Applicant Qualifications

Applicant Qualifications

Before submitting an application, applicants must meet the following requirements:

Citizenship - Applicant must be a United States citizen.

Age - Applicants must reach their 21st birthday prior to completion of the Academy training.

Education - Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED. College credits are not required but are recommended.

Residence - No requirement at time of application, however, Sussex County, Delaware residency is required at the completion of the academy training.

Driver's License - Applicant must have a current valid driver's license and at least one (1) year of driving experience. A DUI conviction within 5 years, or a suspension or revocation within 3 years, is an automatic disqualification. A history of traffic violations, or an accumulation of six (6) or more points, is an automatic disqualification.

Criminal Record and Activity - Any felony conviction is an automatic disqualification. Any criminal activity that would be considered a felony under federal law of the state in which the activity occurred is a disqualification. Arrests for any offense must be expunged, and conviction of any offense must be pardoned, prior to submitting an application. (Arrest or conviction for all other crimes and offenses are subject to evaluation.)

Drug Usage - Use of an illegal drug two years prior to application, or at any time usage of a hallucinogenic drug, cocaine( and its derivatives) will be an automatic disqualification.

*Hearing - Normal hearing.

*Vision - Visual acuity can be no worse than 20/40 in each eye, uncorrected, and must be correctable to 20/20 with glasses or gas permeable contacts; or, 20/100 in each eye uncorrected and must be correctable to 20/20 with soft contacts lens only. Normal color vision and normal depth perception.

*(Following an offer of employment, the selected applicants will be examined by the Department’s heath providers for compliance with the above requirements, and will be given a complete medical examination to determine if the applicant is able to perform essential job functions.)