The LAPD's hiring process for police officers has nine steps, from a two-part online application to a psychological evaluation, and the department says it usually takes about 6 to 9 months. The written test and the physical test are pass/fail. Your interview score sets your place on the hiring list.
Everything below comes from the City of Los Angeles Police Officer job bulletin (revised 31 July 2026) and the LAPD's recruitment site, joinlapd.com. Where neither says something, we say so.
The LAPD hiring process at a glance
| Step | What happens | What the City says about it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Application | Two online applications: myPD, then the City's Government Jobs application with a supplemental questionnaire. | Both are required. Attach proof of education before you submit. |
| 2. Multiple-choice test | Judgement and decision making, and written communication. | Pass/fail. A pass never expires. Can be waived. |
| 3. Physical Abilities Test (PAT) | Sit-ups, a 300-metre sprint, push-ups and a 1.5-mile run. | Pass/fail. A pass expires after 12 months. |
| 4. Department interview | An interview on the competencies of a police officer. | Your score sets your rank; you need 70% or more to be placed on the eligible list. |
| 5. Personal History Statement | A detailed questionnaire that starts the background investigation. | Answer completely and truthfully. |
| 6. Polygraph | Confirms the information you gave during the process. | Held before the field investigation. |
| 7. Medical evaluation | An examination by a City physician. | A cardiac stress test may be required. |
| 8. Field investigation | Checks of your records and interviews with people who know you. | Findings are valid for 12 months. |
| 9. Psychological evaluation | Written tests and an oral interview with a City psychologist. | Part of the medical evaluation. |
After that comes the Police Academy: a six-month, 40-hour-a-week programme on full pay.
Who can apply to the LAPD?
You need to meet these minimum requirements from the job bulletin and the LAPD's qualifications page:
- Age: at least 20 when you apply and 21 by academy graduation. The LAPD has no maximum age.
- Education: a US high school diploma, a GED or equivalent from a US institution, or a California High School Proficiency Examination certificate. A two- or four-year college degree from an accredited US or foreign institution can substitute. A high school diploma from outside the US isn't accepted.
- Work authorisation: you must be legally authorised to work in the United States under federal law.
- Residency: you don't have to live in Los Angeles.
- Driving: you need a valid California Class C licence by the time you're appointed. You'll be disqualified if your record shows three or more moving violations and/or at-fault accidents, or a conviction for a major moving violation, in the last 36 months.
- Criminal record: a felony conviction disqualifies you.
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What is the LAPD application process?
You submit two separate online applications, and you must complete both to be considered.
- myPD. Register and complete your personal information at mypd.joinlapd.com.
- Government Jobs. Submit the City's Police Officer (2214) application with the entry-level Peace Officer Supplemental Questionnaire. If you skip the questionnaire, your application won't be processed.
Two rules catch people out. First, attach proof of education before you submit: a US diploma or transcripts, or a credential evaluation from a NACES or AICE member for a foreign degree. You can't add it afterwards, and without it your application isn't processed. Second, check every answer on the questionnaire. The City says inaccurate, incomplete or misleading answers can disqualify you even if you meet the minimum qualifications.
The same application lets you apply for the City's Airport Police and Port Police officer roles too, by selecting them in the questionnaire. There's no cost to apply or to take any test.
What is on the LAPD written test?
The multiple-choice test evaluates judgement and decision making and written communication, which the bulletin says includes spelling, reading comprehension, vocabulary and clarity. It's pass/fail, and once you pass, your score never expires.
- Where: in person, in a single half-day session in Los Angeles. You can ask to test remotely from home if you have a computer with a working webcam and microphone, a reliable connection and a private, quiet room.
- Waivers: you can skip the test if you passed the City's Associate Community Officer multiple-choice test on or after 5 November 2021, completed the California POST Regular Basic Course or hold a Basic Course Waiver, scored a T-score of 42 or higher on the POST Pellet-B test, or passed the FrontLine National exam to the City's criteria. Attach proof with your application.
- If you fail: you can take the Police Officer examination only once every 12 months, though the bulletin lists ways to qualify sooner, such as a Pellet-B T-score of 42 or higher.
The City doesn't publish the number of questions or the time limit, and the test isn't open to candidate inspection afterwards.
What is the LAPD Physical Abilities Test?
The PAT is a pass/fail physical test with four events, taken in a single half-day session in Los Angeles. It replaced the older, advisory Physical Fitness Qualifier (PFQ) on 26 June 2026. If you pass or waive the written test, you're invited to it.
| Event | What you do |
|---|---|
| Sit-ups | As many as you can in one minute |
| 300-metre sprint | One sprint |
| Push-ups | As many as you can in one minute |
| 1.5-mile run | One run |
You must attempt all four events; skipping any one fails the whole test. A pass is valid for 12 months, and if you fail you can retake it after one month. The LAPD doesn't publish minimum scores for each event.
If you applied before 26 June 2026 and are still active under that application, the LAPD says you don't need the PAT; your PFQ score is locked in. The City strongly encourages candidates to attend the LAPD's Candidate Advancement Program (CAP) regularly to prepare, and the academy holds its first fitness test in week one, so start training as soon as you apply.
What happens in the LAPD interview?
If you pass the PAT, you're invited to a department interview, held in person in Los Angeles or virtually on request. It's the only scored part of the examination: your interview score decides your rank on the eligible list, and you need a final average of 70% or more to be placed on it.
The bulletin says the interview may evaluate:
- Experience and judgement and decision making (problem-solving ability)
- Initiative
- Stress tolerance
- Job interest (interest and motivation)
- Interpersonal skills
- Community relations, including cultural sensitivity and community-oriented policing
- Oral communication
A pass is valid for 12 months. If you fail, you can retake the interview after one month. The LAPD also runs Expedited Testing Events, where invited candidates take the written test, the PAT and the interview in one session.
LAPD interview questions and how to answer them
The first five questions are the LAPD's own sample questions, with its guidance summarised. The rest are questions to prepare for, built from the competencies in the job bulletin. Use the STAR method for any "tell us about a time" question: the situation, your task, what you did and the result.
1. Why do you want to be an LAPD police officer?
The LAPD asks for a sincere, sensible answer. It says stability, benefits and a flexible schedule are fine to mention as long as they aren't your only reason. Know why the LAPD exists: read its mission and core values before the interview.
2. What have you done to prepare for this career?
The LAPD suggests thinking back across your life: volunteering, education, work, military service and life experience. Pick the experiences closest to a police officer's duties and say what each taught you.
3. Tell us about a conflict you had with someone and how you handled it.
The LAPD asks for an example outside your family, such as with a neighbour, at school or at work. Name the conflict, what you did to resolve it and the outcome.
4. What do you think would be the most difficult part of being an LAPD officer?
The LAPD's guidance is to think about everything an officer has to deal with. Give an honest answer, then explain how you'd prepare for it or cope with it.
5. Tell us about a time you received constructive criticism that affected your performance.
The LAPD says the example can be positive or negative; what matters is how you responded. Show that you listened, changed something and kept improving.
6. Tell us about a time you had to make a quick decision under pressure.
This covers judgement and decision making and stress tolerance. Explain what you weighed, why you chose as you did and what you'd do differently.
7. Tell us about a time you took the initiative without being asked.
The bulletin names initiative. Choose an example where you spotted a problem and acted on it, and say what changed as a result.
8. How have you been involved in your community?
This tests community relations. Volunteering, coaching, faith groups or neighbourhood work all count. Say what you did, for how long and what you learned about the people you served.
9. Tell us about a time you worked with someone from a very different background.
The bulletin looks for cultural sensitivity and the ability to deal respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds. Describe the situation fairly and focus on how you listened and adapted.
10. Tell us about a mistake you made and what you did about it.
The LAPD's Background Standards ask candidates to admit and understand past mistakes and accept responsibility. Pick a real mistake, own it plainly and show what you changed.
11. Why should we hire you?
This is close to the closing statement the LAPD tells you to prepare: one to two minutes summarising your strengths and why you're right for the job. End by thanking the board for the opportunity.
What is the LAPD background investigation?
The background investigation begins with your Personal History Statement (PHS) and includes fingerprinting and a background interview. The City then checks your employment, police, financial, education and military records, and interviews family members, neighbours, supervisors, co-workers and friends. The findings are valid for 12 months.
You'll also need to get your Release and Waiver Form notarised before submitting it; the LAPD says forms that aren't notarised delay the investigation.
What the LAPD looks for
The City judges your past behaviour against its public safety Background Standards: interpersonal skills, decision making and judgement, maturity and discipline, honesty and integrity, setting and achieving goals, and records checks (finances, driving, employment and law enforcement contacts). The LAPD says it reviews tickets, credit history and tattoos case by case.
Honesty matters most
The LAPD warns that many candidates are disqualified during the background stage because of dishonesty. They leave out information they fear will count against them, and are then disqualified for the omission, even when the original behaviour might not have ruled them out. Disclose everything.
What is the LAPD polygraph?
A polygraph examination is held before your field investigation to confirm the information you gave during the selection process. The City says its polygraph guidelines may be revised, and candidates are processed under the current guidelines. It doesn't publish the question topics.
What are the LAPD medical and psychological evaluations?
The medical evaluation is a thorough examination by a City physician. You must be in excellent health, with no condition that would stop you safely completing academy training and police work, and a cardiac stress test may be required. Results are valid for up to 12 months.
The bulletin's vision standards: uncorrected distance vision no worse than 20/70 in either eye, with the better eye at least 20/40, and corrected to at least 20/30 in each eye with glasses. Different rules apply to soft contact lenses and LASIK, and you must be able to name colours accurately and quickly.
The psychological evaluation is part of the medical evaluation. You take written psychological tests and have an oral interview with a City psychologist, who also uses information from your background investigation. If you've been diagnosed with or treated for a psychological condition, the LAPD may ask for your medical records; it says each candidate is assessed individually and no condition or diagnosis is automatically disqualifying.
How long does the LAPD hiring process take?
The LAPD says the process usually takes about 6 to 9 months, though it varies. An Expedited Testing Event can shorten the early stages by combining the written test, PAT and interview in one session, if you're invited.
Once appointed to an academy class, you take a hair-sample drug test about three weeks before the start date. The academy itself is a six-month, 40-hour-a-week programme on full pay. It isn't live-in: the LAPD says instruction generally runs Monday to Friday, 6:30 am to 3:00 pm, with weekends and holidays off.
How to prepare for the LAPD hiring process
- Check your background against the Background Standards before you apply, as the LAPD asks.
- Gather your documents first: proof of education, your driving licence and, if you can, your Pellet-B or POST records to waive the written test.
- Complete both applications and check every questionnaire answer before you submit.
- Start physical training on day one. Practise all four PAT events, and attend the Candidate Advancement Program.
- Prepare five or six STAR stories that cover the interview competencies. Our list of behavioural interview questions gives you more to practise on.
- Write and rehearse a one- to two-minute closing statement, and attend the LAPD's Oral Prep sessions.
- Do a mock interview with someone who will give you honest feedback.
- Call a mentor. LAPD mentors, who are serving officers, take calls on 213-473-3450, Monday to Friday, 6:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Practising realistic work tasks
The LAPD interview rewards clear, honest answers about how you handle pressure and people. Cohesyve, which publishes this guide, runs free practice job simulations with a scored report on where you lost marks. It isn't affiliated with the LAPD or the City of Los Angeles and doesn't use their tests or questions.
FAQs
How long does the LAPD hiring process take?
The LAPD says it usually takes about 6 to 9 months, but it varies.
How old do you have to be to join the LAPD?
At least 20 when you apply and 21 by the time you graduate from the academy. There's no maximum age.
Do you need a college degree to join the LAPD?
No. A US high school diploma, GED or equivalent, or a California High School Proficiency Examination certificate is enough. A college degree can substitute for it.
Do you have to live in Los Angeles to join the LAPD?
No. The LAPD says you don't need to live in the city to apply or to work as an officer.
Can you retake the LAPD Physical Abilities Test?
Yes. If you fail the PAT or the interview, you can retake it after one month, and the retest is scheduled automatically. Missing a scheduled retest disqualifies you.
Do tattoos or bad credit disqualify you from the LAPD?
Not automatically. The LAPD reviews both case by case: tattoos by location, size and meaning, and credit from a risk-management point of view.
Does it cost anything to apply to the LAPD?
No. The LAPD says there's no cost for the application or for any part of the test.
Are you paid during the LAPD academy?
Yes. The LAPD says your salary and benefits start on your first day at the academy.
Sources
City of Los Angeles and LAPD pages, checked 27 October 2026:
- City of Los Angeles: Police Officer 2214 job bulletin (revised 31 July 2026)
- joinlapd.com: Apply
- joinlapd.com: Qualifications and Background Standards
- joinlapd.com: Multiple-choice test
- joinlapd.com: Physical Abilities Test
- joinlapd.com: Department interview
- joinlapd.com: Psychological evaluation
- joinlapd.com: Frequently asked questions