Education · 1 of 4

The path

No degree. The gate is a background check and an academy your employer pays for.

1. 1

   High school diploma or GED (General Educational Development certificate)

   Grade 12

   That is the education requirement in most systems. A clean record matters far more than your grades.

2. 2

   Apply and test

   Weeks

   Written test, physical fitness test, interview. Minimum age is 18 to 21 depending on the agency. Federal jobs require United States citizenship and normally an appointment before age 37.

3. 3

   Background, medical and psychological screening

   1 to 6 months

   Criminal history, credit and employment checks, a drug screen and a psychological evaluation. Lying at any stage ends the application.

4. 4

   Academy

   1 to 4 months

   Usually 4 to 16 weeks depending on the state, covering law, defensive tactics, firearms, first aid and crisis intervention. Federal recruits add a few weeks of residential training in Glynco, Georgia.

5. 5

   Field training, then solo post

   Weeks to a few months

   You shadow experienced officers, then take your own housing unit or tower.