Police Officer Requirements – Vermont

Minimum Requirements to be a Police Officer in Vermont

a. Age

Candidate must be at least eighteen (18) years of age before acceptance into basic training. Maximum age will depend upon any existing mandatory retirement plans of hiring agency.

b. Education

Each candidate must – as a minimum standard – be a high school graduate or possess a high school equivalency diploma (G.E.D. certificate).

c. Medical Examination

  1. A comprehensive medical examination (conducted no more than six (6) months prior to the date of entry). The examination – to be performed by a licensed physician – is to reflect that the candidate is free of any disease or disability which would interfere with his physical performance in basic training. The physicians report must state that the candidate is physically capable of undergoing a rigorous physical exercise program.
  2. At the discretion of the Executive Director, upon reasonable cause or concern for the trainee’s health, a candidate must submit to reexamination by the Council’s physician. Failure to pass such reexamination will render a person ineligible for entry to basic training. Appeal of the determination must be filed in three (3) business days.

d. Written Examination

Each candidate for the Vermont Police Academy must achieve a minimum passing score of seventy (70) on the current Vermont Police Academy entrance examination as a prerequisite to acceptance into basic training. This examination shall be administered by the Council staff. At a minimum, the examination shall consist of the following subjects:

  1. Arithmetic;
  2. Reading Comprehension and Judgment;
  3. Observation and Retention; and
  4. Vocabulary.
  5. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be filed in writing with the Executive Director prior to testing.

e. Physical Fitness Assessment

Each candidate for the Vermont Police Academy must satisfactorily complete a physical fitness test and attain a minimum level of fitness as prescribed by the Council, prior to entry to any full-time basic training course.

f. Background and Character Check

Each candidate must successfully undergo a thorough, comprehensive background and character check conducted by the candidate’s prospective agency. Those individuals convicted of a felony will not be considered. Academy staff must have documentation that the candidate successfully meets this requirement. The background investigation shall include the submission of the applicant’s fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to ascertain if a criminal history record exists. All fingerprint cards submitted to the FBI shall be routed through the fingerprint section of the Vermont Criminal Information Center (VCIC).

g. Psychological Testing

Each candidate’s prospective department must have submitted to the Council, documentation that the candidate has been psychologically tested through the use of a reliable and valid testing procedure and, in the reasonable opinion of the hiring agency; the candidate is presently emotionally suited for law enforcement work.