New Hampshire Police Academy Requirements and New Hampshire Police Officer Qualifications

Age/Citizenship: Must be at least 21 years of age and a U.S. citizen either prior to or on the scheduled date of examination administration.

Eyesight and Hearing: Must have at least 20/40 in each eye uncorrected and corrected to 20/20 in each eye and have normal uncorrected depth and color perception; must possess normal hearing sufficient to enable performance of essential job functions.

Police Officer Certification: Candidates must be able to obtain police officer certification within the time frame established by the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council.  Must maintain police officer certification throughout tenure of service.

Residency: Candidates must be willing to accept employment ANYWHERE in the state.  With offers of employment, appointees will be assigned a troop area and patrol.  Prior to completion of Phase II (Field Training Officer) Training, appointees must establish residency within their assigned patrol area.

License/Registration: Appointees must obtain a New Hampshire driver’s license and registration within 60 days of establishing residency in New Hampshire.

Tattoo Policy: Candidates are prohibited from having any form of tattoo that is clearly visible outside the areas covered by the uniform of the day or by appropriate civilian attire.  Areas warranting disqualification include the head, neck, hands, and arms (if the tattoo is exposed while wearing a short-sleeved shirt).

Character: A history of criminal or unethical behavior will cause an applicant to be ineligible for further consideration.

A candidate must have at least ONE of the following:

Education:  Associates degree or 60 credit hours from a recognized college, university or technical institute with major study preferably in criminal justice or the equivalent.
Experience:  No experience required.

OR

Education:  H.S. Diploma, GED, or equivalent.
Experience:  Two years of experience comprised of any one of the following:
A) One year as a full time certified police officer and one year of honorable military service, either intermittently or full time, OR
B) Two years as a full time certified police officer, OR
C) Two years of honorable military service, either intermittently or full time.