Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; State POST commissions and legislatures, State peace officer standards: statutes, administrative rules and POST commission pages. Data captured September 30, 2026.
How to become a police officer in Alabama
- Certification
- APOSTC law enforcement officer certification
- Minimum age
- 19 (Ala. Admin. Code r. 650-X-2-.02). No higher statewide age; agencies may set higher.
- Education
- High school diploma, or GED (no online/correspondence/mail-order GED), plus a passing score on the APOSTC Basic Ability Test (BAT); OR an associate degree or higher from a SACS (or regional-equivalent) accredited college, which exempts the applicant from the BAT (r. 650-X-2-.03).
- Citizenship
- U.S. citizen, and fluent in English (speak, read, write, understand) (r. 650-X-2-.06).
- Driver's license
- Must have and maintain a valid driver license (r. 650-X-2-.08).
- Disqualifiers
- Any felony conviction, including guilty or nolo pleas, out-of-state conduct that would be an Alabama felony, and convictions later pardoned or expunged; anyone barred from possessing a firearm under state or federal law (so domestic-violence misdemeanants are barred via the federal ban); registered sex offenders; pending charges, probation or a protection-from-abuse order (until resolved); a court-approved agreement to surrender certification; falsifying the application (2-year bar); any discharge from the military other than honorable. Misdemeanors involving force, violence, moral turpitude, perjury or false statements are weighed case by case. Applicants must also have good moral character and pass a physical exam and a psychological evaluation (APOST Forms 3A/3B) (r. 650-X-2-.04, -.05, -.07).
- Basic academy
- APOSTC basic law enforcement academy at an approved regional academy: 560 hours over 14 weeks under the 2021 curriculum, per an APOSTC homepage notice. The rules themselves set no hour figure. To graduate: an overall academic average of at least 70%, at least 70% on the first-aid and legal exams, the physical agility/ability test, the firearms manipulation test, qualification on 2 of 3 firearms attempts at 70, the defensive tactics proficiency test, and the EVOC driving course (r. 650-X-4-.01).
- State exam
- No separate post-academy state licensing exam: certification follows academy completion. Applicants without an associate degree must pass the Basic Ability Test (BAT) before entry (r. 650-X-2-.03).
- Fitness standard
- APOSTC physical agility/ability test, which must be passed to complete the academy (retests within 48-72 hours) (r. 650-X-4-.01(3)(d)). Also a medical exam on APOST Form 3A certifying fitness for academy training (r. 650-X-2-.04).
- Time to certify
- Provisional appointment of up to 6 months (180 days), cumulative across agencies within a 2-year window. Failing to certify in that time voids the appointment and bars re-application for 2 years (r. 650-X-2-.01(3); 650-X-4-.02).
- Officers from other states
- Waiver for Lateral Entry Equivalency Training (r. 650-X-4-.06). Out-of-state POST-certified officers whose certification is valid and in good standing qualify if they were employed full time for more than 1 year after certification, with no break in service of more than 2 years. Federal and military police officers are evaluated on a points system (10+ points from experience, basic-academy hours and degree), with 4 years of LE duty before separation and no break of more than 2 years. Approved applicants attend the APOSTC Refresher/Lateral Entry course: 120 hours over 3 weeks since 2021 (APOSTC). They must pass academics, the legal exam (70%), physical agility, the firearms manipulation test and EVOC; failing those parts requires the full basic academy.
- Continuing training
- 12 hours of APOSTC-approved continuing education every year (r. 650-X-12-.02). For deputy sheriffs it is mandatory only if the county commission adopts a resolution requiring it. Municipal police chiefs need 20 hours of executive CE every year (r. 650-X-12-.01). Separately, 1 hour of sensory-needs/invisible-disabilities training every other year (Ala. Code § 36-21-51.1, effective 1/1/2024). Certification is suspended if CE is 24 or more hours delinquent.
Rule 650-X-1-.01(11) defines 'law enforcement officer' to include police, deputy sheriffs, deputy constables and Alabama State Troopers (State Dept. of Public Safety, now ALEA). Rule 650-X-2-.01 extends the Chapter 2 standards to Alabama Department of Corrections correctional officers, whose training and certification are in Chapter 650-X-11 (a 480-hour course). The rules do not settle whether elected sheriffs must be certified: Rule 650-X-8-.03 (elected officials, police commissioners and sheriffs) is repealed. The 560-hour academy length is the figure APOSTC publishes; the rules do not state it.
Source: State POST commissions and legislatures, State peace officer standards: statutes, administrative rules and POST commission pages. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Pay in Alabama, all employers Sourced
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) in Alabama, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | AL |
|---|---|
| Workers | 11,710 |
| 10th percentile | $37,480 |
| Median | $51,270 |
| 90th percentile | $77,220 |
| National median, government employers | $76,300 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Pension in Alabama
Local employees: Local police and firefighters
| Plan | Accrual | Normal retirement | Employee pays | Social Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employees' Retirement System of Alabama - Tier 2 firefighters, law enforcement, correctional officers and EMS personnel (FLC) Tier 2 FLC | 1.65% | age 56 with 10 years of service | 7% | Covered |
The statewide plan a new hire usually joins. Some cities and counties run their own plans; check with the employer. Each plan's formula, vesting, cost-of-living adjustment and retiree health are on the Alabama pension plans list.
Source: State retirement systems, Official state retirement system pages, member handbooks and statutes. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Employers in Alabama
314 police departments in Alabama.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer — law-enforcement agencies by state (API). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Free practice tests for Alabama
Alabama POST Peace Officer Certification Exam (APOSTC)Alabama exam · free on Open Exam Prep- IPMA-HR / PSHRA Entry-Level Police Officer Test (PO-EL)Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
- Law Enforcement Aptitude Battery (LEAB)Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
- National Criminal Justice Officer Selection Inventory (NCJOSI-3)Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
- National Police Officer Selection Test (POST)Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
- NTN FrontLine National - Law Enforcement ExamPractice for a named exam · free on Open Exam Prep
- Police Aptitude and Character Test (PACT)Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
Source: Open Exam Prep, Open Exam Prep free practice tests. Data captured October 1, 2026. Each link was opened and its exam title checked on the date shown.
More about this job
Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Police Officer page.
Police Officer in other states
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Alabama government jobs · Alabama public pension plans · police officer standards in Alabama · exam practice in Alabama