Military police officer: role, training and pay in the Canadian Armed Forces
The military police officer is a peace officer of the Canadian Armed Forces. Their role, the enrolment requirements, training in Borden and the official pay.
Full guide: Peace officer in Quebec
The military police officer is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces in Canada appointed under section 156 of the National Defence Act. The Criminal Code recognizes them as a peace officer. Once a corporal, they receive $7,606 to $8,071 a month according to the National Defence rates in effect since April 1, 2025. This text applies to women and men police officers alike.
The military police officer's role
The "Police militaire" profile on forces.ca describes a police service that serves the military community 24 hours a day: Regular Force and Reserve members, civilian employees, cadets and families. It has more than 1,250 full-time members. Here are the responsibilities the profile lists.
- Investigate and report on military and criminal offences
- Prevent crime in military communities
- Coordinate tasks related to detained persons, including military detainees and prisoners of war
- Provide security for certain Canadian embassies
- Control traffic and investigate road accidents
- Support Canadian Armed Forces missions at home and abroad
A peace officer appointed by law
Section 156 of the National Defence Act allows officers and non-commissioned members appointed as military police to detain or arrest without a warrant any person subject to the Code of Service Discipline, whatever their rank. Section 2 of the Criminal Code includes among peace officers the officers and non-commissioned members of the Canadian Forces appointed for the purposes of that section 156.
The head of the military police holds the title of Canadian Forces Provost Marshal. Section 18.3 of the Act requires that they have been a military police officer for at least ten years and hold at least the rank of colonel. Their term lasts four years at most and is renewable. Section 18.4 gives them responsibility for the selection and training standards for candidates.
Enrolment requirements
Forces.ca requires every non-commissioned member candidate to be at least 17 years old and to have Canadian citizenship or permanent residence. A permanent resident proves three years of physical presence in Canada. The military police adds its own requirements.
- A diploma from an approved program at a post-secondary institution
- A valid provincial driver's licence
- An orientation session and an aptitude assessment at the Military Police Assessment Centre
The profile does not name the college diploma in Police Technology. It says the ideal candidate holds a diploma in law and security administration, police foundations or a similar college program. The list of approved programs can be requested from the recruiter.
Training
The recruit first takes Basic Military Qualification at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Forces.ca sets its length at 9 weeks. They then take the basic military police course at the Canadian Forces Military Police Academy, in Borden, Ontario. This course lasts six months and covers civil law, Canadian military law and investigation techniques.
The military police officer (commissioned officer) follows a different path. Their Basic Military Qualification lasts 12 weeks and their military police officer qualification, given in Borden, lasts six months.
The military police officer's pay
National Defence publishes the monthly pay of the Regular Force on canada.ca, effective April 1, 2025. Its list of occupational groups places the military police in the Specialist 1 pay group, from the rank of corporal to master warrant officer, with the DP5A qualification. Before the rank of corporal, the military police officer receives private's pay.
| Rank | Basic monthly pay | Top increment | Top increment over 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private | $4,337 | $5,994 | $71,928 |
| Corporal, Specialist 1 | $7,606 | $8,071 | $96,852 |
| Master corporal, Specialist 1 | $7,830 | $8,367 | $100,404 |
| Sergeant, Specialist 1 | $8,675 | $9,006 | $108,072 |
Source: National Defence, Regular Force pay by rank, rates effective April 1, 2025. The annual column is an editorial calculation, without allowances.
The private's basic pay gives $52,044 over 12 months, and the Specialist 1 corporal's gives $91,272. Forces.ca writes that a Regular Force recruit earns between $4,337 and $5,484 a month during basic training. The profile also advertises a signing bonus for the Regular Force, without giving the amount.
The difference with a civilian police officer in Quebec
| Military police officer | Quebec police officer | |
|---|---|---|
| Law | National Defence Act, section 156 | Police Act, chapter P-13.1 |
| Status | Peace officer under section 2 of the Criminal Code | Peace officer throughout Quebec, section 49 |
| Citizenship | Canadian citizen or permanent resident | Canadian citizen, section 115 |
| School | Canadian Forces Military Police Academy, in Borden | École nationale de police du Québec (Quebec's police academy), police patrol diploma |
| Workplace | Military bases in Canada and operations abroad | The police force's territory |
The military police officer is first and foremost a soldier. Forces.ca warns that they must expect to move during their career and that they can be deployed anywhere in the world. The conduct of a military police officer can be the subject of a complaint under section 250.18 of the National Defence Act. Section 250.1 creates the Military Police Complaints Commission, made up of no more than five members.
The Reserve works differently. Forces.ca specifies that the Primary Reserve military police is not made up of accredited police officers. Secondary V is enough there and positions generally go to candidates who live less than 100 km from the unit.
This text summarizes laws and public documents. It is neither legal advice nor union advice.
Further reading
- Military police officer (commissioned) and Reserve: two other ways to become a military police officer
- Military police in Canada: organization, jurisdiction and oversight of military police officers
- How to become a police officer in Quebec: the path step by step
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Frequently asked questions
What is the role of the military police?
The military police enforces laws and regulations at Canadian Armed Forces establishments, in Canada and abroad. According to forces.ca, it investigates military and criminal offences, prevents crime and handles detained persons. It also provides security for certain Canadian embassies.
What is the military police?
It is the police service of the Canadian Armed Forces. Forces.ca credits it with more than 1,250 full-time members. Its members are appointed under section 156 of the National Defence Act and are peace officers under section 2 of the Criminal Code.
What is the military police called?
Forces.ca calls the occupation "Military Police" and its members military police officers. The National Defence Act uses the term "military police". Their head is the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal, described in section 18.3 of that Act.
What is the average salary of a military police officer in Canada?
National Defence publishes no average salary. It publishes pay by rank. A military police corporal, classed Specialist 1, receives $7,606 to $8,071 a month since April 1, 2025, or $91,272 to $96,852 over 12 months by our calculation.
What training do you need to become a military police officer in Canada?
You need a diploma from an approved program at a post-secondary institution and a valid provincial driver's licence. Next come the 9-week Basic Military Qualification in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, then the six-month basic military police course in Borden, Ontario.
How can I join the Canadian Army?
Forces.ca requires you to be at least 17 for a non-commissioned member, with a parent's consent before 18. You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and have completed Secondary IV in Quebec. The military police also requires an approved post-secondary diploma.
What is a private's pay?
The monthly pay of a Regular Force private is $4,337 at the base, $4,987 at the second increment and $5,994 at the third, effective April 1, 2025. Over 12 months, that gives $52,044 to $71,928 by our calculation. These rates come from National Defence.
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Sources
- Canadian Armed Forces, Police militaire, career profile, consulted on October 10, 2026
- Canadian Armed Forces, Officier de la police militaire, career profile, consulted on October 10, 2026
- Canadian Armed Forces, S'enrôler dans les Forces armées canadiennes, consulted on October 10, 2026
- Canadian Armed Forces, La vie dans les forces, pay and benefits, consulted on October 10, 2026
- National Defence, Solde de la Force régulière selon le grade, rates effective April 1, 2025, consulted on October 10, 2026
- National Defence, Taux de solde des militaires du rang spécialistes de la Force régulière et du service de réserve de classe C, consulted on October 10, 2026
- Government of Canada, Loi sur la défense nationale, R.S.C. (1985), c. N-5, sections 18.3, 18.4, 156, 250.1 and 250.18, up to date as of September 21, 2026
- Government of Canada, Code criminel, R.S.C. (1985), c. C-46, section 2, definition of peace officer, up to date as of September 21, 2026
- Gouvernement du Québec, Police Act, chapter P-13.1, sections 49 and 115, up to date as of August 12, 2026