How to become a police officer in Florida

Pay at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office

Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the largest city's agency.

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office police officer steps for 10/1/2026–9/30/2027 (monthly × 12).

Source:[jacksonville.gov]

Pay for this work across Florida

Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Florida, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]

Requirements

• Minimum age: 19
• Education: High school graduate or its equivalent as defined by Commission rule
• Citizenship: U.S. citizen
• No felony conviction, and no misdemeanor involving perjury or a false statement (guilty or nolo plea after July 1, 1981 disqualifies even with adjudication withheld)
• No dishonorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces
• Processed fingerprints on file with the employing agency
• Physical examination by a licensed physician, physician assistant or APRN to Commission specifications
• Good moral character determined by a background investigation
• Signed affidavit-of-applicant attesting to these standards
• Complete a Commission-approved basic recruit training program (unless exempt)
• Achieve an acceptable score on the officer certification examination
• Many agencies set higher standards (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office: age 21 plus a bachelor's degree or qualifying associate's degree/experience combinations)

Source:[leg.state.fl.us]

Hiring process

1. Criminal Justice Basic Abilities Test before academy entry (veterans and associate-degree holders exempt since July 1, 2022)
2. Fingerprinting
3. Background investigation (good moral character)
4. Physical examination
5. Affidavit of applicant
6. Commission-approved Basic Recruit Training Program
7. State Officer Certification Examination
8. Employment and certification by the Commission

Source:[leg.state.fl.us]

Entrance exam

Florida State Officer Certification Examination (SOCE), law enforcement. F.S. 943.13(10) requires an acceptable score on the officer certification examination for the discipline after basic recruit training. Separately, the Criminal Justice Basic Abilities Test is an academy entrance test; under s. 943.17(1)(g) veterans and holders of an associate degree or higher are exempt (JSO recruiting page).[leg.state.fl.us]

Required training

770 hours minimum. Rule 11B-35.002, F.A.C. (effective 6/23/2022) requires completion of a Commission-approved Basic Recruit Training Program for law enforcement; the program's hour total is published on FDLE's curriculum pages, which blocked automated access.[web.archive.org]

Pension and retirement

• Plan: Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension Plan - Special Risk Class
• Benefit formula: 3% of average final compensation per year of Special Risk service (creditable years after December 31, 1992); average final compensation = average of the 8 highest fiscal years for members initially enrolled on or after July 1, 2011
• When you can retire: Special Risk normal retirement: age 55 with service equal to the vesting requirement, or 25 years of Special Risk service at any age, or age 52 with 25 years including up to 4 years of military credit; early retirement reduced 5/12 of 1% per month before normal retirement date

FRS is the statewide plan for participating local employers; members may choose the Pension Plan or the Investment Plan. The 2024-2027 Jacksonville FOP agreement (Article 15) says F.O.P. police will enter FRS for all new employees no later than September 30, 2027. Formula: F.S. 121.091(1); eligibility and AFC: F.S. 121.021(24),(29).

Source:[leg.state.fl.us]