Police Officer Requirements – Maryland

Minimum Requirements to be a Police Officer in Maryland

A. Age. An applicant for the position of police officer:

Shall be 21 years old or older to be eligible for provisional certification; and
May attend an academy while younger than 21 years old but may not perform law enforcement duties until the applicant is 21 years old and provisionally certified.

B. Citizenship. An applicant for the position of police officer shall:

Be a United States citizen; and
Submit documents supporting a claim of citizenship to the hiring law enforcement agency.

C. Education.

An applicant for the position of police officer shall possess a:
1. High school diploma issued by a high school or recognized by the State Board of Education; or
2. General Education Development (GED) certificate or diploma:
3. Issued by Maryland or another state, or
4. Recognized by the State Board of Education.
The law enforcement agency may accept a college degree in place of the requirements under §C(1) of this regulation.
In the absence of a copy of a diploma, an agency head may accept a certified transcript indicating that an applicant successfully completed the requirements for graduation from a high school or college.
An agency head shall maintain a copy of the appropriate diploma or other acceptable documentation.
If a GED test was taken outside Maryland or while in the military service, and no certificate or diploma has been issued by a state:
1. An applicant shall submit a copy of the GED test scores to the agency head; and
2. The test results may be accepted by the Commission if they are consistent with the requirements established by the State Board of Education.
3. The agency head hiring the applicant shall indicate the appropriate information documenting the applicant’s completion of the education requirements on the AFC.