How to Become a Police Officer in Maryland

Who can apply

• You must be at least 21 to be provisionally certified. You may attend an academy before 21 but cannot perform police duties until you turn 21.
• You must be a U.S. citizen, or a permanent legal resident who is an honorably discharged U.S. military veteran with a pending citizenship application. A certified officer who has not obtained citizenship within 3 years is reviewed by the Commission.
• You need a high school diploma or GED (an agency may accept a college degree instead).
• You must be legally eligible under federal and Maryland law to possess and use a handgun.
• You need a valid driver's license; the agency reviews your driving record.
• You must pass a background investigation with fingerprint-based state and national criminal history check, a medical exam, a psychological evaluation, an oral interview and a drug screen.
• You are ineligible if you have ever sold, made or distributed illegal drugs, or illegally used a controlled dangerous substance in the 36 months before applying. State law says prior cannabis use may not be used to disqualify a police applicant.

Step by step

1. Apply to a Maryland police agency. Before hiring, the agency must review your full disciplinary records from any prior police employer; you must disclose all prior police jobs under penalty of perjury.
2. Pass the agency's selection process covering the Commission's standards: background and fingerprint check, credit and reference checks, medical and psychological exams, oral interview and drug screen.
3. Receive a probationary appointment (up to 1 year) and attend a Commission-approved entrance-level academy of at least 850 hours, on paid leave.
4. Score at least 70 percent in each academy subject area and complete entrance-level firearms training and qualification if you will carry a firearm.
5. Complete your agency's Commission-required field training program.
6. The Commission certifies you and issues a certification card, which is your authority to enforce Maryland criminal law.

Training and exam

Training: A Commission-approved entrance-level training program is at least 850 hours (firearms training may count toward this; field training does not). Required subject areas include law, patrol, traffic, criminal investigation, emergency medical care and CPR, crisis intervention, use of force, emergency vehicle operations, health and wellness, cultural and gender diversity, and people with disabilities. You must score at least 70 percent in each subject area. If you miss more than 5 percent of entrance-level training, you have not completed it unless the training director and the Commission's Deputy Director decide you have done enough work. Field training is required after the academy.

Exam: Maryland does not have a single statewide certification exam in its rules. Instead, the academy tests you on every Commission performance objective, and you must score at least 70 percent overall in each subject area. The training director then certifies to the Commission that you met the standard.

Other costs to budget for

• While attending the entrance-level academy you are excused from regular duty and receive your regular salary. Academy cost arrangements are between the academy and your agency.

How long it takes

A probationary appointment can last no more than 1 year while you complete the 850-hour minimum academy and field training.

Keeping your certification

Renewal: Certification renews automatically on a Commission schedule while you stay with the same agency and keep meeting standards. Officers at or below first-line supervisor must complete at least 18 hours of Commission-approved in-service training every calendar year, qualify yearly on day and reduced-light firearms courses with each authorized firearm, and complete CPR/lifesaving training every 2 years. If certification expires, you may not perform police duties.

Good to know in Maryland

One-year probationary appointment: State law allows a probationary appointment of no more than 1 year so you can complete the required training before permanent appointment.

Officers from other states and federal officers: If you completed a comparable academy elsewhere and worked in law enforcement within the last 5 years (or finished the academy within the last 2 years), your agency can request a waiver of entrance-level training. You must still meet Maryland selection standards and complete the Maryland Criminal Code, Motor Vehicle Code and Juvenile Law portions of an academy, emergency medical care, a DUI detection and field sobriety course, and firearms training and qualification.

Drug history rules: You are ineligible if you ever illegally sold, grew, made or transported drugs, used drugs other than experimentally (any use of heroin, PCP or LSD, five or more uses, or any use after age 21 is not experimentation), or used illegal drugs while working in law enforcement. Under state law, prior cannabis use alone cannot disqualify you.

Prior police records: You must disclose every prior police employer and authorize release of your full personnel and disciplinary records. The hiring agency must certify to the Commission that it reviewed them.

Moving between Maryland agencies: A Maryland-certified officer hired by another agency within 90 days of leaving the last one gets a temporary certification. It ends after 90 days, on full certification, or on separation; a second 90-day temporary certification is possible only if fingerprint results are delayed through no fault of the agency.

Sources

• COMAR 12.04.01.04 - Selection Standards for Provisional Certification
• COMAR 12.04.01.05 - Background Investigation and Criminal History
• COMAR 12.04.01.06 - Police Officer Certification
• COMAR 12.04.01.09 - Minimum Standards for Entrance-Level Training
• COMAR 12.04.01.10 - Academy requirements (salary during training)
• COMAR 12.04.01.12 - Annual In-Service Training and Qualification
• COMAR 12.04.01.14 - Waivers (out-of-state entrance-level training)
• COMAR 12.04.01.16 - Prior Substance Abuse by Applicants
• Md. Public Safety Code 3-215 - Probationary appointment; prior records; cannabis