Sworn Recruiting
Thank you for your interest in the Oregon State Police. We are currently not accepting applications.
Please monitor our website for updates, as recruitment may resume in 2026.
If you would like to learn more about career opportunities with OSP, you can contact one of our recruiters or visit our website to familiarize yourself with the hiring process.
To receive a notification when recruitment opens, email osp.trooper@osp.oregon.gov and request to be added to our contact list. Please leave your name and phone number.
In the meantime, you can prepare by:
- Reviewing the minimum qualifications and hiring standards
- Running through our Physical Fitness Test (OSP PFT)
- Familiarize yourself with the POST test, which assesses high school-level reading, writing, math, and grammar skills.
- Stay connected via our website and social media platforms for updates and insight into OSP life.
We appreciate your interest and look forward to your application in the future.
Learn about OSP's Hiring Process
Minimum Qualifications
- Be a United States Citizen by birth or Naturalized United States Citizen
- Possess a high school diploma or equivalent.
- At least 21 years old within six months of application and must be at least 21 years old by date of hire.
- Possess and maintain a valid license to operate a motor vehicle.
- Applicants must be in good health and good moral character: moral character is defined as possessing the attributes of empathy, courage, fortitude, honesty, loyalty and additional virtues deemed to be morally good.
- Meet all applicable medical and physical requirements.
- Meet all applicable background, credit, and criminal history checks.
- The criminal history check will include, but will be limited to, a review of your conviction arrest records for any violation of OAR 259-008-0010 (4) which would make you not eligible to be a certified police officer by Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST).
- See our Tattoo, Body Modification, and Jewelry Policy
Trooper Hiring Steps
The hiring process for recruits is extensive. The time from application to appointment can exceed several months. There are seven steps in the hiring process. Read and review all steps and become familiar with the different tests and systems you’ll need to access before you begin. You can find all of the steps outlined here.
Automatic Disqualifiers
An application will not be processed if any of the following factors or circumstances apply to the applicant:
- A felony conviction under state or federal law.
- A misdemeanor conviction relating to sex crimes, crimes against persons, drugs, fraud, or moral turpitude.
- Other misdemeanor conviction within the last five years.
- Conviction for minor in possession of alcoholic beverage or marijuana within the last 12 months.
- Conviction of a major traffic offense or DUI diversion within the last five years.
- Revocation of driving privileges or a felony or misdemeanor operator's license suspension within the last five years.
- Three or more moving traffic violation convictions within the last two years.
- Careless driving conviction within the last 12 months.
- Conviction for an open container of an alcoholic beverage within the last 12 months.
- Conviction of a Class A traffic violation, excluding speeding violations, within the last 12 months.
- Five or more traffic violation convictions, including suspensions, within the last three years.
- No valid operators license.
- A currently expired or suspended operator's license.
- An operator's license suspention within the last three years.
- Participation in the unlawful sale, distribution, or manufacture of any illigal drug/controlled substance (including prescription medication) within the last 10 years.
- Unlawful use or possession of any illegal drug or controlled substance (including prescription medication) within the last 5 years.
- Personal use of marijuana within the last 12 months except for cannabidiol (CBD).
- Discharge from any branch of the Armed Forces classified as Other Than Honorable, Bad Conduct, or Dishonorable.
- An arrest resulting in a conviction that would prevent the applicant from becoming certified under the provisions of ORS 181A.640. This includes a conviction for an offense involving domestic violence as described in ORS 181a.640(2)(c) or child abuse as described in ORS 181A.640(2)(d)
- A conviction for a bias or hate crime under state or federal law.
- Illegal conduct involving moral turpitude.
- Conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.
- Intentional deception or fraud or attempted, or fraud in any application, examination, or the other document.
- Conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
- Conduct demonstrating a misuse of authority for financial gain.
- Acts or conduct which would cause a reasonable person to have substantial doubts about the individual's honesty, fairness, respect for the rights of others, or for the laws of thestate and/or the nation.
- Conduct that adversely reflects on the individual's fitness to perform as a law enforcement officer.
- Any conduct or incident that would preclude Sworn Police Officer Certification through the Oregon Departmen of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST).
Monthly Base Salary (updated January 2026)
$6,422
| $6,869
| 1
| Hire |
$6,742
| $7,210
| 2
| 6 months |
$7,080
| $7,570
| 3
| 1 year |
$7,433
| $7,949
| 4
| 2 years |
$7,805
| $8,349
| 5
| 3 years |
$8,196
| $8,766
| 6
| 4 years
|
$8,605
| $9,202
| 7
| 5 years
|
*Recruit Troopers become PERS eligible after 6 months of employment.
Benefits and Additional Pay Opportunities
- A comprehensive competitive benefit package link to: new employees’ page/compensation and benefits in this packet.
- Pay adjusted based upon experience.
- Additional applicable incentives:
- 3% Associates Degree or Intermediate DPSST certification
- 6% Bachelor's Degree or Advanced DPSST certification
- Possible 5% differential for foreign language proficiency
- 4% ACTAR Certification
- 2% TCI (Technical Collision Investigator)
- 2.5% OSP SWAT Member (1.5% increase after 5 consecutive years of service on the team)
- 2% MRT
- 2% CID or F&W SIU
- We provide all duty related equipment.
- 12 sick days and 3 personal days per year.
- A leave bank is established in lieu of traditional holiday leave. Each employee earns 8 hours of leave per full calendar month of paid employment with a maximum accrual of 96 hours.
- Vacation accrual.
0-5 |
8 |
12 |
6-10 |
10 |
15 |
11-15 |
12 |
18 |
16-20 |
14 |
21 |
20-25
|
16
|
24
|
|---|
Location and Duty Assignments
- Openings in most offices in the state.
- You will know where you are assigned prior to recruit school.
- Statewide opportunities available based upon specialized skills and training within the Patrol, Criminal, and Fish and Wildlife Divisions.
Additional Lateral Information
Training for a lateral police officer with the Oregon State Police requires successful completion of a six‑week Pre‑Academy, followed by a 60‑hour Lateral Post Academy
The Lateral Post Academy will immediately follow the Pre‑Academy to minimize the time between the start of training and reporting to assigned duty stations.
If at any point the Training Staff determines—based on their training and experience—that a lateral recruit requires additional instruction beyond the Lateral Post Academy, the recruit will be reassigned to the full Post Academy with their designated recruit class. The lateral recruit will then transfer to their assigned office and begin the Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP) until the next Post Academy begins.
If a lateral recruit successfully completes the Lateral Post Academy but it is determined during their FTEP period that additional training is required, they will be required to attend the next full Post Academy.
Qualified out‑of‑state lateral applicants who meet Oregon standards set by DPSST will not be required to attend the Basic Police Academy; however, they will be required to attend a two‑week PCOD Academy through DPSST within a year of appointment.
Pay is adjusted based upon experience.
Eligible for promotion to sergeant after two years of service with the Oregon State Police and a total of five years of law enforcement experience.
Retirement
- Full retirement available as early as age 50 with 25 years of service, or at age 55 with as little as 5 years of service with PERS.
- Oregon PERS is transferable if you are a current member.