A single aperture polarimetric color imaging system includes a color filter array including a plurality of RGB filter elements in a path of received radiation that includes color band and near IR light. A linear polarizer array includes a plurality of polarization filter elements that provide a plurality of different polarization orientations that are optically aligned with the RGB filter elements. A single common pixel array includes a plurality of photodetector pixels for transducing the color band or near IR light into electrical signals after processing by the color filter array and linear polarizer array. A band select switching device switches between selectively transmitting the near IR band and color band or color band including light. A signal processor is coupled to receive and process the electrical signals from the common pixel array and generates polarimetric image data from the near IR band light and color image data from the color band or color band including light.