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 Vermont
- Certification
- Level III Law Enforcement Officer Certification (full scope of authority). Levels I and II carry limited scope.
- Minimum age
- At least 18 at application to basic training (VCJC Rule 14(a)); hiring agencies may set higher ages.
- Education
- High school graduate or GED (VCJC Rule 14(b)).
- Citizenship
- The VCJC Rule 14 entry standards set no citizenship requirement; hiring agencies set it.
- Driver's license
- Valid driver's license required at application (VCJC 'Become a Vermont Police Officer' entrance standards).
- Disqualifiers
- Any felony conviction, a misdemeanor involving injury to another, or a firearm-prohibition order. Exclusion also follows if a polygraph or background check finds domestic assault, sex offenses, victimizing children or vulnerable adults, fraud, court-order violations, or unbecoming conduct. Drug distribution or illegal drug use within the past year may exclude (VCJC Rule 14(f)).
- Basic academy
- Level III Basic Training: a 17-week residential academy at the Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford, held twice a year. The 2025 curriculum totals 874 hours, or 898 with 32 post-basic hours (16 CEW/Taser and 16 ALERRT). The Council sets the minimum annually (Rule 19).
- State exam
- No post-academy state licensing exam. Candidates must pass the Vermont Police Academy written entrance exam (NTN), valid for 1 year (Rule 14(d)).
- Fitness standard
- Entrance Physical Readiness Test: a 1.5-mile run plus a 500-meter row, averaged. Level III requires the 50th percentile for age and sex from 2026 (Level II: 40th) (Rule 14(e); VCJC Physical Fitness Test page).
- Time to certify
- No one may exercise Level III powers before completing basic training (Rule 19; 20 V.S.A. 2358(a)).
- Officers from other states
- Level III by Out-of-Jurisdiction (OOJ) waiver for officers fully certified elsewhere with comparable training and completed FTO requirements. The sponsoring agency applies, and academy and Waiver Committee approval are required. Applicants must show current competency in de-escalation/use of force, fair and impartial policing, domestic/sexual violence, mental-health crisis response, and firearm safety, and the waiver may be conditional on supplemental training (Rule 23(e)-(h)).
- Continuing training
- 30 hours of in-service training every calendar year, including 4 hours of use of force with a VCJC-certified instructor and other Council-mandated topics (Rule 20; VCJC Rule 20 annual requirements page).
Vermont has 3 certification tiers (20 V.S.A. 2358). Level I covers security, transport, and traffic, and Level II has limited scope; both need an 80-hour academy, 60 more hours, and 120 hours of field training. Level III has full authority. One standard covers municipal police, sheriffs' deputies, and Vermont State Police troopers; VSP runs an additional agency program. A psychological evaluation (MMPI-3) and polygraph are required.
Source: State POST commissions and legislatures, State peace officer standards: statutes, administrative rules and POST commission pages. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Pay in Vermont, all employers Sourced
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (SOC 33-3051) in Vermont, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | VT |
|---|---|
| Workers | 1,020 |
| 10th percentile | $53,950 |
| Median | $68,910 |
| 90th percentile | $95,530 |
| 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 Vermont
Local employees: Local police and firefighters
| Plan | Accrual | Normal retirement | Employee pays | Social Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont Municipal Employees' Retirement System (Groups A, B, C, D) Group A (default) or Group B/C/D by employer election or collective bargaining | 1.4% | Group A: age 65 with 5 years, or age 55 with 35 years | Set by the employer | Varies |
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 Vermont pension plans list.
Source: State retirement systems, Official state retirement system pages, member handbooks and statutes. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Employers in Vermont
53 police departments in Vermont.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Data Explorer — law-enforcement agencies by state (API). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Free practice tests for Vermont
Vermont VCJTC Peace Officer Certification ExamVermont 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
More government jobs in Vermont
Vermont government jobs · Vermont public pension plans · police officer standards in Vermont · exam practice in Vermont