At least
20 years
of age at the
time of application and
21 years
of age by police
academy graduation.
LAPD does not impose a maximum age-limit to apply or work as an LAPD Officer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Public Safety Officers must be able to draw on extraordinary levels of tact and diplomacy to achieve their goals while dealing with the diverse population of the City of Los Angeles. They must be able to use advice, appropriate warnings, and persuasion to engender cooperation from the public. Additionally, they must be able to work effectively either as an individual or as a member of a larger team. Every candidate shall demonstrate an understanding of the skills necessary to deal effectively with others in a cooperative and courteous manner. Desired behaviors may include, but are not limited to:
Incidents of domestic violence; use of verbal or physical abuse or violence towards others indicating a lack of self-control; inability to get along with others in work or personal life; failure to listen effectively; use of derogatory stereotypes in jokes or daily language; making rude and/or condescending remarks to or about others; use of physical force to resolve disputes; demonstrated overreaction to criticism; inability to work effectively as a team player; disruptive/challenging to authority; use of harassment, threats, or intimidation to gain an advantage.
Public Safety Officers must possess extraordinarily good sense and must demonstrate through their past behavior that they can analyze a situation quickly, make sound and responsible decisions, and take appropriate action. Desired behaviors may include, but are not limited to the ability to:
Making poor choices given known circumstances; indecision when options are not clear-cut; failure to take action when appropriate or demonstrating insecurity about making a decision; behavior indicating poor judgment or failure to consider appropriate options; failure to learn from past mistakes; inability or unwillingness to modify a position; rigid adherence to rules without consideration of alternative information; failure to see or consider all options; and but not limited to succumbing to peer pressure.
Public Safety Officers must present a background which demonstrates maturity and readiness for employment. Your past choices must be free from inappropriate behavior. A significant degree of personal discipline must be displayed to ensure that you consistently refrain from taking actions which may be detrimental to your own health and well-being or the health and well-being of others. You must be able to maintain your composure and stay in control during critical situations, maintain a positive attitude, and accept constructive criticism without becoming defensive. Desired behaviors may include, but are not limited to the ability to:
Use of illegal drugs; abuse of alcohol or prescription medications; failure to follow all laws and common rules of conduct; associating with individuals who break the law; being argumentative, defensive, or blaming others (or circumstances) for mistakes made; past behavior which indicates a tendency to resort to use of force to gain objectives; overbearing in approach to resolving problems; unnecessarily confrontational; taking unnecessary personal risks; placing others at risk through your actions; reacting childishly or with anger to criticism or disappointment.
Public Safety Officers are required to demonstrate the highest possible personal integrity through your honesty and ethical conduct. You must be able to maintain high standards of personal conduct, abide by the law, and demonstrate attributes such as truthfulness and fairness in relationships with others. You must demonstrate a willingness to work within the organization. Examples of behaviors which meet this standard include, but are not limited to:
Making false and/or misleading statements or intentionally omitting relevant information; purposefully withholding information; minimizing past mistakes or errors; blaming others/making excuses for mistakes; attempting to induce others to give false information; bending the rules or using a position of authority for personal gain; refusing to accept responsibility for improper actions; condoning the unethical behavior of others through silence; engaging in illegal or immoral activities of such a nature that would be offensive to contemporary community standards of propriety; theft; and, but not limited to, fraud.
Public Safety Officers are required to demonstrate the ability to set and achieve personal and professional goals. Candidates for public safety positions can best position themselves for consideration through continuing achievement in the workplace, educational environment, volunteer activities, and/or community involvement. You must demonstrate initiative and the ability to follow through on all commitments without constant supervision and detailed instruction. You have the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to set and achieve goals, work in a diligent, reliable, and conscientious manner in accordance with specific rules and policies, and your readiness for, and commitment to, public service through the following:
Failure to meet commitments to work, school, family, volunteer, or community activities.
Candidates for public safety positions are held to exacting standards of behavior throughout all aspects of their lives. You can expect specific inquiry to be made into your past behavior regarding:
Past due accounts, discharged debts, late payments, collection accounts, civil judgments and/or bankruptcy; failure to exercise fiscal responsibility commensurate with income; failure to follow all traffic laws; numerous moving and non-moving violations; at fault traffic accidents; terminations or suspensions from work; reprimands or counseling for poor work performance (including Military service); failure to meet obligations (for example, auto insurance, auto registration, selective service registration, IRS requirements, child support obligations, etc.); law enforcement contacts, arrests, and convictions (as appropriate); other than Honorable discharge from the military. It is in your best interest to be completely forthcoming and truthful during the background investigation process. Many candidates are disqualified during the background portion of the selection process as a result of dishonesty. These candidates purposely omit information they think will result in their removal from the selection process, when that may not have been the case. When this information is later discovered during the background investigation, the candidate is disqualified, but not necessarily for the behavior he or she failed to disclose. Rather, the candidate is disqualified for failure to provide complete, accurate, and honest information.