The Seattle Police Department has three types of hiring categories for officers based on experience:

Entry Level

Entry Level Police Officer describes a candidate with no prior law enforcement experience and those who have completed a self-sponsored academy and have not worked as a commissioned officer/deputy for a law enforcement agency.  All candidates must meet the minimum qualifications. 

Entry Level candidates must bring a completed, notarized, SPD Personal History Information Packet to their Physical Ability Test.
If you already have law enforcement training and experience, you may qualify to be considered a Lateral Candidate or an Exceptional Entry Candidate. These categories allow you to go through a faster training track, begin patrol sooner and in the case of a lateral hire, start at a higher pay step.

Lateral Police Candidates

Lateral Police Officer candidates are experienced police officers who have worked for other agencies for at least 24 of the past 36 months (post academy experience) at the time of testing, with full police powers and duties.  Please refer to the qualifications listed here to see if you qualify as a Lateral Police Officer, and to our minimum qualifications for requirements of all police officer applicants.  If you are a police officer but do not meet the Lateral Police Officer requirements, you may qualify to test as an Exceptional Entry candidate at our June 23-24, 2012 test date.

Candidates must bring a completed, notarized, SPD Personal History Information Packet to the exam.

Exceptional-Entry Police Candidates

Exceptional Entry Candidates are sworn applicants who currently work for a Police Agency full time, but have worked there less than 24 months of the last 36 months (post academy experience) at the time of testing; with full police powers and duties. Officers must be currently employed by a law enforcement agency in the United States (or recently released or facing release due to layoff or reduction in force, with the ability to be rehired).  Exceptional Entry candidates must bring a completed, notarized, SPD Personal History Information Packet to their Written Exam.  Individuals are evaluated on a case by case basis and must meet the following criteria to be considered as exceptional-entry candidates:

• Applicants must be certified via attendance at the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) or an equivalent academy to the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) training academy, which is 720 hours long. (Basic training does not mean military or police reserve training or any other federal program not approved by the WSCJTC.)

• Employed for less than 24 of the past 36 months (post academy experience), as a full-time, paid Police Officer, Deputy Sheriff, Tribal Officer or State Trooper who possess full police powers and duties.

• Applicants must take and pass the City of Seattle civil service test for police officers.

• Applicants must provide copies of current/valid academy certification, photocopy of a current basic first aid card and documentation of EVOC (emergency driving) training hours.

• Officers will NOT have to attend the basic law enforcement academy; however, ALL certified law enforcement officers from outside the State of Washington must take and pass the Police Officer Equivalency Academy administered by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.  

Please Note:  The Seattle Police Department retains the right to send an Exceptional Entry candidate to the CJTC Basic Law Enforcement Academy and reclassify them as an Entry Level Police Officer if it is determined that a candidate’s existing training is not comparable.

Officers successfully completing the Washington State Equivalency Academy and Seattle Police Department training will then enter into the Field Training program.

Exceptional-Entry applicants who complete this process and are hired will start as Step 1 Police Officers.

Please Note:The Seattle Police Department retains the right to send a Lateral or Exceptional Entry candidate to the CJTC Basic Law Enforcement Academy and reclassify them as an Entry Level Police Officer if it is determined that a candidate’s existing training is not comparable.

Positions that DO NOT qualify for Lateral or Exceptional Entry:

Federal law enforcement officers/agents, corrections officers, jailers, game wardens, military police officers, special or reserve officers/deputies, or any other such positions which fall outside the above guidelines do NOT qualify for Lateral or Exceptional Entry positions.