How Does My Military Experience Help?

1. Are resources available while I am serving abroad to help me prepare for the academy and a career in law enforcement?

   The POST Website provides access to many resources including information on hiring and training, the Regular Basic Course Training and Testing Specifications (the minimum content in academy training), links to agencies and training presenters, and an accessible archive of law enforcement news. An overview of the Regular Basic Course with links to related material is available at on the Regular Basic Course page.

2. How will the G.I. Bill or other military benefits help with my training costs?|

   Your veteran benefits may assist with tuition and other expenses. For details and benefit point-of-contact information, you should contact the course presenter who can provide you with further direction and specific contact information.

3. Does my military training and experience allow me to be hired directly from the military?

   Although your military experience and training may benefit you in a peace officer position and enhance your resume, you are still required to complete the agency's hiring process and complete the Regular Basic Course ("Academy"). Depending on the agency and type of position you seek, academy completion may be a pre-requisite to hiring.

4. Does my specialized training in the military allow me to be an instructor once I am hired?

   Some training courses, such as firearms instructor or arrest and control instructor, require the completion of specific POST courses prior to qualifying as an instructor. Non-POST certified training may be considered in determining training equivalency with POST instructor requirements. Additionally, specialized military training may be beneficial to you in your peace officer position or resume. POST Commission Regulation 1070 (c) – equivalency process - says if the instructor course meets minimum content in Commission Regulation 1082, a non-POST certified instructor course may meet the 1070 requirement.

5. What happens if I am deployed or activated and must temporarily leave my basic training?

   POST Commission Regulation 1006 provides extensions in certain circumstances where required training cannot be completed. POST assists agencies through the process upon the return of individuals from military service.

6. How do I become a California peace officer?

   The personnel selection standards and other requirements can be found on our "How Do I Become a Peace Officer."

7. Where is academy training offered?

   The POST-certified presenters of the Regular Basic Course can be found on our Basic Training Academies page. The individual presenters should be contacted for details about entry requirements, course costs, utilizing veteran's benefits, and the availability of positions in upcoming academies.

8. Is academy training accessible to me outside of CA or online?

   All presentations of the POST-certified Regular Basic Course are held at academies in California. For their location and contact information, see our Basic Training Academies page.

9. Are courses required before I enter an academy?

   No, POST does not have pre-requisite courses. However, this should not preclude you from continuing your education, seeking additional resources, and preparing mentally and physically for the academy and a position in law enforcement.

10. How do I contact an academy?

    To contact individual Regular Basic Course presenters, view our Basic Training Academies page.

11. How do I find agencies that are hiring?

    Agencies currently hiring can be found on our "California Law Enforcement Job Opportunities." (Note: this list is not an all exclusive list of California Law Enforcement vacancies.) Also, the personnel and Human Resources departments of many cities and counties allow you to apply for a position and/or register your interest for positions on line. Registering will ensure you are notified when testing for a position begins. Visit the specific sites for the agencies you are interested in for further information about their hiring process.