Minimum Requirements - Officer

Age

Age 20-35 (Applicants must be 35 on the final filing date of the examination cycle to which they are applying)

Education

High school diploma, GED, or California High School Proficiency Examination.

Highly desirable: possession of a degree, Associate of Arts or higher, from an accredited college; also, additional course work or advanced skills in the following areas: English, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary and composition; reading and comprehension; mathematics (used for traffic accident calculations); typing and computer skills (many officers use computers for reports, and most patrol vehicles currently have or will have computers); bilingual; physical fitness; other helpful courses may be social sciences such as sociology and psychology.

Conduct

No felony convictions and good personal conduct; must possess a California driver license upon appointment to the Academy. The CHP has strict guidelines relating to the personal characteristics required for employment as a law enforcement officer. During the Background Investigation, a candidate is evaluated relative to an established set of automatic disqualification criteria. Candidates are asked questions relating to the RECENCY AND FREQUENCY of traffic citations, at-fault automobile collisions, illegal drug usage, arrests and convictions.

If you have any concerns regarding whether you may have an issue in your background which may lead to disqualification, it is highly recommended that you contact CHP for assistance PRIOR TO beginning the selection process. While our investigators cannot divulge the CHP's specific disqualification criteria, through a candid dialogue with you they can provide guidance and assistance in helping you evaluate your personal characteristics as they relate to the CHP's automatic disqualification criteria. The Cadet Hiring Unit can be reached Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time) at (916) 843-3760.

Citizenship

A candidate must be legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law at the time of appointment. (Applicants may be in the process of obtaining legal authorization upon application, but will need to show proof of legal authorization to work in the U.S. under federal law before being accepted into the Academy)

Vision

The candidate must read from a standard Eye Test chart. If eyeglasses are worn, uncorrected vision must be no worse than 20/40 in each eye and with both eyes, and must be corrected to 20/20 in each eye and with both eyes.  If a candidate’s uncorrected vision is worse than 20/40 in either eye or with both eyes, vision must be corrected utilizing soft contact lenses (SCL).  The new use of SCLs requires a 30-day stabilization period.  Hard and semirigid lenses are not permitted due to the increased risk of dislodgement.  Normal color vision is required and will be assessed by the Ishihara test.  X-Chrom and other lenses to correct color vision deficiencies are prohibited.

Health

Good health. Must be free from any physical, mental or emotional condition that would prohibit the full performance of all the essential duties and functions of a CHP officer.