Alaska State Troopers serve in a variety of public service functions including enforcement of traffic laws, search and rescue, and major crime investigations. With their primary goal to maintain public safety by ensuring adherence to federal and state laws, Alaska State Troopers provide the security and peace of mind residents of this great state merit.
If you’re interested in learning how to become a state trooper with the Alaska Bureau of Highway Patrol, follow the steps in this guide:
- Meet basic qualifications
- Submit your application online
- Submit to pre-hire screening interview, exam and physical ability test
- Attend the Alaska State Trooper Academy
Step 1. Meet the Basic Qualifications
In order to join the Alaska Bureau of Highway Patrol Division of State Troopers you must meet the following basic qualifications:
- You must be U.S. citizen or legal resident with the intent to become a citizen
- You must have a high school diploma or a GED
- You must be at least 21 years of age
- You must have a valid driver’s license
You may be disqualified from seeking Alaska State Trooper jobs if you have any incidents involving the following in your past.
- A felony conviction
- Used marijuana in the past 12 months
- Been fired or resigned from a police job for dishonesty or misconduct
- Received four or more fish or wildlife citations in the past three years
- On court probation
- A misdemeanor conviction involving physical injury to another within the past ten years
- Two or more misdemeanor convictions in the past ten years
- Convicted of two or more DUIs in the past ten years
Step 2. Submit Your Application with the Division of Alaska State Troopers
If you meet all of the qualifications for Alaska State Trooper jobs, you may complete an application online at Department of Public Safety or you may request a hard copy version. In addition to completing the application forms, you will also need to submit the following to the Anchorage Recruitment Unit.
- Birth certificate or Naturalization Certificate
- Copy of high school diploma or GED certificate
- Transcripts from all post-secondary schools
- Documents attesting to prior law enforcement or military work history
- Letters of recommendations or awards and honors
- Work history for the past 10 years
- Residential history for the past 10 years
Step 3. Interviews, Exams and Physical Testing
If your application package is approved, you will be asked to travel to the Anchorage Recruitment Unit to interview and complete a variety of tests. In order to join the Alaska State Troopers you must complete the following physical test requirements:
- Complete at least 25 push-ups Complete at least 27 sit-ups in one minute
- Run 1.5 miles in under 15 minutes and 12 seconds
Step 4. Alaska State Trooper Training
If you are accepted into the Division of Alaska State Troopers, you will need to complete the training program at the Department of Public Safety Academy in Sitka. The typical program last 15 weeks, but may be shortened for some trainees with prior law enforcement experience. The intensive program includes courses in the following:
- Constitutional and procedural law
- Alaska criminal code
- Traffic laws
- First aid
- Emergency vehicle operations
- Firearms training
- Crime scene investigations
- Radio procedures
- DUI enforcement
- Personal defensive tactics
State troopers also must attend a three-week program that includes the following topics:
- Patrol rifle
- Department history
- Department policies
- Wildlife regulations and investigations
- Search and rescue
- Wilderness survival
Upon completion of the training program, you will be assigned to a patrol unit where you will engage in a 15-week field training assignment. Following this assignment, you will be assigned as a probationary Alaska State Trooper for at least one year, before attaining full status.