Police Officer Requirements – Arizona

Arizona Police Officer Minimum Qualifications:

  • Must be a citizen of the United States
  • Possess a High school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED)
  • Be at least 21 years of age at the time of graduation from academy
  • Possess a valid Arizona driver’s license by the starting date. Documented proof will be required
  • No felony convictions

Those who wish to compete as a Certified Officer must additionally meet the following qualifications (supporting documentation required):

  • Possess an AZ POST Peace Officer Certification
  • Served a probationary period and/or have been in a permanent position for a minimum of one year
  • Have been employed as a police officer within the last 18 months

Arizona Selection Process:

Note: An applicant MUST pass each step of the process before moving on to the next step. Additionally, if the applicant fails the physical fitness OR the written examination OR the qualifications appraisal board (QAB), the applicant MUST start over again at the physical fitness examination, even if they have passed it before and even if they have previously passed either the written or QAB examinations.

  • Submission of completed application packet.
  • Screening for minimum qualifications.
  • Written examination – Applicant must pass a 100 item multiple choice test with a minimum score of 75%.
  • Physical fitness test – The test will consist of five events: sit-ups, push-ups, 1.5 mile run, 300 meter run, and agility run. Each event will be scored individually as a pass/fail. Failure of an event will… result in disqualification from the selection process and the applicant will not be allowed to participate in the remaining events.

Qualifications Appraisal Board – Applicant must pass an oral interview involving interpersonal skills and problem solving abilities.

  • Polygraph examination – Applicant must successfully complete a polygraph examination.
  • Background investigation – Applicant must pass a background investigation which includes a history of the applicant’s driving, civil and criminal records, employment, and use of illegal substances.
  • Psychological evaluation – Applicant must successfully complete a two-part evaluation including a written exam and an interview with a psychologist.
  • Medical examination – Applicant must successfully complete a pre-employment medical exam.
  • Pre-employment drug testing

Applicants successfully completing the first three steps will be ranked in numeric order by combined written (40%) and QAB (60%) scores on an eligibility list. Applicants who are claiming preference points and provide the appropriate documentation (i.e., DD214, etc.) will have 5 points added to their final passing score. This documentation MUST be provided to the Department prior to the Qualifications Appraisal Board interviews. Failure to do so will preclude the 5 points from being added to the candidates final passing score. Candidates will be invited to proceed to the next phase of testing in the order of their rankings.

Veterans: The Arizona Department of Public Safety’s patrol officer training program has been approved for Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) education benefits (GI Bill) for continued training.