Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii and the state’s largest city, with a population of over 344,000.1 The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for the City and County of Honolulu, and its jurisdiction covers the entire island of Oahu — approximately 596 square miles with an island population of roughly one million residents.2 As of March 2025, HPD had 1,722 sworn officers and 455 vacancies, meaning the department has hundreds of open positions to fill and is actively recruiting.3 HPD recruits for two sworn tracks: entry-level Metropolitan Police Recruit (MPR) and Lateral-Entry Police Officer for experienced officers from other jurisdictions. Men and women who want to join the Honolulu Police Department will find information on the application, selection, and training process below.

Honolulu Police Officer Requirements

To join HPD as an entry-level Metropolitan Police Recruit, candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:4

  • Be at least 20 years old at the time of application and 21 by police academy graduation; there is no upper age limit
  • Be a US citizen, US national, or legal permanent resident
  • Hold a valid government-issued driver’s license at the time of application (permits are not accepted)
  • Have a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent
  • Meet all federal and state eligibility requirements to possess a firearm, including no felony convictions and no misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence, other violent crimes, or illegal drug sales
  • Have visual acuity of 20/20 in both eyes, corrected or uncorrected, with normal color vision and no significant loss of peripheral vision
  • Meet the department’s hearing standards based on pure-tone threshold testing
  • Pass the department’s selection standards, which are reviewed during the background investigation

Each case is evaluated individually, and the department publishes a list of common disqualifiers — criminal history, recent drug use, domestic violence, dishonesty during the application process, and traffic or employment issues among them — on its selection standards page. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are invited to self-schedule the entrance exam, a two-hour, 169-question multiple-choice test covering observation, written communication, reading comprehension, reasoning, and biographical data; a score of at least 70 is required to advance. Candidates who pass then complete the Physical Readiness Assessment, a Personal History Statement with fingerprinting, and a background investigation and clarification interview. Those who receive a Conditional Offer of Employment undergo a polygraph, a psychological exam and interview, and a medical exam before receiving a final offer. Recruit classes start in January, April, July, and October.5

For more information about becoming a law enforcement officer in a city like Honolulu, check out 10 Steps to Becoming a Police Officer on our home page. For full details on each step and to apply, visit the Join HPD recruitment site.

Ke Kula Maka’i, the Honolulu Police Academy

HPD recruits train at Ke Kula Maka’i, the department’s own academy in Waipahu. The program runs approximately six months, with classes held roughly 6:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Monday through Friday; it is a commuter academy, not a live-in facility. Coursework covers laws, policies, and procedures; control and arrest tactics; firearms; emergency vehicle operation; and physical fitness, along with other tactical and legal topics. After graduation, recruits complete the Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP) paired with veteran officers across Oahu. Officers who successfully complete FTEP are typically assigned to 4th Watch for foot patrol in Waikiki and downtown Honolulu.6

Salary, Benefits, and Jobs Outlook

Honolulu police pay is set by the collective bargaining agreement between the City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO). Metropolitan Police Recruits earn the pre-sworn rate throughout academy training, field training, and their first year (4th Watch). Once recruits successfully complete probation, they move to the Metropolitan Police Officer (MPO) base scale and become eligible for automatic step increases under the CBA. The figures below reflect the base salary schedule in effect July 1, 2025.7

Service TimeAnnual Base SalaryMonthly Base
Metropolitan Police Recruit (academy, FTEP, 4th Watch)*$79,812$6,651
Metropolitan Police Officer (post-probation starting)*$82,956$6,913
Metropolitan Police Officer (top step)*$118,680$9,890

*Base pay only. Most officers also receive a monthly Standards of Conduct Differential (SOCD), which raises annual pay to $87,716 for recruits, $90,860 at the MPO entry step, and $126,584 at the top step.7

Additional pay may include night differential, hazard pay (for example, a 25% increase for solo bike duty), special-duty pay ranging from $50 to $85 per hour, meal allowances during overtime, and a subsidized vehicle allowance. Officers receive 21 days of paid vacation, 21 days of paid sick leave, and 13 paid holidays (14 in election years), along with city-subsidized medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage. Tuition reimbursement of up to $600 per session and $9,600 per fiscal year is available for approved law-enforcement-related undergraduate coursework. Honolulu officers participate in the Hawaii Employees’ Retirement System with a 2.25% multiplier, vest after ten years, and can retire without an age penalty after 25 years of credited service.7

In Hawaii, employment of police and sheriff’s patrol officers is projected to grow 3.2% from 2022 to 2032, with approximately 190 new positions added each year on average, according to Projections Central.8 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are approximately 1,630 police and sheriff’s patrol officers working in the Urban Honolulu metropolitan area, earning a mean annual wage of $94,690 as of May 2024.9 The number of officers hired in any given year also depends on retirements, the Honolulu City Council’s public safety budget, and the pace at which recruit classes fill. Find open Honolulu police officer listings on our jobs board.

Career Advancement at HPD

Honolulu officers begin their careers as Metropolitan Police Officers on patrol. After gaining patrol experience, officers may apply for specialized assignments in the Criminal Investigation Division, Specialized Services Division (which includes SWAT and the Bomb Unit), Scientific Investigation Section, Traffic Division, K-9, or Community Policing, among others. Promotion to sergeant, lieutenant, and captain is based on time in grade and performance on a civil-service promotional examination administered by the department’s Human Resources Division. Majors, captains, and assistant chiefs are appointed from the command ranks. The 2025 SHOPO contract delivers a 27.5% cumulative pay increase to Honolulu officers over four years, lifting pay at every rank from recruit through sergeant and above.10

Cities and Police Departments Near Honolulu

Because HPD serves the entire island of Oahu, the Urban Honolulu metropolitan area is a single-department jurisdiction; neighboring agencies are located on other Hawaiian islands. Law enforcement professionals interested in a Hawaii career can also explore opportunities with the Hawaiʻi Police Department on the Big Island, the Maui Police Department, and the Kauaʻi Police Department. For more information about police departments across the state, see our Hawaii page.

Additional Resources

Honolulu Police Department Contact

1. US Census Bureau, QuickFacts, Urban Honolulu CDP, Hawaii (Vintage 2024): https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/urbanhonolulucdphawaii
2. Honolulu Police Department, About Us: https://www.honolulupd.org/about-us/
3. Hawaii News Now, “City councilmember asks police chief’s resignation if HPD vacancies hit 475,” March 20, 2025: https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/03/20/city-councilmember-asks-police-chiefs-resignation-if-hpd-vacancies-hit-475/
4. Join HPD, Minimum Qualifications — Metropolitan Police Recruit: https://www.joinhonolulupd.org/minimum-qualifications1.html
5. Join HPD, Application Process for Entry-Level Police Recruits: https://www.joinhonolulupd.org/application-process5.html
6. Join HPD, Police Academy (Ke Kula Maka’i): https://www.joinhonolulupd.org/police-academy.html
7. Join HPD, Salary + Benefits — Metropolitan Police Recruit: https://www.joinhonolulupd.org/salary–benefits3.html
8. Projections Central, Long-Term Occupational Projections, Hawaii: https://projectionscentral.org/longterm
9. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Urban Honolulu, HI: https://data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0046520
10. State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers: https://shopohawaii.org/article/shopo-seats-new-leadership-following-275-pay-increase