Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) requires that a law enforcement officer candidate:

1. Be a citizen of the United States;
2. Have attained the minimum age as established by the hiring agency, which shall not be less than 18 years of age or as otherwise provided by law;
3. Have no prior felony convictions (including expunged convictions);
4. Possess good moral character as determined by a favorable comprehensive background investigation covering school and employment records, home environment and personal traits and integrity. Consideration will be given to all law violations, including traffic and conservation law convictions, as possibly indicating lack of good moral character.
5. Possess normal hearing, normal color vision and normal visual functions and acuity in each eye correctable to 20/20. Be free from any of the impediments of the senses, physically sound, in possession of all extremities and well developed physically, with height and weight in relation to each other as indicated by accepted medical standards.
6. Be free from physical defects, chronic diseases, organic diseases, organic functional conditions, or mental or emotional instabilities which may tend to impair the efficient performance of a law enforcement officer's duties or which might endanger the lives of others or the law enforcement officers.
7. Possess a valid Michigan vehicle operator's license.

Those who meet the MCOLES requirements listed above, have passed the pre-employment tests and have acquired a minimum of an associate's degree, are eligible to make application to the Macomb Police Academy as a pre-service (self-sponsored) candidate.

Pre-service candidates are required to provide uniforms.

Upon completion of the academy, the pre-service candidate can be hired by a Michigan law enforcement agency and certified as a police officer in Michigan.

Pre-service candidates are becoming increasingly more attractive to law enforcement agencies, because they can hire trained and certifiable people at minimal cost. The Macomb Police Academy continues to have one of the highest pre-service hiring rates of any academy in Michigan.