12 Hours in 21 Days, Then Annual CE for Minnesota Private Detectives
Minnesota separates a private-detective employee’s initial PPD training from annual continuing education. The figures below identify the Board’s published training scale, deadlines, course type, and record requirements.
- Approximately 1,595
- Board-certified training courses
- 203
- Approved training providers
- 406
- Approved instructors
- Approximately 16,000
- Security and investigative professionals in Minnesota
Minnesota Board of Private Detective & Protective Agent Services Agency Overview, 2026
Minnesota Board of Private Detective & Protective Agent Services Agency Overview, 2026
Minnesota Board of Private Detective & Protective Agent Services Agency Overview, 2026
Minnesota Board of Private Detective & Protective Agent Services Agency Overview, 2026
By Sharon DeCet, Founder · Reviewed 16 Sept 2026
In brief
Minnesota requires 12 hours of certified preassignment or on-the-job training within the first 21 days of employment. Covered personnel also need six hours of certified continuing training each license year, while returning after three years or longer triggers repeat preassignment training. This is an informational summary, not legal advice.
The new-hire training clock
12 hours
Minnesota requires 12 hours of certified preassignment or on-the-job training within the first 21 days of employment.
Source: Minnesota Statutes, section 326.3361, 2025#
21 days
Minnesota DPS says the required pre-assignment training must be completed within 21 days of the hire date.
Source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety training guidance, 2026#
3 years
A person returning to private-detective or protective-agent employment after leaving the profession for three years or longer must repeat preassignment training.
Source: Minnesota Administrative Rule 7506.2600, 2003, current rule#
The annual continuing-education record
6 hours/year
License holders, qualified representatives, Minnesota managers, partners, and employees must complete six hours of certified continuing training each year.
Source: Minnesota Statutes, section 326.3361, 2025#
License year
Minnesota DPS says continuing-education and continuing-armed-training requirements follow the license year, rather than the calendar year or hire date.
Source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety training guidance, 2026#
6 additional hours/year
Individuals armed with firearms or weapons have an additional six hours of annual training, and the statute requires annual certification.
Source: Minnesota Statutes, section 326.3361, 2025#
Course type and completion proof
PPD
Minnesota DPS identifies PPD as the 12-hour Pre-assignment Private Detective course type for private-detective license holders, while PPA is the separate protective-agent course type.
Source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety training guidance, 2026#
50 minutes
Minnesota’s Board-certified-program rule treats 50 minutes as one training hour for course-hour reporting.
Source: Minnesota Administrative Rules, chapter 7506, 2003, current rule#
Completion evidence
Minnesota requires successful students to receive completion evidence showing the covered subject areas and completed hours.
Source: Minnesota Administrative Rule 7506.2600, 2003, current rule#
No endorsement
Minnesota DPS says course approval checks content and instructor requirements, not provider quality, and is not a Board endorsement.
Source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety training guidance, 2026#
Citing this page
Free to cite with attribution: “Minnesota Private Detective Training Facts, 2026, Learning Shop USA.” Each statistic above has its own anchor link — the # beside its source. Link the stat you use.
Methodology: This fact sheet uses Minnesota DPS training guidance, the Minnesota Revisor’s training statute, and current Minnesota administrative rules. It reports source language and does not provide legal advice.
As of September 10, 2026, the statute source is the 2025 Minnesota Statutes edition, DPS guidance is dated 2026, and the rules remain published on the Revisor’s current pages.
Update log: September 10, 2026, initial primary-source review completed.
Keep the employment deadline separate from the annual record
The employment deadline and the license-year continuing-education window answer different compliance questions. Use the Minnesota deadline calculator, the license-year refresher guide, or the Minnesota license-route guide to organise the applicable record.
Minnesota training cycle
Keep reading
Frequently asked
Minnesota’s statute requires 12 hours of certified preassignment or on-the-job training within the first 21 days of employment. The word preassignment in a course title does not change the statute’s stated 21-day employment window.
Minnesota Rule 7506.2600 requires completion evidence to show the subject areas covered by the certified course and the number of hours completed. Keeping that record supports the employer’s training documentation.
Minnesota DPS says continuing-education and continuing-armed-training requirements follow the license year, not the calendar year or an employee’s hire anniversary. Check the license approval or renewal window when planning annual training.
No. Minnesota DPS says Board approval is limited to checking course content and instructors against Minnesota statutes and rules. The agency says approval is not an endorsement and does not guarantee course quality.
Review the Minnesota private-detective course details
Check the course type and completion record before enrolling.
View Minnesota course