Chicago Police Officers start at an annual salary of $58,842, which increases to $88,746 after eighteen (18) months.

There are many benefits that are offered with the Police Officer position, including:

There is only one way to apply, and that’s online. When the application period is open you can find the application on the City of Chicago career website.

The online application requires you to create an account with a username and password. Please write your username and password down. That way, you can access your application anytime during the application period. If you are unable to log into your account, you can call (312) 744-4976 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and we can assist you.

You should not use the back browser in the application system, as you may get an error page. If you receive an error page, you MUST start over. First close out of the error page, and then click back on the application link, log in, and start over.

Applicants must be a least 20 years of age on the date of the exam; however, qualified applicants will not be selected for hire until they have reached the age of 21.

Per the City of Chicago Sworn Hiring plan, you may take one exam in a 12-month period. The City of Chicago and the Office of Public Safety Administration will announce exams throughout the year. You may apply and select which of the upcoming exams you are interested in taking.

You are not required to be a resident of the City of Chicago at the time of application. However, you will be required to be a resident of the City of Chicago if hired.

You must pay all debts to the City before you can enter the Police Training Academy. To prove that you have paid your debts, you must provide proof from the Department of Finance that either (1) the debt is not attributable to you; or (2) you have paid the debt in full.

The application will ask a few questions to assess whether you meet the requirements to sit for the exam. If any of your answers to those questions indicates that you do not meet those requirements, you will immediately be informed that your application is disqualified.

If, during your attempt to submit your application, you are informed that your application is disqualified and you feel that your application was erroneously disqualified, please call (312) 744-4976 or email police-application@cityofchicago.org as soon as possible. Once the application period closes, we will be unable to correct any errors.

If your application is successfully submitted, you will receive a confirmation email.

If you have not received any such correspondence within three (3) days of submitting your application, you should call (312) 744-4976 or email police-application@cityofchicago.org to check on the status your application. Please be sure to check the spam filters on your email account first.

f you have any uncertainty about the receipt of your application, we strongly advise you to contact us at the above number or email address as soon as possible. You must contact us before the application period closes. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE APPLICATION PERIOD CLOSES.

There is no fee to take the Chicago Police Officer Examination.

You may only have one application on file. We will delete all duplicates.

Please refer to the page titled “Information Regarding Veterans, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Police and Fire training academy and Line of Duty Preferences” for details about those preferences and their requirements. This information is also detailed on the actual job posting.

All applicants who pass the exam are placed on an eligibility list, and that list is sorted in lottery order. You will be referred to the Office of Public Safety Administration in lottery order as vacancies become available.

After receiving a passing letter, the Office of Public Safety Administration will reach out to you regarding the POWER test (Police Officer Wellness Evaluation Report)

You must be 21 years of age at the time of hire and possess a current, valid State of Illinois driver’s license. Note: Pursuant to the Municipal Code of Chicago, no person may be appointed as a Probationary Police Officer after the person’s 40th birthday.

You must be a U.S. citizen or a legal resident at the time of hire.

At the time of hire, you must have at least 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours) from an accredited college or university. The educational requirement may be waived if:
– You have served at least three (3) consecutive years (36 months) on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, OR
– You have completed at least 30 semester hours (or 45 quarter hours) from an accredited college or university AND have served at least one (1) continuous year (12 months) on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States.

If you haven’t reached the age of 21 when you are referred off the eligibility list, you will be processed as you near the age of 21. So long as you meet the other hiring requirements, the Office of Public Safety Administration will make every effort to ensure that your application is processed expeditiously.

PLEASE REMEMBER: in order to attend the Police Training Academy, you must have the required credit hours or one of the military equivalents. If you do not meet the educational requirement or have a military equivalent at the time of referral, your pre-employment processing for entrance to the Police Training Academy will be frozen until you do.

You remain on the eligibility list until it is either fully exhausted or retired.

Please be sure to keep your contact information (i.e., address, phone, and e-mail) up-to-date to ensure that we can reach you if you are referred from the eligibility list. Update your contact information as necessary by logging into your account to review and/or revise your contact information. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that their contact information remains current and is accurate

No. Before you can be admitted to the Police Training Academy, you must undergo the following:
– Background Investigation/Personal History Questionnaire/Polygraph
– Medical Examination & Drug Screen
– Psychological Examination
– Final P.O.W.E.R. Test
– Other criteria as required by the Office of Public Safety Administration

If you fail portions of the hiring process (background, drug, medical, etc.) the Office of Public Safety Administration personnel will request that your name be removed from the eligibility list and will cease to process your application.

You must be the age of 21 at the time of hire and possess a current, valid State of Illinois driver’s license.

Pursuant to the Municipal Code of Chicago, no person may be appointed as a probationary Police Officer after the person’s 40th birthday. Candidates must be under the age of 40 to be accepted into the Police Academy.

You must be a U.S. citizen or a legal resident at the time of hire.

Also, at the time of hire, you must have at least 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours) from an accredited college or university.

You may be disqualified for engaging in certain activities or for exhibiting certain behaviors, whether or not you were ever arrested, convicted or questioned by police or other law enforcement agencies. The background investigation includes a thorough check of your character and activities over a substantial period of time. Evidence that you have engaged in certain activities that would constitute a felony will be disqualifying. Evidence of other activities may be disqualifying, depending on the circumstances.

Yes, you must truthfully and completely provide answers to all questions asked. While current illegal drug use is grounds for disqualification, prior drug use is evaluated based on a variety of factors.

No, you will not be disqualified at the time of pre-employment processing for a positive cannabis drug screen. However, you will be tested for other illegal drugs that can disqualify you from the pre-employment process. Consequently, upon successful completion of the Pre-Employment Process as well as successful (pass) completion of the FINAL P.O.W.E.R. test, all successful candidates will submit to one final drug screen. During this final drug screen, any candidate who tests positive for marijuana, cannabis, cannabis related products and/or products containing cannabis and/or marijuana products as well as any other prohibited drug and/or narcotic will be disqualified and not permitted to enter the Police Academy.

Yes, unauthorized use of drugs includes using prescription drugs that are not prescribed to you and/or using prescription drugs in amounts and frequencies other than prescribed. You do not, however, need to disclose prescription drugs that were prescribed to you and used appropriately.

CPD recruits receive over 900 hours of basic recruit training, which exceeds the Illinois State mandate by over hundreds of hours of training. Of the Illinois State mandated material, CPD recruits receive extra training in gangs, drugs, law, ethics, report writing, vehicle stops,control tactics, firearms, physical fitness, and law enforcement driving. Also, CPD recruits receive extra training that is not required by the State of Illinois with classes such as terrorism awareness, diversity, technology awareness, and building entry tactics.

Approximately six (6) months. Probationary police officers must successfully complete all training modules in order to graduate.

Assignments of graduates will depend on the operational needs of the Office of Public Safety Administration.

The probationary period starts when you enter the Police Training Academy, and the probationary period is eighteen (18) months.

In order to work as a Chicago Police Officer, you must attend the Chicago Police Academy. CPD recruits receive over 900 hours of basic recruit training, which exceeds the Illinois State mandate by over hundreds of hours of training. Of the Illinois State mandated material, CPD recruits receive extra training in gangs, drugs, law, ethics, report writing, vehicle stops,control tactics, firearms, physical fitness, and law enforcement driving. Also, CPD recruits receive extra training that is not required by the State of Illinois with classes such as terrorism awareness, diversity, technology awareness, and building entry tactics.

The Chicago Police Department now offers an expedited lateral hiring process. For more information on the process and eligibility, please visit the Lateral Hire Process page.

It is recommended that you being preparing for the Final POWER test in advance of being referred. To find out more information on what the POWER test entails please have a look at the updated POWER Test Chart on the ILETSB website.

Chicago Police Officers may not use cannabis/marijuana or illegal drugs. If you fail portions of the hiring process (background, drug, medical, etc.) the Office of Public Safety Administration personnel will request that your name be removed from the eligibility list and will cease to process your application.

You can update your contact information by logging into your account, which you can find at http://www.cityofchicago.org/PoliceApplication