Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Serve Your Community With Honor.
Individuals interested in applying to become a NJDOC Correctional Police Officer are not required to take the Civil Service Exam. However, applicants must meet the following requirements:
Education
Applicants must have received a high school diploma or its equivalent. It is required that applicants must also read and write English sufficiently to perform the duties of the position.
Age
Applicants must be a minimum of 18 years of age.
Citizenship
Applicants must be a U.S. citizen.
License
Applicants will be required to possess a driver’s license that is valid in the State of New Jersey. Applicants for this position must also be eligible to possess a firearm, in accordance with State and Federal law.
Background
Applicants must successfully pass a background check. A thorough investigation will be conducted on each applicant – areas of investigation include: employment history, driving history, domestic violence history and criminal history.
Medical
Applicants will be given a thorough medical and psychological examination. Applicants must also provide urine samples for analysis to determine drug use.
Physical Fitness
All applicants must meet certain physical fitness requirements in order to become a NJDOC Correctional Police Officer.
Each applicant must pass the NJ Police Training Commission’s Physical Training Assessment, which includes the following basic physical fitness requirements:
- Minimum of 24 pushups in one (1) minute
- Minimum of 28 sit-ups in one (1) minute
- 15-inch vertical jump
- 300 meter run in 70.1 seconds or less
- 1.5 mile run in 15 minutes 55 seconds or less
To help applicants increase their chances of successfully completing this Assessment, NJDOC offers applicants the Pre-Employment Preparation Program (PEPP).
- PEPP provides applicants with the opportunity to voluntarily participate in a physical training program, based on the NJ Police Training Commission’s Physical Training Assessment requirements (listed above).
- PEPP is scheduled at multiple times and dates – including weekends – to allow for participation.
Interested in learning more about PEPP or physical fitness requirements? Fill out our General Interest Questionnaire today and one of our Recruitment Officers will reach out you directly.
Residency Requirements
As the largest law enforcement agency in New Jersey, NJDOC counts more than 4,800+ uniformed custody employees in its ranks.
NJDOC adheres to the NJ First Act, which outlines residency requirements for most public officers and employees, including NJDOC Correctional Police Officers.
Under this Act, employees of all public employers, public agencies, authorities, boards, bodies, commissions and more – which includes NJDOC Correctional Police Officers – are required to reside in the State of New Jersey UNLESS they are exempted under the law.
If you desire to become a NJDOC Correctional Police Officer but live in a neighboring state, you may apply to be exempted from this residency requirement.
Click here to learn more and apply for exemptions:
Have questions about any of the residency requirements to become a NJDOC Correctional Police Officer? Fill out our General Interest Questionnaire today and one of our Recruitment Officers will reach out you directly.