Eligibility/Disqualifiers

  • Must be a citizen of the United States, 21 years of age or older
  • Must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of post-secondary education as certified through a commission on higher education of a regional educational agency for colleges and universities recognized by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement OR four years of active-duty military experience with an honorable discharge OR 60 hours of college credits with 4 continuous years serving as an APD Police Service Assistant or APD Detention Officer. For those who are already a certified police officer applicant please see our Lateral Transfer Academy link for those requirements.
  • No felony or class A misdemeanor convictions; including deferred adjudications
  • No misdemeanor convictions, including deferred adjudications, above the grade of class C within the past 10 years
  • Not on court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense above the grade of class C misdemeanor.
  • No family members working for APD.
  • Be of good character and have a stable school, work and driving record.
  • No DWI convictions within the past 10 years.
  • Must read, write and speak the English language.
  • Must possess 20/20 vision, either corrected or uncorrected in each eye. Uncorrected vision cannot exceed 20/100 in each eye unless vision is corrected by the use of contact lenses or prescription eyeglasses which must be worn on duty and/or during all enforcement related activities. Must be free of dichromatic color blindness, night blindness, and any other visual deficiencies or limitations.
  • Have no hearing loss greater than 45 decibels at 4000 hertz.
  • Applicants must be able to pass a physical exam as determined by a physician.
  • There will be no tattoos on the neck, face, or hands except for one wedding band.
  • An associates degree is required for officers seeking the rank of Corporal. A bachelor's degree is required for officers promoting to the rank of Sergeant.