Out of State Lateral Police Officers are those police officers who are currently working for a law enforcement agency in another state. This page is for those officers who do not possess a California Basic Course waiver. Out of State Lateral Police Officers who already possess a waiver are considered California Lateral Police Officers for application purposes and should visit that page.

*PLEASE NOTE: To become a Police Officer in California, all out of state lateral applicants are required to either obtain a Basic Course Waiver by undergoing an assessment process and attending a requalification course (160 hours) or attend a Basic Course (928 hours). Those who are unable to obtain a waiver will be sent to a Basic Course.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Must possess a valid driver’s license from state of residency. Applicants must obtain a California Class C driver’s license before being appointed to the position of Police Officer

Must currently be employed with a state or local law enforcement agency of the United States and submit proof of current employment.

Must have at least one year of general law enforcement experience.

Submit valid (within one year) California P.O.S.T. PELLETB or National Testing Network (NTN) results.

HOW TO APPLY

Step 1: Complete ONE of the below written examinations:

PELLETB: Complete the California P.O.S.T. Reading and Writing Test (PELLETB). Pass Point is a T-Score of 48 or higher. (Results valid for 1 year.) For more information or to register go to: http://www.theacademy.ca.gov/tests (This test is preferred for those who reside in California.)

OR

National Testing Network (NTN): Complete the national Testing Network Test (NTN). Pass Point scores are 65% Video, 70% Reading, and 70% Writing. (Results valid for 1 year.) For more information or to register go to https://www.nationaltestingnetwork.com/publicsafetyjobs. Applicants must submit results directly through their NTN portal to the Salinas Police Department and attach a screenshot of their results.

Step 2: Submit an application with passing written examination results. (Those missing the test results will not be invited to an interview.)

The application link will be provided after contacting Sergeant James Godwin (831) 758-7120.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BASIC COURSE WAIVER PROCESS CAN BE FOUND HERE. (https://post.ca.gov/basic-course-waiver-process)