The Georgia State Patrol is responsible for public safety on the interstate highways in Georgia and provides SWAT assistance in rural areas. Here are the steps you need to go through to get hired and trained as a State Trooper in Georgia.
Seven steps to follow if you’re interested in learning how to become a state trooper in Georgia:
- Meet the Basic Qualifications
- Submit Your Application and take a Polygraph Examination
- Background Check
- Physical Fitness Test
- Written Examination
- Written Psychological Evaluation, Interview and Medical Examination
- Attend Trooper Academy for Training
Step 1. Meet the Basic Qualifications for Georgia Trooper Candidacy
To be considered for jobs as a Georgia State Trooper, you must meet certain requirements:
- You must be a US citizen.
- You must have a high school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent.
- You must be 21 years of age when you graduate from the Academy.
- You must have excellent vision (Each eye must be at least 20/60 uncorrected and correct to at least 20/40.)
- You cannot have had any felony convictions
- You must not owe back taxes or be delinquent on government or student loans.
- You must not have been involved in any serious crime or one of an aggravated nature.
- You must not have been convicted of a DUI or any traffic offense that is serious within the past five years.
- You must not have had 5 or more convictions or nolo contendere pleas for moving violations within the past 2 years.
- You must not have the following conduct with illegal drugs
- Current use
- Sale, manufacture, or distribution
- Associating with people personally within the past year who used illegal drugs in your presence
- Possession or use of marijuana within the past 3 years
- Use (other than marijuana) within the past 10 years
- Prescription drug abuse within the past 3 years
- You must not have tattoos that would be visible while in uniform or on duty.
You will be preferred as a candidate if you have one of the following backgrounds:
- 90 hours/quarter or the equivalent of semesters of accredited college credit.
- Certified LEO for 5 years
- Georgia Department of Public Safety Trooper Cadet or GSP Dispatcher for 2 years
- Police Corporal for 2 years
Step 2. Submit Your Application
You must download the application, fill it in, and then either fax it to 404-624-7546 or mail it to:
Department of Public Safety
Human Resources Division
PO Box 1456
Atlanta, GA 30371
Once your application has been accepted, you will need to take a polygraph examination.
Step 3. Background Check
Having passed the polygraph exam, your background will then be thoroughly investigated. You will need to complete a packet of information for your background check. You will need to provide the following documents when you mail it in:
- Birth Certificate (certified copy)
- Court Orders Authorizing Name Changes (certified copies, if applicable)
- Marriage Certificate
- Divorce Decree
- Transcripts (official—copies will not be accepted) – There are request forms in the back of the packet
- High School or GED
- Vocation/Technical Schools
- College
- Photograph: recent full length
- P.O.S.T. Certification (copy, if you are currently certified)
- DD-214 (copy of Member-4 that shows lines 23 to 30)
- Selective Service Registration Card (if applicable)
Step 4. Physical Fitness Test
After you have passed your background investigation, you will be given a pass/fail test that determines whether you are physically fit to be a State Trooper in Georgia. This test involves:
- Bench Press – You must be able to press 67% of your body weight
- Push-ups – You must do 21
- Sit-ups – You must do 30 in 1 minute
- 300 Meter Sprint – You must complete this in at least 90 seconds
These are the minimum requirements, and you will be expected to have a much more rigorous level of fitness when you are in the Academy.
Step 5. Written Examination
After you have passed your fitness test, the next step in becoming a State Trooper in Georgia is to take the P.O.S.T. (Police Officer Selection Test). This test examines your ability to read, write, use grammar properly, and perform arithmetic. Each section is timed.
You may be exempt from this if you can document that you already have results form tests that meet the minimum standards of P.O.S.T.
You are well-advised to obtain a study guide from the U.S. Capitol Police and practice taking the exam ahead of time.
Step 6. Written Psychological Examination, Interview and Medical Exam
Once you have passed the written examination, you will then undergo a written examination that will assess your psychological well being.
After passing the psychological examination, you will then undergo an oral interview by a panel of officers.
Having passed the interview process, you will be thoroughly examined by a physician. This includes drug screening.
Step 7. Attend Trooper Academy for Training
Once you have passed your medical examination, you will undergo 31 weeks of training at the Georgia State Patrol Trooper School located in Forsyth. This involves:
- Academy Studies: 18 weeks
- Field Training: 12 weeks
- Preparation for Graduation: 1 week
Your curriculum will include:
- Accident Investigation
- Criminal Law and Procedures
- Spanish
- Training in
- Defensive tactics (40+ hours)
- Driving (100+ hours)
- Firearms usage
- Stopping vehicles
While you are being undergoing training in Trooper School, you will be paid $34,038 per year. After you graduate, your annual salary will start at $35,741.