January 27, 2005 |
2005-R-0118 | |
MINIMUM AGE FOR SERVING AS POLICE OFFICER | ||
| ||
By: Veronica Rose, Principal Analyst | ||
You want to know the minimum age for becoming a police officer in Connecticut and neighboring states.
Table 1 shows the minimum age requirement in nine states. Connecticut is among five states where the minimum age is 21. In Pennsylvania and Vermont, it is 18, and in New York, it is 20. In some states, the minimum age is established in statutes. In others, it is set by a council or commission established by law to set standards for police officers. In Connecticut, the Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) set the requirement for local police officers, and the State Police set the requirement for state police officers.
Table 1: Minimum Age for Employment as Police Officer in Select States
State |
Minimum Age |
Source |
Connecticut |
21 |
POST regulations (Conn. Agency Reg. § 7-294e-16) |
Georgia |
18 |
Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council Rules (http: //www. gapost. org/3offcrt. htm) |
Maine |
21 (20 if applicant has an associates degree or 60 credit hours of post secondary education) |
(Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. 25 § 2804-G) |
Maryland |
21 |
Maryland Agency Regulations |
Massachusetts |
21 |
Chap. 467 of the Acts of 2004 |
New Jersey |
21 |
NJSA 40A: 14-127 |
New York |
20 |
Civ. Service Law § 58 |
Pennsylvania |
18 |
Municipal Police Officers Standards and Training Council Regulations (http: //www. mpoetc. state. pa. us/mpotrs/cwp/view. asp?a=1133&q=440471) |
Vermont |
18 |
Vermont Criminal Justice Commission (http: //www. vcjtc. state. vt. us/basic. htm) |
VR: dw