What Is The Age Requirement To Be A Police Officer

Indiana Police Officer Requirements

Police Jobs : What Are the Requirements to Become a Police Officer?

Unlike most other states, there is no state-level organization that enforces standards for police hiring in Indiana. Recruits must meet the standards of the police department to which they apply, which may be a local police department, sheriffs office, or an agency like the Indiana State Police. Qualifications that are common across most departments include requiring that candidates must:

Have US citizenship
Be a minimum age of 21
Hold high school diploma or GED
Hold valid drivers license
Not have any felony convictions or convictions for serious misdemeanors

Departments also typically follow the same selection process, which will include a written exam, a physical fitness test, a medical exam, a psychological evaluation, and a drug test. Applicants should also expect to undergo a comprehensive background check.

Once offered employment, a candidate must complete training at a police academy within one year. Recruits who are sponsored but not officially hired may become tuition-paying students at an academy. While there are no state requirements for police hiring, there are state requirements for entering and graduating from an in-state basic training academy certified by the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board. These physical fitness standards include the ability to:

Jump vertically at least 13.5 inches
Complete 24 sit-ups in one minute
Run 300 meters in 82 seconds
Complete 21 push-ups
Run 1.5 miles within 18 minutes and 56 seconds

What Is The Employment Process

From there, the employment process to become a police officer in California is:

Submit an application.
You must pass a number of background checks that may include a polygraph. Past behavior will be closely scrutinized,reads the LAPD recruitment website, and only candidates with the highest probability of success will be appointed as Police Officers.
Undergo a medical exam.
Some counties also require a Personal Qualifications Essay . In Los Angeles, a score of over 70 is required to be added to a list of qualified candidates. You may re-take this test again in 6 months if you dont get a high enough score.

It can take anywhere between six months to a year to complete the hiring process.

New York Police Officer Requirements

To become one of New Yorks finest, there are a number of requirements candidates must meet. Although the specific requirements can change from department to department, all aspiring cops must:

Be between 20 and 35 years of age
Have a high school diploma or GED
Have proportionate height and weight
Be of good moral character
Not have any disqualifying felony or misdemeanor convictions

Also Check: How Much Does Police Training Cost

What Law Enforcement Can Learn From The Military

I spent 22 years in the USAF Security Forces. Airmen at 18 carry weapons and are entrusted with the security of nuclear weapons one day, conducting law enforcement activities the next and deployed to a war zone the next. One thing I found over the years is that age and book smarts do not guarantee youll be a good officer. Setting an age limit that substantially reduces your pool of potential applicants is counterproductive. John C. Brocker

I do think that 21 is reasonable. We send 18-year-olds to war equipped with significant firepower, but they are normally closely supervised by NCOs who are older and more experienced. In law enforcement, there is far less direct supervision, widely varying situations but extreme scrutiny after the fact. A few more years to mellow a bit and experience life seems prudent for law enforcement, but 25 years of age seems extreme. J. Filice

If I can serve my country in the military at 18 the same rule should apply to serving my country domestically. Science does show that cognitively individuals are still developing until their mid- to late-20s, however, age does not factor in lived experiences that influence the ability to process or connect with others during traumatic experiences. Those prior life experiences can lend more credence for the officer supporting their community and increased empathy. These should ALL be factors taken into consideration when choosing the proper application, not solely based on age. Angela Matthews

Florida Police Jobs Outlook

The future for law enforcement careers in Florida looks quite promising. Through 2026, police and sheriffs patrol officer positions in Florida are expected to increase by 12.9%.9 There will be an estimated 3,270 average annual openings for law enforcement in Florida, including replacements.9 Many new officers will be needed to replace the high number of retiring baby boomer police officers in the coming years. Of course, local budgets also play a hand in the recruitment cycle of each police department.

For more information current law enforcement openings, take a look at our police jobs board.

You May Like: What To Do About Police Harassment

New York Trooper Or Highway Patrol Requirements

The New York State Police operates with over 4,500 state troopers and more than 900 non-sworn employees.2 The state is divided into 10 troops, with each geographic area headed by a Troop Commander. The NYSP requires prospective recruits to complete a written entrance exam, which is only offered periodically. Candidates also must:

Be between the ages of 20 and 30
Meet New York state requirements for prospective officers
Have completed at least 60 college credit hours
Be a resident of New York state
Have a valid New York drivers license
Have vision no worse than 20/100 in each eye correctable to 20/20
Not have any visible tattoos or body modifications while in uniform or business attire, including in short sleeves

Candidates must pass an intensive Physical Ability Test , which includes a required number of sit-ups, push-ups, and a one-and-a-half mile run. The starting salary for New York state troopers is $53,993 while in the police academy, which is increased to $71,712 after graduation and to $76,712 after one year of service.2

Any Of The Following Will Disqualify An Applicant From Further Consideration At Any Stage Of The Employment Processthis List Is Not All

Any applicant who is rejected two times for the position of police recruit, shall not be allowed to make application to take another examination until two years time has elapsed after the date of his last failure or rejection. If said applicant fails the examination or is rejected a 3rd time, then the applicant shall not be allowed to make application to take the examination until three years time has elapsed from the date of his last failure or rejection.

Don’t Miss: What I Have To Do To Become A Police Officer

Indiana Police Jobs Outlook

Hopeful new cops and sheriffs deputies should find plenty of opportunities in Indiana. Jobs growth in police and sheriffs patrol jobs in the state is expected to be 7.5% through 2026.10 An expected 850 average annual openings should occur in the state during this period.10 With a cost of living that is 13% lower than the national average, prospective cops can expect to make a decent living in the state of Indiana.11

For more information about current law enforcement openings, take a look at our police jobs board.

Police Departments In New York

New California laws will change who can become a police officer

There are over 500 law enforcement agencies in the state of New York, employing an estimated 46,940 police and sheriffs patrol officers.1 Prospective cops in New York can work in major metros like New York City or Hempstead or in smaller towns like Niagara Falls or Long Beach. While departments may set their own requirements above the state minimums, all will follow the minimum guidelines for certifying police officers in New York.

Read Also: How Hard Is The Police Academy

List Of State Police Minimum Age Requirements

This article is an orphan, as no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles try the Find link tool for suggestions.

The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia’s notability guideline for stand-alone lists. Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted.

From Security Guard To Police Officer

While there are a fair number of employment opportunities, as you have seen in the information presented in this article, policy agencies hire only the most suitable candidates. So you need to do what you can to ensure that your application stands out from the rest.

Police agency recruiters advise applicants to significantly improve their chances of being selected through:

Private Security Jobs: Security jobs provide a work experience that prepares you for your role as a police officer. The skills you learn, the duties involved, the situations you encounter as well as the opportunities to work alongside law enforcement officers, all provide well-rounded preparation for your future role as a police officer.

Awards: Awards that recognize your ability to be a top performer are a strong indicator of work ethic.

Volunteer Experience & Community Involvement: Contributing your time to an organization that does meaningful work demonstrates good character. Be an active member of your community to show that participating and serving your community is important to you.

Training & Education: While a degree in criminology would help, you dont necessarily need post-secondary education. Relevant training and education can include training that you receive on the job as a security officer. And unlike the time and financial investment involved in post-secondary education, you can get paid while you learn with a job as a security guard.

Police Officer Application Process

General Minimum Qualifications

U.S. Citizenship Only United States citizens will receive consideration. Qualified applicants will be required to provide proof of citizenship early in the selection process.

Age Requirements Must be 21 years old but not older than 39 years old at the time of appointment .

Education Must possess a high school diploma or General Education Diploma .

Motor Vehicle License Must possess, provide, and have maintained a valid United States, state issued drivers license , and show evidence of responsible driving experience in the past one year.

Selective Service Must be registered with the Selective Service System or exempt from the Selective Service System registration as a female or due to age or military status. Those with military service must provide documentation of an honorable discharge.

Background Investigation Must complete a full background investigation.

Additional requirements may apply. Applicants may review and apply for United States Capitol Police career opportunities here.

How to Apply

The minimum qualifications listed above determine an individuals basic eligibility for employment with the United States Capitol Police . Please note, the application process can be lengthy. Depending on a persons specific circumstances, the process can take as little as a few months to more than a year.

The diagram below illustrates the hiring process for entry-level officers.

Increasing Maximum Hiring Age Of New Police Officers Rejected By Park Ridge City Council Not Supported By Police Chief

Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at the Chicago Tribune.

A proposal to increase the maximum age at hiring of new police officers in Park Ridge failed to generate support from elected officials or the citys chief of police this month.

Six of Park Ridges seven aldermen said on Nov. 15 that they are not interested in pursuing an ordinance change that would bump up the cut-off age for new police officers from 35 to 40. The proposal would have applied to both entry-level hires and lateral transfers from other police departments.

Some elected officials also raised objections on how the proposal came about and that legal work on the ordinance was performed without authorization from the city.

The age change request came from the Park Ridge Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, a volunteer body with five members appointed by the mayor with approval of the City Council. Among the boards duties are establishing lists of qualified candidates for hiring and promotion within the police and fire departments.

Peter McNamara, chairman of the board, suggested that increasing the maximum age of new hires may allow for a larger pool of officer candidates at a time when the number of individuals applying to become police officers has fallen.

Dont Miss: Does Crisis Text Line Call The Police

Also Check: What Education Does A Police Officer Need

Maximum Age Limit For Police

The law sets police officer age requirements by state. Each of the 50 states has its own rule for how young or old police can be, Go Law Enforcement says. It’s 21 in most states, but in Montana it’s 18, for Florida 19 and it’s 20 in California. The goal is to recruit officers when they’re mature enough to exercise good judgment.

Although the image associated with rookie cops is typically young, most police departments do not have a maximum age limit. For those that do, it’s not necessarily physical ability that’s the big issue. Instead, they want to ensure that you’ll be able to work long enough to retire with full pension benefits, something easier to do at 30 than 55.

New York State says, for instance, that state troopers must be under 30 by the deadline for submitting the application. As the state is keen to hire military veterans, each year of military service pushes the age limit up one year. The maximum age limit for police, if you’re a veteran, is 37.

Federal and many state laws prohibit hiring, promoting and firing based on age. The Chief says that in 1996, Congress amended federal age-discrimination law to allow a maximum age limit for police and firefighters. States and police departments can therefore set age limits, provided they’re based on valid job-performance requirements.

North Carolina Sheriff Deputy Requirements

North Carolina has 100 counties. The three most populous counties are Mecklenburg, Wake, and Guilford the county seats are Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro, respectively. Requirements for sheriffs deputies and other law enforcement positions reporting to sheriffs offices in the state are set by the Sheriffs Education and Training Standards Commission.

Although individual sheriffs offices may set a higher bar, the Commission provides minimum state requirements for all candidates. The Commission states that prospective sheriffs deputies must:

Be at least 21 years old
Be a US citizen
Possess or be eligible for a valid North Carolina drivers license
Have a high school diploma or GED
Pass a drug test
Have no felony charges or convictions

Once hired, sheriffs deputies will be on probation for a period of 12 months, during which time they must complete at least 616 hours of training and instruction in a qualified Basic Law Enforcement Training course.3

Also Check: Are Police Arrest Records Public Information

Police Training Academies In New York

Once hired, prospective cops in New York start their careers as recruits in a police academy. Police academies in New York are overseen by the states Division of Criminal Justice Services and are divided into geographic regions. Accredited police academies in New York include:

Central New York Police Academy Syracuse, NY
City of Albany Law Enforcement Training Center Albany, NY
Nassau County Police Academy Massapequa Park, NY
New York City Police Academy New York, NY
New York State Police Academy Albany, NY
New York State Prepardness Academy, NYS Office of Homeland Security Oriskany, NY
Suffolk County Police Academy Brentwood, NY
Westchester County Department of Public Safety Police Academy Valhalla, NY

For more information on New York police academies, consult the DCJS website.

Becoming A Police Officer: Are You Too Old

Police Officers : Requirements to Become a Police Officer

Its natural for people to want to switch careers or start a career in law enforcement at an older age. However, many people who show interest in this field are often demotivated as they think theyre too old for the job. If you read up about it, your age may come with a lot of benefits to the police department.

Many people join the police department later in their lives. These people have ample professional experience and bring a lot of expertise to the position of a police officer. The department is also willing to invest in their career advancement.

In this blog, we discuss why your age is not an issue when it comes to becoming a police officer.

Recommended Reading: How To Report A Party To The Police Anonymously

Don’t Lose Your Applicant Pool

Youll lose a huge applicant pool by age 25. Many young men and women wont wait before trying to get on with a career. I was a 21-year-old Army veteran for my first police job and had some trouble because of immaturity, but people vary. I say leave it at age 21 and let the vetting and training process work. Scot Levno

How To Become A Police Officer In California

California is in need of LEOs, and with a total of 509 law enforcement agencies in the state, there are plenty of places to choose from

The Police1 How to Become a Police Officer special coverage series covers everything you need to know about launching a new career in law enforcement from finding the right agency to work for and making it through the application process all the way to successfully navigating your rookie years, and beyond. Start your journey today by clicking the link above.

It doesnt get much better than the Golden State. From the stunning sequoias in Yosemite to the beautiful beaches of Santa Monica, California truly has something for everyone.

And like most of the country, California is in need of police officers with a total of 509 law enforcement agencies in the state, there are plenty of places to choose from. Heres how to become a police officer in California.

Also Check: How To Get A Police Clearance Letter

Recommended Reading: Where To File Police Report For Identity Theft