The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) hires Deputy Sheriff Trainees through 11 steps, from an online application to a 22-week academy. LASD says the full process averages six to nine months, and can be shorter or longer depending on the applicant.
Everything below comes from LASD's careers pages and its official Deputy Sheriff Trainee posting on the LA County jobs site, linked as we go. Where LASD doesn't say something, we say so.
The LASD hiring process at a glance
| Step | What happens | What LASD says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Application | Online application and Supplemental Questionnaire on governmentjobs.com | Testing invitation by email within a few business days |
| 2. Multiple-choice exam | Computer-based written test | 70% to pass; retest allowed while your application is active |
| 3. VPAT | Push-ups, 75-yard run, sit-ups, 20-metre shuttle run | Unlimited attempts; must pass before a conditional offer |
| 4. Structured interview | POST-mandated interview | Fail and you wait three months to reapply |
| 5. Personal history statement | Web Personal History Statement (WEBPHS) and notarised waiver | Starts the background stage |
| 6. Background investigation | A background investigator checks your history; includes a polygraph | Fail and you wait at least 12 months |
| 7. Jail tour and ride-along | Tour a jail and ride along on patrol | Required step |
| 8. Administrative review | Your completed background case is reviewed | Not published |
| 9. Psychological and medical | Psychological evaluation and medical exam | Fail either and you wait at least 12 months |
| 10. Pre-academy consultation | Meeting before the academy starts | Not published |
| 11. Academy | POST-certified academy at Whittier or Valencia | 22 weeks, paid |
What are the LASD requirements?
LASD's requirements page lists:
- Age: at least 19.5 to apply. There's no maximum age.
- Education: graduation from an accredited US high school, or an equivalent (GED, TASC, HiSET or CHSPE).
- Work authorisation: legally authorised to work in the US under federal law.
- Driver's licence: a valid Class C licence. Out-of-state applicants can apply with a valid licence from their home state but need a California Class C licence by the time they're hired.
- Vision: at least 20/70 in each eye, correctable to 20/30.
- Hearing: no major hearing impairment, within the limits LASD sets.
- Record: no felony convictions and not currently on probation. Misdemeanours may disqualify you depending on the number, type and date.
Cohesyve
Hiring for roles like the ones at the LA County Sheriff's Department?
Cohesyve takes a job description, finds candidates, reaches out to them and runs an AI job simulation of the real work, then returns a ranked shortlist. Ten candidates free, no card.
How do you apply to LASD?
Apply on the LA County jobs site through LASD's open jobs page. You need a governmentjobs.com profile. You complete the online application and a Supplemental Questionnaire.
LASD's careers FAQ says that if you qualify, you'll be scheduled for a test within one to two weeks, by email. If you haven't heard anything after two weeks, don't reapply. Contact the Sworn Examinations Unit instead.
What is on the LASD written test?
It's a computer-based multiple-choice test, weighted 100%. The job posting says it covers:
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Writing | Clarity, vocabulary, spelling and grammar |
| Reading | Reading comprehension |
| Reasoning | Deductive and inductive reasoning |
| Data | Data interpretation |
You need 70% or higher to be placed on the eligible register. If you fail, you can retest without penalty before your application expires; the posting says applications stay active for three months. The FAQ says results are typically given right after the test.
LASD publishes a free multiple-choice exam study guide and links to practice exams on its How to Prepare page. Start there. LASD requires its own test for these positions and doesn't accept another agency's score.
What is the LASD physical ability test (VPAT)?
The Validated Physical Ability Test measures your baseline fitness for the academy. LASD's VPAT page lists four events:
| Event | What you do | How it's scored |
|---|---|---|
| Push-ups | Push-ups in one minute, using a one-litre bottle as a marker | Number done correctly |
| 75-yard run | A run with turns and curb-like obstacles, simulating a foot pursuit | Time |
| Sit-ups | Sit-ups in one minute, with a test administrator holding your feet | Number done correctly |
| 20-metre shuttle run | The "beep test": laps between two lines 20 metres apart | Cardiovascular endurance |
LASD says "There is no minimum score required for any event". Your four results are totalled for a pass or fail, so train your overall fitness rather than one event. LASD doesn't publish the passing total. You have unlimited attempts, but you must pass before you get a conditional offer.
Wear workout clothes and running shoes, use the bathroom first and bring bottled water, because you can't leave the testing area.
What happens in the LASD structured interview?
The structured interview is mandated by California's Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). The posting says it assesses:
- experience;
- problem solving;
- interest and motivation;
- interpersonal skills;
- community involvement and awareness;
- communication skills.
LASD doesn't publish the panel make-up or the length. If you don't pass, you wait three months to reapply.
What happens in the LASD background investigation?
The background stage begins with the Web Personal History Statement and a notarised waiver. A background investigator is then assigned to run a thorough investigation, which includes a polygraph examination. You'll get a list of required documents at intake. LASD warns some can be hard to get, so start collecting them early and submit everything on time.
During this stage you also complete a jail tour and a patrol ride-along. Your completed case then goes to an administrative review.
If you're disqualified at the background stage, the posting says you may be ineligible to reapply for any LASD position for at least 12 months. Being disqualified at the Pre-Investigative Questionnaire means a three-month wait.
What are the LASD psychological and medical exams?
After the administrative review, you complete a psychological evaluation and a medical examination. LASD doesn't publish what either involves beyond the vision and hearing standards above. Failing either means you can't reapply for at least 12 months.
How long is the LASD academy?
The academy is a POST-certified 22-week programme at Whittier or Valencia, and LASD says it's paid training. It covers areas including physical training, defensive tactics and weapons training. Before it starts, you attend a pre-academy consultation, and LASD also runs pre-academy training classes.
Common LASD interview questions and how to answer them
The first six questions below are the "possible areas of questioning" LASD lists on its structured interview page. The rest come from the areas the job posting says the interview assesses. LASD's advice: be polite, make eye contact, be honest and take time to think before you speak.
1. What do you know about the department?
LASD lists "departmental knowledge" as an area of questioning. Know what the department does, including patrol and custody, which is why LASD asks applicants to tour a jail. Read its recruitment material before you go.
2. Do you understand the duties of a deputy sheriff?
Show you know the job includes custody as well as patrol. Talk to deputies and do a ride-along, as LASD suggests, so your answer comes from what you've seen.
3. Why do you want to be a deputy?
Give your own reason, with an example from your life. LASD assesses interest and motivation, so a specific, honest answer beats a general one about helping people.
4. Why did you choose law enforcement as a career?
Explain what led you here and what you've done to test that choice, such as ride-alongs, volunteering or conversations with officers.
5. What have you done to prepare yourself for the position?
Be concrete: your fitness routine for the VPAT, the study guide, a ride-along, a facility tour, courses you've taken. This is where the preparation LASD recommends pays off.
6. What will be the most challenging part of becoming a deputy for you?
Name a real challenge, such as the academy's physical demands or working in custody, and say what you're doing about it. Honesty is one of LASD's interview do's.
7. Tell me about your involvement in your community.
The interview assesses community involvement and awareness. Describe volunteering, coaching, faith groups or other ways you've worked with people where you live, and what you learned about them.
8. Tell me about a time you solved a problem under pressure.
This tests problem solving. Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) and focus on what you decided and why.
9. Tell me about a time you dealt with someone who was angry or upset.
This tests interpersonal and communication skills. Show how you listened, stayed calm and calmed the situation down.
10. Tell me about a time you made a mistake and how you handled it.
Integrity matters through the whole process, including the background check and polygraph. Own the mistake, say how you put it right and what you changed.
11. Tell me about a time you worked as part of a team.
Pick an example where you relied on others and they relied on you, from work, sport or the military.
12. What would you do if you saw a colleague break a rule?
There's no published answer key. Say you'd act honestly and follow the department's policies and chain of command, and explain your reasoning.
How to prepare for the LASD hiring process
- Check you meet the requirements on the current posting.
- Work through the study guide and practice exams before your written test.
- Train all four VPAT events, with the shuttle run for endurance. LASD's advice is to build overall fitness.
- Do a ride-along and a facility tour if you can, and talk to deputies. LASD recommends all three.
- Prepare honest stories about your motivation, problem solving, teamwork, community involvement and a mistake you learned from. Our behavioural interview questions list gives you more to practise on.
- Practise out loud, ideally in a mock interview.
- Gather your documents early for the background stage, and be completely honest on your personal history statement.
- Call a recruiter at 1-800-A-DEPUTY (800-233-7889) if you have questions.
Practising realistic work tasks
The structured interview rewards honest, specific examples, and judgement improves with practice on realistic tasks. Cohesyve, which publishes this guide, runs practice job simulations with a scored report on where you lost marks. It isn't affiliated with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and doesn't use LASD's tests or interview questions.
FAQs
How long does the LASD hiring process take?
LASD says it averages six to nine months, and can be shorter or longer depending on the applicant.
How old do you have to be to join LASD?
At least 19.5 to apply. LASD says there's no maximum age.
What score do you need to pass the LASD written test?
70% or higher. If you fail, you can retest without penalty before your application expires.
Can you retake the LASD physical test?
Yes. The posting says you have unlimited attempts to pass the VPAT during the hiring process, but you must pass before a conditional offer.
Does LASD give a polygraph?
Yes. LASD says the background investigation includes a polygraph examination.
Is the LASD academy paid?
Yes. LASD's careers FAQ says the Sheriff's Academy is a paid training programme.
Can you join LASD with a misdemeanour?
Possibly. LASD says misdemeanours may be disqualifying depending on the number, type and date. Felony convictions and current probation are disqualifying.
Sources
LASD's own pages and its official LA County job posting, checked 27 October 2026:
- lasd.org: Application process
- lasd.org: Requirements
- lasd.org: Careers FAQ
- lasd.org: How to prepare
- lasd.org: Validated Physical Ability Test
- lasd.org: Structured interview preparation
- lasd.org: Background check
- governmentjobs.com: Deputy Sheriff Trainee posting (Los Angeles County)