How to Become a Police Officer in Alaska

Who can apply

• You must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• You must be at least 21 years old at the time of hire.
• You must be of good moral character.
• You need a high school diploma, a state-recognized home school diploma, or a passing GED.
• A licensed physician, APRN or physician assistant must certify on an APSC form that you can physically do the job.
• A licensed psychiatrist or psychologist must certify on an APSC form that you are mentally fit for the job.
• Any felony conviction or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence disqualifies you.
• In the 10 years before hire, you cannot have a conviction for a crime of dishonesty or moral turpitude, a crime causing serious physical injury, or two or more DUIs.
• You cannot be hired if you were denied certification or had a police certificate revoked or surrendered in Alaska or another state (unless rescinded), or while your certificate is suspended in another state.
• Drug rules: no illegal manufacturing, transporting or selling of a controlled substance (unless you were under 21 and it was more than 10 years before hire), no illegal use of listed controlled substances in the 5 years before hire, and no marijuana use in the 1 year before hire (with exceptions for use before age 21).

Step by step

1. Get hired as a police officer by an Alaska police department. Departments set their own hiring tests and may add requirements.
2. Your department has 30 days from your hire date to confirm you meet the minimum standards: proof of age, citizenship and education, FBI fingerprint cards, an APSC personal history form, a background investigation, a medical exam and a psychological exam.
3. Enroll in a council-certified basic police officer academy (at least 650 hours) within six months of your hire date, and complete it within 13 months of your hire date.
4. Complete a council-certified field training program and work 12 consecutive months on probation with your department.
5. Sign the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics.
6. APSC issues your basic certificate. You cannot be given permanent status without it.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Alaska's basic police officer academy is at least 650 continuous hours and must cover 30 required topics, including use of force, firearms (with low-light practice), control tactics, emergency vehicle operations, DUI and breath testing, domestic violence, mental health, and search and seizure. You must attend all sessions; excused absences over 10% of the hours mean no credit. You need at least 70% on each block, a 70% cumulative average and at least 75% on the firearms portion.

Exam: Alaska has no separate statewide certification exam in the rules. The required testing is inside the academy: at least 70% on every block of instruction, a cumulative average of at least 70%, and at least 75% on the firearms portion.

What it costs in Alaska

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

How long it takes

Enroll in the academy within 6 months of hire and finish it within 13 months of hire; basic certificate after at least 12 months of probation.

Keeping your certification

Renewal: The basic certificate does not expire on a fixed cycle. It lapses if you are not employed as a police officer in any state or territory for 12 consecutive months (a disciplinary suspension counts as not employed). To reinstate, you serve another 12-month probation and, if lapsed 12 months or more, complete a council-certified recertification academy. A certificate that has been lapsed for more than four years expires.

Good to know in Alaska

13-month limit: A department may not employ you as a police officer for more than 13 consecutive months without a basic certificate. The council can grant a one-time extension of up to six months to complete training.

Officers from other states: APSC can waive all or part of the academy if you completed an equivalent basic academy, a 12-month probation with your Alaska department, a council-certified field training program and an 80-hour recertification academy covering Alaska law, use of force, firearms and other topics. No waiver is granted if your previous certificate lapsed more than five years before.

Certificate levels: After the basic certificate, officers can earn intermediate and advanced certificates based on years of experience, college credit and training hours.

Academy enrollment and field training: You must enroll in a council-certified basic academy within six months of your hire date, and you must complete a council-certified field training program during your probation.

Other hiring bars: You cannot be hired if your police certification was ever denied, revoked or surrendered in Alaska or another jurisdiction (unless rescinded), or is currently suspended elsewhere. Illegally making, transporting or selling a controlled substance is also a bar, unless you were under 21 and it was more than 10 years before hire.

Sources

• Alaska Police Standards Council (DPS)
• APSC - Reciprocity
• 13 AAC 85.010 - Basic standards for police officers (Cornell LII)
• 13 AAC 85.020 - Permanent employment for police officers (Cornell LII)
• 13 AAC 85.040 - Basic, intermediate, and advanced certificates (Cornell LII)
• 13 AAC 85.050 - Basic police officer academy (Cornell LII)
• 13 AAC 85.060 - Waiver and reciprocity (Cornell LII)
• 13 AAC 85.120 - Lapse of certificates (Cornell LII)
• Alaska Administrative Code 13 AAC 85 (Police Standards Council)