Join as a police officer

You must have ONE of the following at the point of applying:

• Two UK A-Level or equivalent qualification
• An academic or vocational qualification gained outside of England and Wales which is considered by the UK National Recognition Information Centre to be equivalent to a level 3 qualification.

Please note: You will need provide certificates for any qualifications you declare on your application. If you do not have these, please contact [email protected] who will be able to advise you.

If you don't have A-Levels but do have at least one year of professional experience working in the areas listed below, we would still encourage you to apply. Please note: this is not an exhaustive list, and all previous experience will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. 

• Experience as a Special Constable
• Experience as a Police Community Support Officer
• Experience as Police Staff in custody/public contact/demand hub/enquiring office and investigative roles
• Experience in the criminal justice sector/CPS/courts/cyber/digital and financial fraud crimes
• Experience in Health and social care sectors
• Experience in Justice and law enforcement sectors
• Experience in the prison service
• Experience in professional services/project management
• Experience in teaching and youth work
• Experience as a Foundation Degree Policing Student
• The Certificate in Knowledge of Policing or Foundation Degree in Policing
• Experience of working with Chief Officer designated powers e.g. Community Warden
• Experience of being a member of the Armed Forces and Border Forces
• Experience of being an officer of a non Home Office Force in the UK e.g. the Ministry of Defense (MOD), Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), and the British Transport Police (BTP).

If you have a Professional Policing Degree, you will automatically be enrolled onto our Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP) route.

DHEP Entry Qualification Requirements

Applicants for DHEP must have a minimum of a UK bachelor’s degree qualification* (Level 6) or equivalent (or be in the final year of study). Official results would be required before an offer of appointment is made and certificates must be provided.

You must be 17 or over to be eligible to apply but you must be 18 before a final offer can be made.  There is no upper age limit, however as the normal retirement age is 60, typically applicants may apply at 57.  This takes into account the required two year probationary period and expectation of one year minimum service.

You must declare any other employment or business interests you intend to maintain.

Certain convictions and cautions will lead to automatic rejection unless there are exceptional circumstances.  In particular:

• Violence
• Dishonesty
• Drugs
• Serious driving offences (including drink driving).

We will consider convictions, cautions, reprimands, warnings and fixed penalty notices on a case-by-case basis.  Whether an application passes, depends the nature and circumstances of the offence.

Police checks and security vetting are carried out on you and your immediate family.  The security service will also carry out checks to verify your identity and background.

If appointed, you must be prepared to have your DNA and fingerprints taken to be searched against national databases and to be stored on the police elimination database.  Police regulations state that prior to appointment applicants must have their DNA and fingerprints taken for the purposes of a speculative search to ascertain if they have previously come to police attention or if the applicant is linked to any outstanding crime scenes or marks.  Failure to consent to this will result in your appointment to the police service not being progressed.

Applicants are required to have a full manual driving licence.

You can apply without a licence as long as you have passed your test and hold a full UK drivers licence at least one month before your start date.

The standard you need to meet either with or without spectacles or contact lenses is:

Distance vision

• 6/12 or better with either your right or left eye
• 6/6 with both eyes together

Near vision

• 6/9 with both eyes together [aided].

Colour vision

The use of colour correcting lenses is not acceptable. Severe colour vision deficiencies (monochromacy) are not acceptable. Mild anomalous trichromacy is acceptable. Severe anomalous dichromacy or trichromacy is also acceptable but you will need to be aware of the deficiency and make appropriate adjustments.

Learn more about eyesight standards for police recruitment.

You will have your financial status checked.  You must not have any wilfully undischarged debts (for example county court judgements or bankruptcy).  This does not include mortgages, hire purchase, student loans or other loans that you are paying off normally.

Your application will be rejected if you have an active County Court Judgement (CCJ) or Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA).  If you have been declared bankrupt you will not be eligible to apply until three years from the date of the Certificate of Satisfaction.  If you have discharged bankruptcy debts, you will need to provide a Certificate of Satisfaction.

What does the test consist of?

Candidates are required to complete a 15m multi-stage shuttle run (bleep test) to level 5.4 (3 minutes and 40 secs).

The bleep test includes a warmup to level 3 (1 min 30 secs), followed by stretching.

Candidates are entitled to three attempts to pass the test, after an agreed time period of training and improvement, depending upon level of fitness / strength.  This will be agreed by the candidate and the trainer.  If a candidate fails at the third attempt, they are rejected from the recruitment process.

Successful applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment will be required to complete a medical health questionnaire and undertake a medical examination.  Failure to meet the medical standards as determined by the Home Office will result in an applicant not being appointed.

We won’t accept applications from anyone who is or has been a member of the British National Party, Combat 18, National Front or similar organisation.

You will be eligible if you are a British Citizen, you are an European Economic Area (EEA) Citizen, OR A Swiss National.

If you’re from outside the EEA, it is essential that you have leave to enter or remain in the UK for an indefinite period.

You will also need a UK residence card or be able to prove your right to work in the UK as an EU citizen, for example, a valid UK National Insurance number, and are free from restrictions.

You may apply to more than one force at a time.  Your application will not be accepted if you have previously applied unsuccessfully in the last six months, to another police force/service in England and Wales that requires candidates to undertake the Police SEARCH recruitment assessment centre.

If you are currently using any illegal drugs, this will rule you out of the recruitment process automatically. Police Regulations state that you must be tested for substance misuse. Failure to provide a sample will result in your application being terminated.

We assess all tattoos and piercings before your application is progressed.  Tattoos may preclude you from being recruited, depending on their content and position.

Visible tattoos and other visible body markings are unacceptable if they could reasonably be interpreted as:

• Discriminatory, offensive, obscene, indicate attitudes or views (eg. Misogynistic) inconsistent with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Behaviour.

Careful consideration will be given to any tattoo on the neck, face and / or hands in deciding if it is acceptable.  This includes considering the size, nature and prominence of the tattoo.

Facial studs, including tongue studs and pins cannot be worn. Any cultural or religious reasons for needing to wear facial jewellery should be brought to the attention of the recruitment team at the application stage.