Fitness Standards

Hawaii POST requires physical ability testing for academy entrance, and recruits must maintain fitness throughout training and certification.

• Timed aerobic run (1.5-mile or equivalent)
• Push-ups in one minute
• Sit-ups in one minute
• Agility drills (sprints, obstacle navigations)
• Defensive-tactics and job-task simulation

Hawaii does not uniformly publish a single statewide numeric chart but all certified basic academies follow Hawaii POST minimum standards.

Academy Training Requirements

Minimum academy hours: 600

Hawaii Basic Law Enforcement Officer (BLEO) programs generally run approximately 600 hours of academy instruction; some agencies exceed that minimum. (Based on statewide training-analysis data.)

Reference: Hawaii Department of the Attorney General / Peace Officer Standards & Training Section – Curriculum Standards.

Reciprocity / Lateral Entry

Hawaii offers a waiver/equivalency process for officers certified in other states or by federal/military agencies whose prior training meets Hawaii POST standards.

• Submit prior academy and service records to Hawaii POST for evaluation.
• Complete any Hawaii-specific legal, firearms or skills training if deficiencies found.
• Pass the Hawaii certification exam and meet all background, medical, psychological, and hiring standards.

Applicants should check latest guidance with Hawaii POST before transfer; eligibility depends on prior service and training recency.

POST Contact Information

Hawaii Peace Officer Standards & Training Section (POST)
417 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
Website: https://ag.hawaii.gov/post

Official POST Requirements:
https://ag.hawaii.gov/post/basic-law-enforcement-officer-training