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Maryland Department of State Police

Application Process

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There are so many ways to help the community and be a part of a great team here at Maryland Department of State Police. Explore the opportunities we have to offer in a professional career and learn about the application process to become a Maryland State Trooper. 

Virtual Applicant Orientation

If you are selected to continue your application after the initial online submission, you will receive an invitation to our Virtual Applicant Orientation via PowerPoint presentation. The material includes vital instructions for the application process and should be reviewed thoroughly. This document includes information about job duties, the academy, and the application process.

Note: MPTC Regulations require candidates to abstain from controlled dangerous substances (other than marijuana) for three years, and marijuana for 12 months, before Applicant Orientation.

Expedite Your Application

To help speed up your application process, we recommend you have your official copies of your transcripts from both your high school and every college you have attended. If you received a GED, please request an official transcript of your test grades. 

Functional Fitness Assessment Test (FFAT)

After reviewing and approving your pre-application information you’ll be required to take a high-intensity fitness evaluation to assess both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. It features a standardized set of criteria and includes no rest breaks between exercises.

  • Push-Ups: eighteen (18)
  • Sit-Ups: twenty-seven (27)
  • Flexibility:  (while seated)
  • 1.5 Mile Run: maximum time of 15 minutes and 20 seconds (15:20)

In order to be admitted to the test site, you must bring your:

  • FFAT Invitation Letter
  • Three (3) copies of your completed Medical Waivers, and
  • valid Driver's License.

You should come dressed in fitness attire, after passing the FFAT you are required to change into appropriate business attire prior to coming to MSP Headquarters for your written exam. You may retake the FFAT three (3) additional times in one year. If you fail your FFAT, contact MSP recruiting: [email protected] to request to reschedule.

See the steps for the Functional Fitness Assessment test

Find out how the Maryland State Police measure your fitness level and physical preparedness for the Academy.

Written Exam

State troopers and cadets must take a written exam using the four part National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) examination. Each section will evaluate a different critical job function that a Maryland State Trooper will perform:

  • Mathematics
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Grammar
  • Report Writing Skills

Applicants are encouraged to use the following study guide - PDF  to prepare. There are numerous resources - PDF available if you need additional preparation.

If you fail your written exam you may retake the test up to three (3) additional times. Please contact MSP recruiting at [email protected] to request to reschedule.

If you have already taken the POST exam, you may request to transfer your exam grades. However, please be aware that a grades transfer does not guarantee that you will not need to retake the exam. This request must be made at least one week prior to your scheduled FFAT and Written Exam.

Upon receipt of your request, the Recruitment Unit will verify your grades and compare them to our standards. You will then receive a phone call or email informing you whether you are required to retake the exam.

If you passed the written exam from  another agency, submit a transfer request after Applicant Orientation, at least one week before your scheduled FFAT and Written Exam. The Recruitment Unit will verify your grades against our standards and inform you if you need to retake the exam. If the transferring agency cannot be reached before your scheduled FFAT and Written Exam, you will be required to retake the POST exam.

All applicants will receive the test grades by email within five business days after the written exam. 

Note: You must bring a valid driver’s license to the written exam.

Other testing requirements

In addition to the FFAT and written exams, State troopers and cadets must successfully pass the the following:

  • Complete an oral board interview
  • Undergo a polygraph examination and background investigation
  • Undergo a medical and psychological testing

Police Selection Committee

Application review by the Police Selection Committee (PSC)  a five-member board composed from various units within the Maryland State Police. The PSC will band an applicant into one of the following competitive categories​:

  • Best
  • Better
  • Qualified
  • Not-Qualified

Only applicants who are ranked as best, better, or qualified will be considered for competitiveness within an academy class.

The entire application process generally takes 3-5 months to complete. This time frame is dependent on the promptness of applicant responses. 

Applicants for a Trooper or Cadet position are required to submit images of all tattoos and body modifications before a conditional offer will be considered.

Training

Selected applicants will attend the Maryland State Police Training Academy in Sykesville, Maryland. The Academy is an intensive program emphasizing ethics, teamwork, and accountability, and demands a high level of military discipline. Recruits will live at the Academy Monday through Friday and undergo daily military-style inspections. Accumulating demerits may result in disciplinary weekends at the Academy. Regardless of prior military service, college education, or employment, the Academy is designed to be a significant challenge.

The curriculum includes:

  • Academics: College-level classes, earning 45 college credits.
  • Driving: Training in emergency vehicle operation under stressful conditions.
  • Firearms: Two weeks with the Firearms Training Unit, mastering the Glock Model 17 9mm handgun and patrol shotgun.
  • Tactics & Survival: Defensive tactics (including boxing and martial arts) and officer survival skills.
  • Physical Fitness: Daily running and pushing physical and mental limits to an unprecedented degree.
  • Certifications: Standardized Field Sobriety Test administration for impaired drivers and Maryland State Certified First Responder to aid the sick and injured.
  • Law & Reporting: In-depth knowledge of Maryland's Criminal and Motor Vehicle Laws and proficiency in completing reports using a personal computer.

Graduates will report to one of the 23 State Police Barracks, where their authority will be statewide, exceeding that of local and county police officers. For eight weeks, an experienced Field Training Trooper (FTT) will supervise them, allowing them to apply their Academy education and training to real police situations. After satisfactory completion of field training, they will begin independent patrol duties.

Questions?

For any questions about our recruitment process or applications, please contact our Recruitment & Selection Unit:

Maryland State Police Human Resources Division
Phone: 410-653-4348
Email: [email protected]