LAPD

Qualifications

age

At least
20 years
of age at the
time of application and
21 years
of age by police
academy graduation.

Education

Graduation from a U.S. high school, G.E.D. or equivalent from a U.S. institution, or a California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) certificate is required.

A two-year or a four-year college degree from an accredited U.S. or foreign institution may be substituted for the high school requirement.

citizenship

The City of Los Angeles requires that a Police Officer candidate be legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law.
*This link
provides info on the acceptable documents to show authorization to work in the US.

Residency
You do not have to be a resident of Los Angeles to apply for or work as an LAPD Officer.

Background

Los Angeles Police Department Officers are entrusted with responsibility to keep our cities safe from crime and corruption. Therefore, a history of ethical and moral behavior is of the utmost importance. Your background will be looked at very closely. Candidates who have a history of unethical or immoral behavior will not be hired. You will be subjected to an intensive background evaluation, pursuant to the City of Los Angeles Public Safety Background Standards.

Candidates are asked to critically assess their own background in light of these Standards before beginning the examination process.

BACKGROUND
STANDARDS

The Background Standards for public safety positions in the City of Los Angeles reflect the very high standards demanded of candidates for public safety job classifications and safety sensitive positions within City service. They are designed to identify the kinds of behaviors which are required of Public Safety Officers serving the citizens of the City of Los Angeles. Each candidate's past choices, judgments, and behaviors will be compared to these demanding standards. Candidates who fall short of demonstrating consistently sound decision making, maturity, and responsible past behaviors in each of these areas will not be further considered for employment in these critical positions.Each Standard represents an area that is essential for success in public safety employment. Positions such as Police Officer, Police Specialist, Port Police Officer, Special Officer, and Firefighter, along with other public safety positions designated by the General Manager, are positions of special public trust for which these exacting standards have been designed. The City identifies and selects only those individuals with the highest chance of success in their training and in continuing employment in these critical positions.

THE STANDARDS

Officer Looking Ahead
Officer Helping Community
Officer thinking
Officer Salute
Diverse Officer in front of car.
Record Keeping.