How to Become a Deputy Sheriff in Maryland

Baltimore County Sheriff Department Jobs

Baltimore County Deputy Sheriff jobs fall under the jurisdiction of the Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office, one of the oldest Sheriff’s Offices in the state of Maryland. In addition to assisting Baltimore County citizens, the Deputy Sheriff provides services to the Baltimore County Circuit Court.

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Baltimore County Deputy Sheriffs are sworn Police Officers who have all the law enforcement powers that come with that position. As of 2008, 60 Deputy and Deputy First Class Sheriffs served the Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office.

The following information will instruct you on how to become a Baltimore County Sheriff Deputy:

  1. Make sure that you meet the basic requirements
  2. Pass a written examination and physical agility test
  3. Pass an oral interview, background check, psychological evaluation and  polygraph test
  4. Pass a medical exam and drug screening test
  5. Attend the Maryland Public Safety Education and Training Center

Step 1.  Meet the Basic Qualifications for Baltimore County Deputy Sheriff Candidacy

You do not need to have a college degree in order to become a Baltimore County Sheriff Deputy, but possession of one may give you an advantage over other applicants without degrees. Basic requirements to become a Baltimore County Deputy Sheriff are:

  • A high school diploma or equivalent
  • U.S. citizen
  • 21 years old at the time you take the job
  • Valid driver’s license
  • No felony convictions

You must apply online for a position as a Deputy Sheriff with the Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office.

Step 2. Pass a Written Examination and Physical Agility Test

The written examination that you must pass in order to become a Baltimore County Deputy Sheriff is a two hour, 85-question test. It measures your skills at reading comprehension and the English language.

Passing the written examination leads you to the next step in the hiring process, the Physical Agility Test. This test will indicate whether you will able to perform the duties of a Deputy Sheriff without risking the health and/or life of others. You must:

  • Perform as many bent leg sit-ups as you can in one minute
  • Run 1.5 miles as fast as you can
  • Bench press the maximum amount of weight possible
  • Score well on the trigger strength/hand pull test

Step 3. Pass an Interview, Background Examination, Psychological Evaluation and Polygraph Examination

If you pass the Physical Agility Test, you will be invited to interview with representatives of the Administrative Board of the Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office.

A successful interview will facilitate a thorough background examination. Your employment and educational history, credit history, criminal history, driving record, residential history, and personal references will be checked. At this time, a full psychological evaluation and polygraph test will also be administered to you.

Passing these evaluations will get you a conditional offer of employment as a Deputy Sheriff with the Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office.

Step 4. Pass a Medical Exam and Drug Screening Test

Applicants who have received a conditional appointment as a Deputy Sheriff in Baltimore County will be subjected to the next series of tests. A certified physician will next perform a full medical examination on you. You must have at least 20/30 binocular vision and pass a hearing test. A full drug and alcohol screening test will also be performed.

If you pass these screenings, you will receive a firm offer to become a Baltimore County Sheriff Deputy.

Step 5. Attend Baltimore County Deputy Sheriff Training

Good for you! You have met the challenges posed to you in the application process and have become a Baltimore County Deputy Sheriff! Now, you must complete the training program mandated by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions (MPCTC).

If you have not had prior law-enforcement training of any kind, you will be entered into the Police Entry Level Training Program. This program, which takes place at the Public Safety Education and Training Center in Sykesville, lasts for 26 weeks and will instruct you in all areas of law enforcement needed by a police officer/deputy sheriff in Baltimore County, such as:

  • Traffic laws and enforcement
  • Patrol tactics
  • Criminal investigation
  • Crisis intervention
  • Crime prevention
  • Emergency medical care

You will also receive training and firearms qualification at the center’s Firearms Training Facility. After completion of training, you will be MPCTC certified as a Deputy Sheriff. You must pass retraining requirements as needed during the course of your employment with the Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office.

Montgomery County Sheriff Department Jobs

Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff jobs in involve protecting the public and upholding county, Maryland-state and federal laws. The application process to become a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy may take from six months to one year to complete successfully. If you fail the written examination, you may apply again within six months of the exam date.

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This guide provides instructions on how to become a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy in five steps:

  1. Verify you meet the basic qualifications
  2. Pass a written examination and questionnaire
  3. Participate in an interview, background check and polygraph
  4. Pass medical, psychological and physical fitness screening
  5. Attend the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy

Step 1.  Meet the Basic Qualifications for Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff Candidacy

Although possession of a college degree might get you noticed over other candidates who lack a degree, this is not necessary in order to qualify for Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff candidacy.  You must, however:

  • Have a high school diploma or GED
  • Be a U.S. citizen
  • Be at least 21 years old before graduating from the Training Academy
  • Have a valid driver’s license

If you meet these basic qualifications, you may apply for a Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff job online.

Step 2. Pass a Written Examination and Questionnaire

There is a variety of examinations that you must pass before you can be considered for a Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff job. If your application is accepted, you will be invited to participate in a written examination. This examination, usually administered once each month, will test your general knowledge of basic legal terminology, comprehension, interpretation of maps, and how well you complete forms.

If your written examination is evaluated and you are deemed “Well Qualified,” you will be asked to complete the Confidential Questionnaire for Deputy Sheriff Candidate.  Make sure to complete the questionnaire in its entirety, as leaving just one item of information out may disqualify you from becoming a Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff. This document also authorizes the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office to complete a thorough background check on you. With this questionnaire, you must submit:

  • A copy of your high school diploma (and college degree if you possess one)
  • Have sealed copies of your high school transcripts (and college transcripts) mailed directly to the sheriff’s office: Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Att’n: Deputy C. Veiga, 50 Maryland Ave,  Rockville, MD 20850
  • A copy of your birth certificate
  • A copy of your driver’s license
  • A copy of your social security card
  • Military forms, if applicable
  • Naturalization forms, if applicable

Based upon your answers, you may be asked to continue in the Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff candidacy process.

Step 3. Pass a Structured Interview, Background Investigation and Voice Stress Analyzer or Polygraph Test

Next, you will be asked to participate in a structured interview with members of the Administrative Board of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

If the Board recommends that you continue in the hiring process, a thorough background investigation will be conducted on you. Your questionnaire and the documents that you submitted with it are utilized in this investigation.

The Board will review the results of your background investigation. If they so recommend, you will be asked to participate in a polygraph test or a voice stress analyzer test.

If you pass all of these tests the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will make a tentative offer of employment to you, and you will be invited to participate in the next phase of testing.

Step 4. Pass a Medical Exam, Physical Abilities Test, Psychological Exam and Drug Screening Test

The Physical Abilities Test is given during the Medical Examination. You must be able to:

  • Do 34 bent knee sit-ups in three minutes
  • Do 17 continuous push-ups on your palms and toes
  • Do 29 cycles of lateral bending in 20 seconds
  • Do a 27 inch abdominal stretch (measured from chin to wall) while you bend backwards with your hips against a wall
  • Do a 73 inch standing long jump
  • Have a grip strength of 80 lbs or 50 percent of your body weight in each hand
  • Have an exercise capacity of 9.9 METS measured on a treadmill with a target rate of 90 percent of the maximum heart rate for your age

You must also pass a Medical Examination, including:

  • Visual acuity – corrected to 20/20 in each eye, and uncorrected to 20/40 in each eye if you wear glasses or hard contact lenses. (If you have worn soft contact lenses for at least 6 months, and they correct your vision to 20/20 in each eye, you do not have to take the uncorrected vision test).
  • Color vision – pass the Farnsworth D-15 test with a maximum of one error
  • Hearing – pass a pure tone hearing threshold test

You must also pass a drug and alcohol screening test.

If you pass these tests, you will receive a final job offer to become a Montgomery County Sheriff Deputy

Step 5. Attend Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff Training

Congratulations! You have succeeded in the lengthy hiring process and are now a Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff candidate! The next step is to complete the department’s training program.

Your entry-level training will begin at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy. This will last 27 weeks, and will include academic and physical challenges.

Next, you will complete 14 weeks of a Field Training Program at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. During this time, you will be assigned to a Senior Deputy who will evaluate your progress.

You will be considered to be on probation for the first 12 months of employment

Each year, you must return to the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy to maintain police certification

Prince George’s County Sheriff Department Jobs

Prince George’s County Deputy Sheriff jobs revolve around the safety of the approximately 800,000 residents of Prince George’s County, Maryland. It is the responsibility of the Prince George’s County Sheriff Deputy to uphold laws, maintain security and provide effective services to benefit each resident of Prince George’s County.

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This guide offers information on how to become a Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Deputy in five steps:

  1. Confirm that you meet the fundamental requirements
  2. Pass a physical requirement test
  3. Pass a written exam, background check and interview process
  4. Pass polygraph, psychological, medical, and drug screening tests
  5. Attend the Prince George’s County Police Academy

Step 1.  Meet the Basic Qualifications for Prince George’s County Deputy Sheriff Candidacy

A college degree is not necessary in order to become a Prince George’s County Sheriff Deputy, but the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office prefers applicants with at least 60 college credits. The following minimum qualifications must be met before applying for Deputy Sheriff candidacy in Prince George’s County:

  • Possession of a high school diploma/GED
  • Preferred: possession of 60 or more hours of college credits
  • U.S. citizenship
  • Be 20 years and 6 months of age when applying
  • Possession of a valid driver’s license and at least six months of driving experience
  • Preferred: Bilingual applicants

Apply online to begin the process to become a Prince George’s County Sheriff Deputy. The use of a mobile device to complete the application is not recommended.

Step 2. Pass the Applicant Physical Requirement Test

When you fill out the online application for Deputy Sheriff in Prince George’s County, you must also download the APRT Waiver Form and have your doctor complete it. This form verifies that you may safely schedule to take the Applicant Physical Requirement Test. Once your doctor has cleared you to take the APRT, schedule the test online. You must pass the APRT before taking any written examinations. Physical requirements that you must meet are based upon sex and age. During the APRT, you must:

  • Complete as many push-ups as you can in one minute
  • Complete as many sit-ups as you can in one minute
  • Perform a 1.5 mile run in the shortest time possible

Step 3. Pass the Written Examination, Background Investigation and Interview

Once you have passed the APRT, you will be cleared by the Board to take the Entry-Level Written Multiple Choice Test. This test will measure your skills at observation and memory, as well as handling situations and reading comprehension. The test totals 95 questions and you are allotted two hours in which to complete it. A study guide published by the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office is provided here.

Qualified candidates who pass the written examination will need to submit documents to the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office to enable them to perform a background investigation. You must provide certified copies of your driving record in each state in which you have held a driver’s license. You must also thoroughly complete the Personal History Statement form. This background investigation will comprehensively examine your employment, criminal, credit, educational, personal, and medical histories.

Next, you will be invited to participate in an oral interview with members of the Board. If your interview is successful, you will move on to Step 4 in the hiring process.

Step 4. Pass Polygraph, Psychological, Medical and Drug Screening Tests

Qualified applicants will next be subjected to a polygraph examination, psychological screening, medical examination and drug and alcohol screening test. The medical examination will also test your vision and hearing abilities. During the drug screening test, you must acknowledge the use of any illegal drugs at any time in the past.

Passing these tests will garner you a final offer of employment to become a Prince George’s County Sheriff Deputy.

Step 5. Attend Prince George’s County Deputy Sheriff Training

Well done! You have passed all of the examinations and have been given the title of a Prince George’s County Deputy Sheriff Private! Now you must complete the necessary training. You will spend approximately seven months at the Prince George’s County Police Academy at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, participating in academic and physical training. Graduation will earn you certification from the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission as a Prince George’s County Deputy Sheriff.

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