How to Become a Police Officer in McKinney, Texas

The license is TCOLE's. The job is McKinney's. Those are two gates. The Texas sequence is in How to Become a Police Officer in Texas. The license rules are in TCOLE peace officer license requirements. This page is McKinney's own documents.

Department listing: McKinney Police Department. Pay comparison: Texas police salary by department. Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Frisco, Mesquite, Grand Prairie, and Denton have their own hiring guides: Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Frisco, Mesquite, Grand Prairie, Denton. Houston hiring from hpdcareer.com and NEOGOV 5328764 is How to Become a Police Officer in Houston. Lubbock hiring from Recruiting, the 2025-26 pay scale, NEOGOV 5405047, and lateral 5097636 is How to Become a Police Officer in Lubbock. Amarillo hiring from Benefits/Salaries and Workday JR2397 is How to Become a Police Officer in Amarillo. Brownsville hiring from the June 13, 2025 civil service notice, Employment & Benefits, and the stay-tuned exam page is How to Become a Police Officer in Brownsville. McAllen hiring from the August 21, 2026 civil service notice, Staff Services, and the October 13, 2026 exam packet is How to Become a Police Officer in McAllen. Waco hiring from the FY 2025-2026 Civil Service Police Salary Schedule, NEOGOV 5344313, Employment, Training, and Employment Fitness Test is How to Become a Police Officer in Waco. Texas DPS hiring from Training Operations is How to Become a Texas State Trooper.

What McKinney actually is

Recruiting lives on JOIN MPD. The department home is Police. Salary & Benefits is the live pay page.

Join MPD footer phone: 972-547-7500. The live NEOGOV employer block prints 972-547-7560. ADA requests for the exam go to the Human Resources Director, P.O. Box 517, McKinney, TX 75070, jparrish@mckinneytexas.org, one week before the test date. Join MPD does not print a recruiting email on that page. The veteran page's "more than 30 percent" line is recruiting copy, not a roster count.

Minimum requirements

General Requirements is the floor printed for sworn personnel. The live exam card reprints most of it and then splits on age and on the law-enforcement door.

Citizenship. U.S. citizen at the time of application (McKinney hiring). TCOLE also licenses a legal permanent resident who is an honorably discharged veteran with two years of service and has applied for citizenship (37 TAC 217.1(b)(17)). McKinney's printed line is citizen only.

Age. Three measuring points:

1. General Requirements: 21 years old at the time of the entrance exam.
2. Police Officer Exam - Test Dates: Sep 29 & Oct 1, NEOGOV 5428594: 21 years of age at the time of application.
3. The same card's questionnaire: will you be at least 21 years of age as of the date of the entrance exam?

If you are 20, read those three lines against the date you actually have. TCOLE's own floor is 21, or 18 with an associate's degree, 60 semester hours, or an honorable discharge after two years of active service (37 TAC 217.1(b)(1)(A)). McKinney's apply door is 21 at application on the live card, and 21 at the exam on General Requirements and the questionnaire. Those are McKinney's measuring points, not TCOLE's. Read TCOLE peace officer license requirements before you spend the application.

Education. High school diploma or GED, and one of three doors. Two wordings:

1. General Requirements: 30 semester hours from a regionally accredited college and a minimum GPA of 2.0; or two years full-time active-duty military with an honorable discharge or expected honorable discharge; or two years of full-time law enforcement experience as a sworn officer, a detention officer, or in public safety communications.
2. NEOGOV 5428594: 30 hours of college from a regionally accredited university or college with a 2.0 or higher overall GPA; or two years of active duty U.S. military service with an Honorable Discharge; or two years of full-time law enforcement service in the United States as a Police Officer, Jailer, Dispatcher, or Corrections Officer.

Veteran Hiring says veterans can bypass the college requirement for application. That is the military door already listed above.

Driver's license. NEOGOV: able to obtain a valid Texas Class C driver's license (McKinney hiring). TCOLE does not require a Texas license; 37 TAC 217.1(b)(8) is that you are not prohibited from operating a motor vehicle.

Vision and hearing. General Requirements and NEOGOV: vision correctable to 20/20 with normal color vision. Pass a hearing test. Pass a physical examination and drug screen.

TCOLE. Possess a Basic Peace Officer Certification, or have the ability to obtain it within six months of employment. Meet TCOLE's legal requirements for future licensing. The state's rules are on tcole.texas.gov.

Automatic disqualifiers (Disqualifiers and 5428594): Class B conviction within the last 10 years. Family violence conviction. Conviction of any offense above a Class B misdemeanor. Currently on probation or under indictment for any criminal offense. Military discharge under less than honorable conditions, including bad conduct, dishonorable, other than honorable, or any other characterization indicating bad character. Incomplete or falsified application or Personal History Statement (NEOGOV). TCOLE also bars community supervision for family violence, and a Class A conviction is a lifetime bar (37 TAC 217.1(b)(4), (b)(6), (b)(7)).

Drugs. Admission of illegal use within three years prior to the entrance exam. Marijuana is case by case. Any illegal use of PCP or LSD, regardless of time. Any illegal use of a felony-grade substance, including a prescription not prescribed to you, within ten years prior to the exam. Extensive use is case by case (number of times, length of usage, lifestyle improvements).

Driving. Suspended or revoked license. Serious violations (reckless driving, endangering lives of others, racing, failing to stop and render aid, negligent vehicular manslaughter) within the past three years. Excessive standard moving violations.

Tattoos. Disqualifiers and FAQ: neck, head, face, ears, and hands are prohibited. Other visible tattoos must be approved by the Chief before they show in uniform. NEOGOV adds: finger tattoos such as a wedding band may be acceptable after Chief approval; gauges, intentional scarring, branding, body mutilation, pierced or forked tongue, foreign objects under the skin on hands, neck, face, and head, and dental ornamentation are prohibited.

No residency requirement. FAQ: none.

Step-by-step hiring process

1. Apply on the live exam card. JOIN MPD said on 2026-08-21 that the city is currently accepting applications for the Police Officer Exam. Once the application is accepted, you choose Tuesday, Sept. 29 or Thursday, Oct. 1. Make sure you can attend one of those dates before you apply. If you finish the process, Join MPD prints employment start dates in January or February 2027.

The Apply Now control on that page is NEOGOV 5428594, job 252600258, opened July 31, 2026, Closing Continuous, salary $83,992.23-$112,576.89. That card names the same two test dates. It says employment is expected to begin in January or February, with no year. It also says the posting remains open until the maximum allotted number of candidates for each test date has been reached.

An older posting, NEOGOV 5307297, job 252600187, closed May 29, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Central. Title: Police Officer Exam - Test Dates: June 16 & June 18. Opening April 14, 2026. That card is closed. Apply on 5428594.

What to Expect: Human Resources emails qualified applicants with test date, location, and time. Guardian Alliance sends a second email for the Personal History Questionnaire.

2. Written exam. 5428594: 100 questions, two hours and 30 minutes. Reading, math, writing ability, human relations, reasoning and analyzing. Pass is 70. Study-guide information is sent after you submit an employment application. Photo identification and the physical fitness release form at check-in. Late check-ins are not acceptable. Wear the attire listed in the examination email.

ADA: written request one week prior to the test date, to the Human Resources Director at the address above.

3. Row the same day if you pass. Fail the written and processing stops. Pass, and the Concept2 test is the same day. Athletic shoes and workout attire. Bring water.

4. Background through medical. After a background investigator reviews the personal history, the next steps (order set by needs and schedules; you only move after you pass the previous step):

What to Expect: preliminary PHS review and interview, thorough background investigation, Oral Review Board, interview with the Chief, polygraph, psychological examination, medical exam.

NEOGOV 5428594 adds a conditional job offer between the Chief interview and the polygraph.

FAQ: the process generally takes three to four months. NEOGOV: 3-6 months for candidates who complete all pre-employment screenings. Out-of-state FAQ: generally two trips, not guaranteed.

Ride-along: FAQ encourages it once you are an active applicant. Contact a recruiter to schedule.

Physical agility

McKinney's test is a 2,000-meter indoor row on a Concept2 machine, damper set to 5, minimum 60 percent. Same day as a passing written exam.

Physical Fitness Test points at the DPS row calculator: https://www.dps.texas.gov/apps/TOD/FitnessWellness/concept2RowerCalc.htm. Select your gender and age range, enter your weight, then put 60 in the Percent box. The time listed is the maximum time to row 2,000 meters.

The same page links Concept2's 2000m 12-week and 4-week plans, and a technique video.

Academy and field training

FAQ: the academy is approximately six months. After graduation, the MPD Recruit Training Academy (agency paperwork, systems, policy) lasts approximately six weeks. Field training lasts 12 weeks unless remedial training is necessary. The city pays academy tuition, gear, and recruit pay. After academy graduation you move from Recruit pay to Officer Step 1. Then one step on each annual anniversary.

What to Expect: non-TCOLE candidates attend a designated academy, approximately six months, tuition and supplies paid, salary during academy, then in-house training, then approximately 13 weeks of field training. TCOLE-certified officers attend the in-house academy for approximately seven weeks, then field training.

Occupations Code §1701.2551 sets the basic peace officer course at no less than 720 hours. That is the state floor, not McKinney's clock. Daily academy life is in Texas Police Academy: What to Expect. You are paid the recruit cell, $83,992.23, until you finish the academy and hold the Texas Peace Officer Certification. Then the plan moves you to Police Officer Step 1, $88,412.87.

Pay and benefits

Base (Police Step Pay Plan), annual, January 26, 2026, rates on the February 13, 2026 pay. Hourly in parentheses, as the plan prints them.

Recruit (P09, job 9640):

• $83,992.23 ($40.3809)

Police Officer (P10, job 9641):

• Step 1: $88,412.87 ($42.5062)
• Step 2: $91,433.37 ($43.9584)
• Step 3: $94,453.88 ($45.4105)
• Step 4: $97,474.38 ($46.8627)
• Step 5: $100,494.88 ($48.3148)
• Step 6: $103,515.38 ($49.7670)
• Step 7: $106,535.89 ($51.2192)
• Step 8: $109,556.39 ($52.6713)
• Step 9: $112,576.89 ($54.1235)

Salary & Benefits reprints those same dollars as Recruit, Academy Graduate, then "2 years of service" through "9+ years of service," effective Jan. 26, 2026. Academy Graduate is Step 1. "2 years of service" is Step 2. Those labels are the salary page's, not extra steps. NEOGOV prints $40.38-$54.12 hourly, which is recruit through Step 9 rounded.

Salary page recruiting, not a second pay plan.

• Salary and benefits while attending the academy
• Paid sick leave and holidays
• Fifteen days a year of paid vacation
• Longevity pay
• Education reimbursement up to 100 percent
• Twelve-hour shifts
• TMRS: officer contribution 7 percent, city matches 2:1. Vested after five years. Eligible for retirement after 20 years
• Life, health, and dental insurance
• Furnished uniforms and equipment, including a Glock (red-dot sights approved after the course)
• Monthly certification pay: $50 Intermediate / $80 Advanced / $110 Master
• Monthly education pay: $50 Associates / $100 Bachelors / $150 Masters

GI Bill during academy training if the academy is at a college location, plus 15 days of paid reserve duty each year, on the veteran page. Eligibility required.

Lateral officers

Already licensed? One exam card, then the Chief reviews your file.

Texas-certified officers still run the full hiring sequence. FAQ: you bypass the basic academy and enter the Recruit Training Academy, then field training. You may start at a higher step based on years of service. See the step plan under Salary & Benefits.

Out-of-state certified officers: still the full sequence. Each candidate is evaluated case by case for the lateral Supplemental Peace Officer Course (challenge the state exam, in-house training) versus a paid academy. Salary page: laterals enter based on years of full-time peace officer experience, with no maximum step cutoff. Time in an academy, correctional service, or as a military police officer does not count as time in service for lateral entry. The Chief makes the final decision.

Join MPD: laterals start at pay equivalent to years of service, up to Step 9 at $112,576.89, and a paid Supplemental Peace Officer course and test.

Patrol is the first assignment. FAQ: two years in Patrol before you can assess for a specialized unit. SWAT is an ancillary duty on top of the primary assignment.

How to prepare this month

1. Open JOIN MPD and NEOGOV 5428594. Confirm you can sit Sept. 29 or Oct. 1, and that a January or February 2027 start works. The June card 5307297 is closed.
2. Run the 60 percent row standard, damper 5, 2000 meters.
3. If you are using the college door, confirm 30 hours and a 2.0 GPA from a regionally accredited school. If you are using the military or law-enforcement door, read both wordings. If you are 20, you are not 21 at application or at the exam.
4. Fire dollars live on DocumentCenter 21265. This page covers McKinney police, not fire.

What to do this week

Open JOIN MPD. Call 972-547-7500. Ask whether Sept. 29 or Oct. 1 still has seats, because 5428594 says the card can fill before the dates. Then train the row to 60 percent.

Sources

• Police Step Pay Plan (Jan 26, 2026; rates on Feb 13, 2026 pay; recruit $83,992.23; officer Step 1 $88,412.87; Step 9 $112,576.89; retrieved 2026-08-21)
• JOIN MPD (currently accepting; Sept. 29 / Oct. 1; start Jan/Feb 2027; retrieved 2026-08-21)
• Salary & Benefits (retrieved 2026-08-21)
• General Requirements (retrieved 2026-08-21)
• Disqualifiers (retrieved 2026-08-21)
• Physical Fitness Test (2000m, damper 5, 60 percent; retrieved 2026-08-21)
• DPS Concept 2 Rower Calculator (enter gender, age, weight, then 60 in the Percent box; retrieved 2026-08-22)
• What to Expect (retrieved 2026-08-21)
• Veteran Hiring (retrieved 2026-08-21)
• Police Employment FAQ (retrieved 2026-08-21)
• Police (retrieved 2026-08-21)
• NEOGOV 5428594 (job 252600258; $83,992.23-$112,576.89; opened 07/31/2026; Continuous; Sep 29 & Oct 1; retrieved 2026-08-21)
• NEOGOV 5307297 (job 252600187; closed 5/29/2026; June dates on that closed card; retrieved 2026-08-21)
• Adopted 37 TAC §217.1, effective June 1, 2026 (TCOLE license floor; retrieved 2026-08-21)