The process of becoming an officer is seven steps, beginning with passing an entrance exam and concluding with final selection after a competitive and challenging series of mental and physical tests. To learn more about this detailed process, click on our “Apply” page.

No, you do not have to be a police officer to work for the Baton Rouge Police Department. In fact, our officers couldn’t do their jobs without the individuals who serve in non-sworn support positions – communications officers, criminal information specialists, and fingerprint technicians. To learn more about these positions, as well as benefits and incentives, click over to our “Career” page.

Many of our officers served in the United States Armed Forces before beginning their careers with BRPD. Prior service members must complete the application process just like all other applicants but do receive additional points on their Civil Service Entrance Exam. Please note that all prior military applying for a position with BRPD must not have been dishonorably discharged.

Many of our officers began their careers with BRPD as lateral transfers, and we offer an abbreviated application process for these individuals. If you are a lateral transfer, please contact us for more information.

To qualify for a position as a BRPD officer, applicants must be at least 21 years old; must be a citizen of the United States; must be able to read, write, and speak English; must be registered with the Selective Service (males only); must have a(n) high school diploma, high school transcript, high school equivalency credential, or affidavit from an issuing high school to indicate high school completion; must have a degree or college transcript to indicate college graduation, if applicable; must have a valid Louisiana driver’s license or be able to obtain one if the applicant possesses a license in another state; must have a valid and passing Civil Service Entrance Exam score; and must be willing to submit to a physical assessment, polygraph, extensive background investigation, criminal and credit check, oral interview, medical exam, drug screen, and liability risk assessment. Click to download a list of all qualifiers and disqualifiers.

Any of the following will disqualify an individual from a position as a BRPD officer: applicant has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or nolo contender to a felony; applicant has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or nolo contender to a misdemeanor (including misdemeanors resulting from a felony); applicant has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or nolo contendere to a domestic violence crime (including a conviction for a lesser charge related to domestic violence); applicant has used, sold, cultivated, produced, or transported marijuana or a dangerous or illegal narcotic in the past two years; applicant has been dishonorably charged from the military; applicant has resigned or been terminated from a law enforcement agency for criminal conduct (charges/ allegations that have been exonerated or cleared do not apply); applicant has been convicted of a civil rights violation; applicant has been associated with a convicted felon (including sharing a residence, dating, and marriage); applicant has been arrested for a felony or misdemeanor (expunged arrests still apply); applicant has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or nolo contendere to a DWI or related charge in the past three years (a diversion of similar action is the same as a guilty plea); applicant has been involved in more than two at-fault crashes within a two-year period; applicant has been rejected from employment with BRPD on three prior occasions. Click to download a list of all qualifiers and disqualifiers.

If you’ve already reviewed the information on our “Apply” page, check out our “Resources” page for information about upcoming prep classes, which are designed to help applicants feel more prepared for the most challenging parts of the hiring process, including the physical assessment and board interview. If you are applying to be an officer, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of this valuable resource.

Our recruiters would love to speak with you about the hiring process and what it takes to be a member of the Baton Rouge blue. Click over to our “Contact” page for more information about how to reach us, or visit our “Events” page for opportunities to chat with us face-to-face.
If you aren’t quite ready to speak with one of our recruiters, or if you’ve already begun the application process and would like to get advice from someone who just completed the process and can serve as a mentor, make sure to check out our “Talk to a Recent Recruit” feature!

The hiring process typically takes six months to a year from start to finish, although each hiring process is different and the exact timeline may fluctuate. For upcoming recruiting events where you can learn more about the hiring process, please click here.

No, you do not need to live in Baton Rouge to work for BRPD, either as an officer or in one of our non-sworn support positions.

BRPD is proud to outfit all officers with the tools they need to succeed on the job. This includes – but is not limited to – uniforms and vests, miscellaneous uniform accessories and equipment, computers, all duty weapons, and police units (as available).

All BRPD officers begin their career in the uniform patrol division; this includes lateral transfers. At the three-year mark, officers in good standing may transfer to another division.
BRPD offers a number of different divisions, including K-9, Special Response Team, Traffic, Crime Scene and Criminal Investigations.