MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Appropriations
By: Senator(s) Hopson
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 45-1-12, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE SALARY SCHEDULE OF OFFICERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI HIGHWAY PATROL AND THE MISSISSIPPI BUREAU OF NARCOTICS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 45-1-12, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
45-1-12. (1) The salaries of all officers of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol who have completed the course of instruction in an authorized highway patrol training school on general law enforcement, and are serving as a sworn officer of the Highway Patrol in the enforcement of the laws of the State of Mississippi, including service in any other division of the Department of Public Safety, and the sworn law enforcement officers of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, shall be determined and paid in accordance with the scale for officers salaries as provided in this subsection:
Department of Public Safety Sworn Officers Salary Schedule
Rank Years of Experience
Less than 4 Over 4 Over 8 Over 12
Trooper * * *65,000
Trooper FC * * *68,000
Corporal * * *71,000
Sergeant * * *73,750
Rank Years of Experience
Over 16 Over 20 Over 24 Over 29
Staff Sgt. * * *76,750
Sr. Staff Sgt. * * *79,750
Sgt. 1st Class * * *83,000 * * *
86,000
Promotional Rank Years of Experience
Over 5 Over 10 Over 15 Over 20 Over 25 Over 29
Master Sgt. * * *
79,750 82,500 85,500 88,500 91,500 94,250
Lieutenant * * *
89,500 92,500 95,500 98,500 101,500 104,500
Captain * * *
102,750 106,000 109,250 112,500 115,500
* * *
Major * * *122,000
Lt. Colonel * * *131,500
Colonel
* * *142,750
Department of Public Safety/MS Bureau of Narcotics
Sworn Officers Salary Schedule
Rank Years of Experience
Less than 4 Over 4 Over 8 Over 12
LE-Agent I * * *65,000
LE-Agent II * * *68,000
LE-Agent III * * *71,000
LE-Agent IV * * *
73,750
Rank Years of Experience
Over 16 Over 20 Over 24 Over 29
LE-Agent V * * *76,750
LE-Agent VI * * *79,750
* * *LE-Agent VII * * *83,000
* * *LE-Agent VIII * * *
86,000
Promotional Rank Years of Experience
Over 5 Over 10 Over 15 Over 20 Over 25 Over 29
Master Sgt. * * *
79,750 82,500 85,500 88,500 91,500 94,250
Lieutenant * * *
89,500 92,500 95,500 98,500 101,500 104,500
Captain * * *
102,750 106,000 109,250 112,500 115,500
* * *
Major * * *122,000
Lt. Colonel * * *131,500
Colonel * * *142,750
(2) All sworn officers in the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics employed on a full-time basis shall be paid a salary in accordance with the above scale. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any rank of any sworn officer not based upon a merit-based promotion or years of experience shall be at the will and pleasure of the appointing authority as approved by the State Personnel Board. The rank and years of experience of each sworn officer to be used in establishing the salary shall be determined by the rank and years of experience on July 1 of the current fiscal year.
(3) For purposes of applying the rank designation to the above scale, the following job classifications of the State Personnel Board shall be applicable for the Mississippi Highway Patrol:
Rank Job Classes
(a) Trooper DPS-Highway Patrol Officer I
* * *
(b) Trooper First Class DPS-Highway Patrol Officer II
* * *
(c) Corporal DPS-Highway Patrol Officer III
* * *
(d) Sergeant DPS-Highway Patrol Officer IV
* * *
(e) Staff Sergeant DPS-Highway Patrol Officer V
(f) Senior Staff Sergeant DPS-Highway Patrol Officer VI
* * *
(g) Sergeant First Class DPS-Highway Patrol Officer VII
( * * *h)Master * * * Sergeant DPS-Assistant
Inspector
* * *
DPS-Investigator I
* * *
( * * *i) Lieutenant * * *
* * *DPS-District Executive
Officer
* * *
DPS-Branch Director
* * *
* * *LE-District Investigator
( * * *j) Captain DPS-Staff
Officer (MHP)
( * * *k) Major DPS-Bureau
Director II
( * * *l) * * *Lieutenant Colonel DPS-Deputy
Administrator;
* * *
( * * *m) Colonel * * * Dir-Office of MS Hwy Safety
Patrol
(4) For purposes of applying the rank designation to the above scale, the following job classifications of the State Personnel Board shall be applicable for the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics:
Rank Job Classes
(a) * * * Agent LE-Agent I
LE-Agent II
LE-Agent III
LE-Agent IV
LE-Agent V
LE-Agent VI
LE-Agent VII
(b) Master Sergeant BN-Investigator I
( * * *c) Lieutenant BN-District
Investigator (LT)
( * * *d) Captain BN-District
Commander
( * * *e) Major BN-Bureau
Director II
* * *
( * * *f) * * *Lieutenant Colonel BN-Deputy
Administrator
( * * *g) Colonel Director,
Bureau of Narcotics
(5) In any fiscal year after July 1, 2015, in the event the Legislature provides across-the-board salary increases to state employees whose compensation is paid from the State General Fund and subject to specific appropriation therefor by the Legislature, the State Personnel Board shall revise the salary scale above to provide the same percentage or dollar amount increase as has been appropriated for other state employees.
(6) It shall be the duty of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to file with the Legislative Budget Office and the State Fiscal Officer such data and information as may be required to enable the said Legislative Budget Office and State Fiscal Officer to budget and distribute the funds necessary to compensate the sworn officers of the Department of Public Safety according to the requirements of the salary scale. Such data and information so filed may be revised from time to time as necessitated to reflect the current number and experience of sworn officers employed by the department.
(7) The Commissioner of Public Safety, with approval by the State Personnel Board, is authorized to set the salaries equitably of sworn law enforcement officers assigned to the Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and Capitol Police based upon the pay scale contained in this section.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2026.