Becoming a Police Officer
Before you apply
Please ensure you are aware of and meet ALL requirements involved in becoming a police officer. If you have any questions regarding the Police Services Act requirements or the medical/physical standards, be sure to contact the police service you intend on applying to.
For clarification, please see our Frequently Asked Questions in the footer tab.
Constable Selection System
The hiring process for police officers is both extensive and exhaustive for very good reasons. In Ontario, community safety and well-being is a priority which requires us to select the most suitable applicants for the role of police officer. Therefore, police services have chosen to adopt an intensive hiring process focused on attaining the best applicants. The average police constable selection process can range from 5 to 10 stages. Be sure to check with the police service you intend to apply to in order to ensure you are familiar with and prepared for their process. The new standard OACP Constable Selection System is outlined in the diagram below.
Appointment of Police Officer
Before you start your OACP Certificate Process, please ensure you read all requirements below.
The Police Services Act requirements are found below.
Appointment of police officer shall consist of:
Criteria for hiring
43 (1) No person shall be appointed as a police officer unless he or she,
(a) is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada;
(b) is at least eighteen years of age;
(c) is physically and mentally able to perform the duties of the position, having regard to his or her own safety and the safety of members of the public;
(d) is of good moral character and habits; and
(e) has successfully completed at least four years of secondary school education or its equivalent. R.S.O. 1990, c. P.15, s. 43 (1).
In addition, you must:
Note: If you have any criminal convictions under a federal statute, you must obtain a pardon. If you have ‘Findings of Guilt,’ which have resulted in absolute or conditional discharges, the records must be ‘sealed’ by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Local Needs of Police Services
Apart from the competencies, individual police services may also require certain special skills and abilities in order to address issues pertaining to the service or the community. A local need may be a second language, a special type or level of computer skills or prior experience in working with victims and/or members of a vulnerable community.
Medical Standards
Vision Minimum Standards
Uncorrected visual acuity should be at least 6/12 (20/40) binocularly (both eyes open). Corrected visual acuity should at least be 6/6 (20/20) binocularly. There are additional minimum requirements regarding farsightedness (hyperopia), color vision, peripheral vision, refractive surgeries, ocular diseases, and other vision-related conditions.
Hearing Minimum Standards
For each ear, pure-tone thresholds measured under audiometric earphones shall not exceed a four-frequency average (500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 Hz) of 25 dB HL, thresholds at none of these single frequencies shall exceed 35 dB HL and thresholds at 4000 Hz shall not exceed 45 dB HL. Candidates may also be required to undergo a speech recognition test as part of their hearing assessment.
This is a quick overview of the minimum hearing and vision standards for the Province. Please note that these standards may differ between police services. For a full and in-depth explanation of all medical standards, please see the medical examination package by clicking the button below.
Click here for our Medical Examination Package
As part of the OACP Certificate, you will be provided a fitness log that must be completed prior to your application to your prospective police service. This fitness log is to draw attention to the importance of fitness in the realm of policing. This fitness log is strictly part of the pre-employment stage.
Please note that all police services reserve the right to test you with their own independent fitness assessment. Please ensure you check with the police service you will be applying to regarding their physical assessment requirements.
Ontario Police College Physical Component
As of September 2019, all applicants that have been offered a pre-employment letter by a police service will be required to successfully pass the PREP (Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police) during their Basic Constable Training course at the Ontario Police College. The Ontario Police College is located in Aylmer, Ontario, which is the official training facility for all police constables across the Province.