How to Become a Police Officer in Wyoming

Who can apply

• You must be a U.S. citizen and an adult.
• You must hold a high school diploma or evidence of equivalent achievement.
• You must be fingerprinted; local, state and national files are searched, and the check can be no older than one year at appointment.
• You must not have been convicted of any crime for which you could have been imprisoned in a federal or state penitentiary.
• You must be of good moral character, shown by the hiring agency's background investigation (drug and alcohol use, spouse or partner interview, references, employment, school, military, driving and credit history, and prior certification records).
• A licensed psychologist or psychiatrist must evaluate your emotional and mental condition, and a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner must certify you are physically able to do the job.
• You must pass an oral interview by the hiring agency.
• You are disqualified if you were previously decertified in Wyoming or another state.

Step by step

1. Get hired as a full-time peace officer by a Wyoming law enforcement agency, which completes the background investigation, fingerprinting, medical and psychological evaluations and oral interview.
2. The agency submits an Employment Form to POST within 15 days of your appointment.
3. Complete a POST-approved peace officer basic training program (provided through the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy in Douglas) within one year of your hire date.
4. POST awards basic certification. If you do not finish basic training within one year, you forfeit your position.

Training and exam

Training: Every full-time peace officer must complete a POST-approved peace officer basic training program within one year of appointment, or forfeit the position. Basic training is provided through the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy (WLEA) in Douglas.

Exam: There is no separate state licensing exam for academy graduates. POST gives an Entry Level Exam at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy by appointment, usually Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m.; it costs $35, cash only, and you need a state-issued ID or passport. Not all agencies require it, but WLEA requires it of every pre-service (self-sponsored) applicant. You may retake it as often as needed with no waiting period. Out-of-state officers must pass a written challenge exam (two attempts allowed).

What it costs in Wyoming

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

Basic training must be completed within one year of your hire date. Agencies must report your appointment to POST within 15 days.

Keeping your certification

Renewal: Basic certification is valid for two years. To advance, you must complete 80 additional hours of POST-approved training within two years after basic certification (at least 10 hours in perishable skills such as firearms, use of force and emergency vehicle operations for patrol officers), or recertification is denied. Officers with professional certification must complete 40 hours of continuing training every two years. Half of the required training hours at each level may come from online courses.

Good to know in Wyoming

Officers from other states: If you have been out of law enforcement less than five years and completed a basic program POST considers comparable, you can petition for certification. You must meet the hiring standards, pass a written challenge exam (two attempts), complete WLEA's Wyoming Criminal Law and Procedures course and a POST-approved domestic violence course, pass the WLEA firearms qualification, and have current CPR.

Longer breaks in service: Out-of-state applicants who have been out of full-time police work for five to ten years, after at least five continuous years of service, may attend a shorter mini basic course with Commission approval. Out ten years or more means the full basic course.

Pre-service academy graduates: Pre-service graduates can be certified if hired within two years of graduating. Two to five years out, you must pass the challenge process; after five years you must retake the basic course.

Disability benefits: No one may be employed as a peace officer while receiving total or partial disability benefits under W.S. 9-3-432, 9-3-611 or 15-5-308.

Military police: Military peace officers cannot use the challenge process and must attend a full basic academy course. Federal agents may be eligible to challenge if their duties and training are comparable to Wyoming's.

Sources

• Wyoming POST Commission
• Wyoming POST Rules (2018, linked from post.wyo.gov)
• Wyo. Code R. 015-2 2-3 - Certification Requirements (Cornell LII)
• Wyo. Code R. 015-3 3-11 - Officers certified/trained in other states (Cornell LII)
• Wyo. Code R. 015-3 3-12 - Pre-service graduate requirements (Cornell LII)
• Wyoming POST Frequently Asked Questions