Police Officer Requirements - New Jersey
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Minimum Requirements to be a Police Officer in New Jersey
Published: August 18, 2024
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To become a police officer in New Jersey, candidates must meet a series of specific qualifications and requirements, as outlined by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission and individual law enforcement agencies.
Below are the key requirements:
Minimum Qualifications
- Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen.
- Age: Must be at least 21 years old and not older than 35 years at the time of application. Some exceptions to the age limit may apply, particularly for veterans.
- Education: Must have at least a high school diploma or GED equivalent. For the New Jersey State Police, specific education requirements include:
- A bachelor’s degree, or
- An associate degree or 60 college credits plus two years of work or active-duty military experience, or
- 30 college credits plus two years of active-duty military experience.
- Driver’s License: Must possess a valid New Jersey driver’s license.
- Criminal Record: Must have no felony convictions or any offense that would prevent possession of a firearm.
- Physical Fitness: Must pass a physical fitness test, which typically includes exercises such as running, push-ups, and sit-ups.
- Medical and Psychological Examinations: Must pass comprehensive medical and psychological evaluations to ensure fitness for duty.
- Background Check: Must successfully pass a thorough background investigation, including fingerprinting, to verify good moral character.
Additional Requirements
- Law Enforcement Examination (LEE): Candidates for many law enforcement agencies in New Jersey must pass the LEE, a Civil Service exam used to assess readiness for entry-level positions.
Do Your Research
While state-level qualifications set the baseline for becoming a police officer, individual police agencies often implement stricter hiring standards to align with their specific needs and values.
These enhanced criteria can include regulations on tattoos, facial hair, background checks, and more.
Additionally, agencies might conduct more rigorous background checks than the state requires, diving deeper into an applicant’s history, including financial records, social media activity, and past behavior, to ensure candidates meet the department's ethical and professional standards.
Be sure to conduct more research into the requirements, qualifications, and disqualifications for specific agencies so that you are well prepared before entering their hiring process
Sources
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