Academy FAQs

How old do I have to be to enter the academy?

How can I guarantee a seat in the next academy?

How do I get commissioned?

When will I be notified if I am accepted into the academy?

When and what is the orientation meeting?

What if I fail the physical assessment?

Is the academy difficult to pass?

What type of weapon do I need for the academy?

I have never shot a gun before, should I go out and start practicing?

I have been convicted of a felony but have had my record expunged or sealed, can I still get in?

I was charged with Domestic Violence but the charge was reduced to disorderly conduct, can I still get in?

What are the hours of the Peace Officer academy?

You must be 18 years of age however, most law enforcement agencies will not hire individuals until they have attained the age of 21.  Sheriff departments, and village police departments, can commission officers at 18 years of age. Municipalities can’t commission officers under 21 years of age because of civil service laws.

We take applications on a first come, first serve basis. The only applications that have preferential treatment are those which are commissioned. (Commissioned: individuals who are affiliated/hired by a law enforcement agency) If you attend this program as a non-commissioned officer and fail to gain employment with a law enforcement agency within a year of graduating, your Peace Officer academy training will expire and you will have to attend the Peace Officer academy a second time as mandated by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission.

NC State Police Academy currently has 100% placement success for individuals who have passed both the academy and the State Peace Officers Exam.

You need to contact local law enforcement agencies and ascertain if they commission officers for the Peace Officer academy. If they do, you will need to fill out an application with that agency. (Even though you fill out their application, you must still fill out NC State’s Peace Officer Academy application).

Upon completion and passing of the physical assessment, and successfully completing and returning all academy paperwork, you will be notified of your acceptance into the Academy.

Orientation/physical assessment meetings will be available 90 days in advance of the beginning of the academy. The dates will be posted on the website as soon as they are scheduled. The orientation/physical assessment is designed to explain to the applicants the rules and regulations of the Peace Officer academy. A pre-physical conditioning assessment will also be conducted during this orientation meeting. The physical assessment consists of the following: push-ups, sit-ups, and a 1.5 mile run.

Those not meeting the 15th percentile of the OPOTA Standards in push-us, sit-ups, and 1.5 mile run may be denied entry into the academy.

We encourage all candidates to attend an orientation/physical assessment as early as possible. This will allow the candidate additional opportunities to retest again before the academy begins.

If you are prepared and committed to becoming a law enforcement officer, you should not have any difficulty. We pride ourselves in being one of the best academies in the State of Ohio. Our training standards are demanding and our rules and regulations are strict. However, if you really want to become a Peace Officer, you can make it!

No purchase of weapons is required. College-owned firearms are provided for cadet use during the academy training period. All ammunition for all weapons is provided.

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Most of our best shooters have never fired a weapon before entering the Peace Officer academy. It is better to be trained properly the first time around rather than on your own where you become more apt to establish bad habits.

More than likely you will not be able to attend. Even though your record is sealed or expunged, those records can be unsealed by OPOTA, the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission.

No. Any domestic violence charge that is reduced is still considered a domestic violence offense. The only exception is if the domestic violence charge was dropped completely.

The part-time academy will only be available as a night academy if we have enough applicants interested in this option.

The full-time day academy will be available Monday thru Friday from 8am to 5pm. Two full weekends are also required to complete the day academy, 1 weekend will be for the Driving skills and 1 weekend will be for Field Sobriety Testing (live drinkers).  NC State runs two full-time day academies each year: One in the late-summer/fall and one in late-winter/early spring.

Please submit the Police Academy Interest Form and include which academy you are interested in attending.