Florida Police Academy Requirements

Florida police academy requirements are intended to set a high standard potential officers. Below are all the requirements and disqualifying factors. Remember that there is a lot of competition for police jobs so it’s best to not just shoot for the minimum requirements.

Age Requirement – The police academy applicant must be at least 19 years of age.

Residency and Citizenship Requirement – Applicants are required to be residents of Florida as well as citizens of the United States of America. Naturalized Citizens are welcome to apply. All Naturalization documentation must accompany application. Upon graduation, officers must be willing to relocate anywhere within Florida.

Educational Requirement – Florida police academy requirements state that applicants must possess a high school diploma or General Equivalency Degree (GED) time of application.  It is not a requirement that the diploma or GED be obtained withinFlorida. Correspondence or mail-order high school diplomas are not accepted.

ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

• One year sworn or non-sworn law enforcement experience.
• Two years of active and continuousU.S.military service.
• Two years of public contact experience.
• Thirty semester-hours or 45 quarter-hours at an accredited college or university.

Applicant will be required to take a written/oral examination, psychological test, as well as a polygraph examination.

Automatic Disqualification Factors – Applicants are advised that the Florida State Police will automatically disqualify any applicant who does not meet the general requirements as detailed above.  In addition, the following information is provided regarding our criteria for automatic disqualification:

• Falsification, omission, or misrepresentation of any information during the completion of the Polygraph Screening Booklet, the Polygraph Examination, the Formal Application for Employment, and any other documents/processes associated with the Cadet Selection Procedures.
• Substance abuse/use within a prescribed time frame and/or that is beyond what is considered experimental by the Florida State Police.
• Criminal arrests/behavior which would not reflect well on the Florida State Police.

The core purpose of the Florida State Police is to seek justice, preserve peace, and improve the quality of life for all.  As such, the Department has established the core values of Honor, Service, Integrity, Respect, Trust, Courage, and Duty, and is seeking applicants who possess these traits and conduct themselves accordingly.  Certain issues within a person’s background have been identified which will result in automatic disqualification, including but not limited to:  criminal conduct (actual arrest and/or admission of behavior whether or not arrested) and substance abuse.

A preliminary determination will be made by the Florida State Police based upon information supplied; therefore, applicants must be forthright and honest in documenting their conduct.  Be advised that this preliminary determination is not binding as it is made based upon information provided by the applicant only.  Should an applicant continue in the selection process, the conduct will then be discussed and documented with a Florida State Police Officer.

Applicants are advised that all information provided to the Florida State Police is to contain no misrepresentation, falsification, omissions, or concealment of material fact and that, upon submission of any official document (on-line or otherwise), applicants swear or affirm that all information provided is true, complete, and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief.  Applicants are further advised that all information provided is subject to later investigation.

Physical Readiness –

Law enforcement officers that maintain a high degree of physical conditioning are less prone to be affected by the stressful conditions of the job, sustain fewer injuries, and utilize less leave time related to illness.Florida’s police academy physical conditioning program combines strength training and aerobic exercise to help students develop good exercise habits and to improve their fitness level throughout the academy. It is strongly recommended that recruits begin a fitness regimen before beginning academy training.

Recruits are required to participate in physical conditioning training and testing as determined by the Police Officer Physical Aptitude Test (POPAT).

Physical Readiness Test – The tests and standards have been validated to ensure that an applicant, if selected to an Academy class, will have a reasonable chance of success in attaining a higher standard of Physical Readiness during cadet training. Failure of any one test excludes the applicant from further processing.

Academy physical training requires a great deal of physical strength and stamina.  Both the written test and the physical abilities test are designed to measure an applicant’s ability to perform satisfactorily at theTrainingAcademyand on the State’s Minimum Standards test.  The physical abilities test may include such tasks as:

Applicant will be required to pass a physical agility/ability examination.

Water Testing:

The Florida police academy requires a swim test. You must swim for 50 yards within 2 minutes, holding your head above water. You can use any type of swimming stroke except the backstroke. You are allowed to repeat the test until you pass.

Agility course involves:

• 540-yard obstacle course run
• Pull a weighted duffle to the ground within a specific space to simulate a foot chase.
• Physically taking down a 55-pound duffel on both sides of the body
• Squeezing a handgun trigger six times with each hand
• Dragging a large, 135-pound simulated body for 34 feet within a lane that is only six feet wide*In Adams County, there is a mandatory obstacle course simulating a chase through a city, featuring stairs, fences and tunnels. The course culminates in dragging a 165-pound dummy for 20 feet.

The above 6 requirements must all be completed within a designated time frame.

Ability portion involves:

Completing the tasks below in repetition during an allotted time frame:

MEN

WOMEN

Additionally:
Applicants must have minimum correctable vision of 20/30, with normal color distinguishing capabilities and 140-degree field of vision. Any visual disability, which prevents the performance of essential functions of an applicant, for which no reasonable accommodation is possible, shall disqualify the applicant.

NOTE:  The eligibility requirements are subject to change at any time.