Cadet Eligibility Requirements

General Requirements

Age Requirement – Applicants must be at least 20 years of age on or before the date the application is completed.  Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and cannot have reached their 40th birthday prior to or on the date of appointment as a State Police Cadet.

Residency and Citizenship Requirement – Applicants must be a resident of Pennsylvania and possess a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license upon appointment as a State Police Cadet.  Applicants must be a United States citizen at the time of initial application.

Educational Requirement - Applicants must possess a high school diploma or General Equivalency Degree (GED) plus an Associate's Degree or 60 semester credit hours from an accredited institution of higher learning at the time of application.  One waiver per candidate, as follows, is allowed:

• 30 semester credit hours waived for the applicant with two full years as a full-time police officer.
• 30 semester credit hours waived for the applicant with two full years of any law enforcement experience that encompasses the powers of arrest under State and/or Federal Law, e.g., Liquor Enforcement Officer, Corrections Officer, Probation and Parole Officer, Fish and/or Game Commission Officer.  Determination of relevant law enforcement experience to be made by the Pennsylvania State Police on a case-by-case basis.
• 30 semester credit hours waived for the applicant with at least two years of full active military duty with an Honorable Discharge or who has completed Officer Candidate School and has no term of obligation.
• 15 semester credit hours waived for the applicant who has successfully completed Basic Police Academy (Act 120) training at a MPOETC (www.MPOETC.state.pa.us) certified school in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or equivalent POST certified basic law enforcement training in another state.

 

Automatic Disqualification Factors

Applicants are advised that the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania State Police.
  
  
• Criminal arrests/behavior which would not reflect well on the Pennsylvania State Police.
  
  

The core purpose of the Pennsylvania 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.

The automatic disqualification factors are confidential and will not be released to applicants.  Applicants who wish to ascertain if they may be subject to an automatic disqualification based upon their life conduct / behavior may inquire, in writing, to the following e-mail address:  ra-pspdqfactors@pa.gov.

A preliminary determination will be made by the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania State Police Officer.

Applicants are advised that all information provided to the Pennsylvania 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.

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

Questions regarding the Cadet Selection Procedures may be forwarded to the Pennsylvania State Police at:  ra-pspcadetprocess@pa.gov.

Additional Information:  www.PaTrooper.com

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