A method performed in a packet processor core for policing a packet through a runtime configurable hierarchical policer at line rate, the hierarchical policer coupled to one or more policing requestors, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, from one of the policing requestors, a policer request to perform hierarchical packet policing, wherein the policer request comprises packet characteristics and identifies request configuration information; retrieving a plurality meter states from meter state storage, each meter state specified by the request configuration information for one of the plurality of meters, wherein the retrieving comprises the steps of: checking a meter state cache for the presence of each meter state; retrieving, from the meter cache, each meter state found in the meter cache; retrieving, from a meter state memory, each meter state not found in the meter cache; and loading, into the meter state cache, each meter state retrieved from the meter state memory; processing one or more of the packet characteristics through each meter to generate a meter result indicating how one or more of the packet characteristics compare to that meter's specified meter state; generating a hierarchical policer table lookup address using a plurality of meter types, a plurality of input color controls, one or more of the packet characteristics, the plurality of meter results, and the plurality of coupling algorithm identifiers; reading a hierarchical meter result from a hierarchical policer result table, wherein the hierarchical meter result contains at least a final output packet attribute that classifies the packet, and wherein the hierarchical meter result further comprises a meter state update indicator that indicates one or more meter states to be updated and the meter states are updated in the meter state cache; updating one or more of the meter states based, in part, on the plurality of meter state results; and returning the final packet output to the policing requestor. receiving, from one of the policing requestors, a policer request to perform hierarchical packet policing, wherein the policer request comprises packet characteristics and identifies request configuration information; retrieving a plurality meter states from meter state storage, each meter state specified by the request configuration information for one of the plurality of meters, wherein the retrieving comprises the steps of: checking a meter state cache for the presence of each meter state; retrieving, from the meter cache, each meter state found in the meter cache; retrieving, from a meter state memory, each meter state not found in the meter cache; and loading, into the meter state cache, each meter state retrieved from the meter state memory; checking a meter state cache for the presence of each meter state; retrieving, from the meter cache, each meter state found in the meter cache; retrieving, from a meter state memory, each meter state not found in the meter cache; and loading, into the meter state cache, each meter state retrieved from the meter state memory; processing one or more of the packet characteristics through each meter to generate a meter result indicating how one or more of the packet characteristics compare to that meter's specified meter state; generating a hierarchical policer table lookup address using a plurality of meter types, a plurality of input color controls, one or more of the packet characteristics, the plurality of meter results, and the plurality of coupling algorithm identifiers; reading a hierarchical meter result from a hierarchical policer result table, wherein the hierarchical meter result contains at least a final output packet attribute that classifies the packet, and wherein the hierarchical meter result further comprises a meter state update indicator that indicates one or more meter states to be updated and the meter states are updated in the meter state cache; updating one or more of the meter states based, in part, on the plurality of meter state results; and returning the final packet output to the policing requestor.