Minimum Standards for the Certification of Law Enforcement Officers

According to 12 NCAC 9B .0101/9B .0111, every Law Enforcement Officer employed by an agency in North Carolina shall:

• Be a citizen of the United States;
  
• Be at least 20 years of age;
  
• Be of good moral character as determined by a thorough background investigation;
  
• Have been fingerprinted and a search made of local, state, and national files to disclose any record;
  
• Have been examined and certified by a physician to meet physical requirements necessary to properly fulfill the officer's particular job responsibilities;
  
• Have produced a negative result on a drug screen administered according to the standards of the Department of Health and Human Services for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs;
  
• Have undergone a psychological screening examination by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist licensed to practice in North Carolina to determine the officer's mental and emotional suitability to properly fulfill the job responsibilities;
  
• Have been interviewed personally by the Department Head or his representative to determine such things as the applicant's appearance, demeanor, attitude, and ability to communicate;
  
• Notify the Criminal Justice Standards Division of all criminal offenses for which the officer is arrested, charged, pleads no contest or guilty, or is found guilty; not have committed or been convicted of: a felony; a crime for which the punishment could have been imprisonment for more than two years; a crime or unlawful act defined as a "Class B misdemeanor" within the five year period prior to the date of application for employment; or four or more crimes or unlawful acts defined as "Class B misdemeanors" regardless of the date of conviction; or four or more crimes or unlawful acts defined as "Class A misdemeanors" except the applicant may be employed if the last conviction occurred more than two years prior to the date of an application for employment;
  
• Be a high school graduate or have passed the General Educational Development Test indicating high school equivalency;
  
• Satisfactorily complete the employing agency's in-service firearms training program as prescribed in 12 NCAC 09E .0105 -.0106.