Requirements

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

All applicants must meet the following baseline requirements before applying:

Must possess a high school diploma or GED equivalency
Must be at least 20½ years old at time of application (must be 21 prior to academy graduation)
Must be a U.S. citizen (born or naturalized)
OR
- An Honorably Discharged Legal Permanent Resident as authorized by Texas Senate Bill 252 (effective September 1, 2023)
Must have a valid driver’s license and proof of liability insurance
Must have a stable employment history
Must pass all phases of the application process
Must meet all TCOLE minimum standards for enrollment and initial licensure

You Must Meet ONE of the Following Four Qualification Pathways:

⚠ Meeting one qualification pathway does not guarantee eligibility. All applicants must meet TCOLE minimum standards. ⚠

College Education

At least 48 semester credit hours
Minimum 2.0 GPA
From an accredited college or university as listed on the CHEA Website

Military Service

Minimum of 18 months active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces
Honorable Discharge required

Prior Law Enforcement

At least 3 years full-time employment as a peace officer
Licensed by TCOLE (for out-of-state accreditation considerations visit the Lateral page)

Work Experience

At least 36 months full-time employment (32+ hrs per week)
Within the last 48 months
In any field

Phase 2 Testing Requirements

All applicants must successfully complete Phase 2 requirements:

Physical Agility Test (PAT)

500-meter row (50th percentile)

2:27 or less (females)
2:08 or less (males)

1-mile run: 11:40 minutes or less

Learn more about proper row technique HERE.

Weapon Compatibility

6 trigger pulls with each hand

Nelson-Denny Reading Comprehension Test (NDRC)

Minimum passing score: 67
Free preparation resources available through Test Prep Review
Study guide available

Foreign Education & Credential Evaluation

Foreign High School Diplomas

HPD accepts foreign high school diplomas with proper evaluation and certification. If your high school diploma was earned outside the United States, you must:

Obtain a credential evaluation from a service that is a member of either:

National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)
Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE)

Ensure the evaluation confirms equivalency to U.S. educational standards
Provide official documentation of the completed evaluation report

Important: Evaluations must be issued by the credential evaluation service and may not be self-prepared or translated by the applicant.

Foreign College or University Credit

HPD does not accept college credit hours earned directly from institutions outside of the United States toward the 48-hour education qualification pathway.

If you earned college credit outside the U.S., you must:

Transfer those credits to an accredited U.S. college or university, and
Have the U.S. institution officially award and reflect the accepted transfer credit on an official U.S. transcript.

Only semester credit hours officially recognized and reflected by an accredited U.S. college or university will be considered toward the 48-hour requirement. Credential evaluation reports alone will not be accepted to meet the 48-hour requirement. Applicants must provide official transcripts from the accredited U.S. institution showing the accepted transfer credits.

Important:

Applicants are responsible for completing all credential evaluations or transfer credit processes prior to scheduling an interview. Credential evaluations and transfers can take several weeks to complete. Applicants are encouraged to begin this process early.

COMMON DISQUALIFIERS

CRIMINAL HISTORY

No Class A or Felony conviction or court-ordered supervision or probation.
No Class B conviction or court-ordered supervision or probation within the past 10 years.
Former military personnel must not have been convicted of any court-martial higher than a summary.

MILITARY SERVICE

A dishonorable or other discharge based on misconduct which bars future military service, including:

Under less than honorable conditions;
Under other than honorable conditions;
Bad conduct; or
Dishonorable.

A general under honorable conditions discharge from any military service requires applicant to meet one of the three other requirements:

At least 48 semester hours of credit, in any area of study, from an accredited college or university with at least a 2.0 grade point average; OR
At least three years of full-time employment as a peace officer licensed by Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) or an equivalent licensing entity in another state, OR
At least 36 months of full-time employment, in any field, in the last 48 months.

DRIVING RECORD

Driving record should reflect prudence and maturity. License must not be in danger of being suspended.

TATTOOS AND BODY ART

There will be no visible tattoos located on the hand, neck or above the neck and no body art such as gauges or facial piercings.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE EMPLOYEES

Criminal Justice Employees
Applicants who are current or former Criminal Justice employees have additional standards that must be met. Criminal Justice employees include peace officers, corrections officers, probation officers and military police officers. The following are instances that will be evaluated:

Having a law enforcement commission license denied by final order; revoked; or having voluntarily surrendered your license to avoid suspension.
Currently on suspension or have a voluntary surrender of license currently in effect.
Prohibited by state or federal law from operating a vehicle or possessing firearms or ammunition.
Discharged from any commission or recruit position within a law enforcement agency for disciplinary reasons, resigned to avoid suspension or discharge, or having resigned during a disciplinary investigation without a final judgement being rendered.
Discharged from any city, county, state, federal or private corrections institution for disciplinary reasons to avoid suspension or discharge or resigned during a disciplinary investigation without a final judgment being rendered.
Having a history of sustained Internal Affairs complaints or behavior that indicates poor conduct. Any open IAD cases must be closed before applying.

SPECIFIC MEDICAL GUIDELINES

Vision - Must be correctable to 20/20 or better with uncorrected vision of 20/200 or better. Monocular vision is an automatic disqualifier.
Color Vision - Applicant must be able to distinguish the full spectrum of color vision by passing the color vision test. Any applicant who completes the color vision test with two or more crossings in the same direction is automatically disqualified. The use of X-Chrom contact lens, red filters or any other similar color vision correcting prosthetic device is not permitted.
Hearing - Hearing levels should be tested from 500HZ to 6000HZ.
Minimum hearing standards for applicants are generally concerned with hearing loss in the normal speech hearing frequencies (500, 1000, and 2000 HZ.).
Pure tone hearing loss in the worst ear be no greater than the following:

Frequency 500HZ 1000HZ 2000HZ 3000HZ
Decibel 25db 25db 25db 35db

A loss of no greater than 30db at any one of the first three frequencies, and average of four frequencies no greater than 30db.
Hearing aids: Candidates wearing hearing aids will be held to the same hearing acuity criteria as non-hearing aid users. Use of hearing aids to achieve such standards are permitted as long as they are self-contained and fit within (auricular) or behind or over (postauricular) the ear. Candidates with hearing aids shall at their own expense, provide evidence from a licensed audiologist, that such aid(s) meet the stipulated manufacturer’s standards.
Seizure Disorder - Uncontrolled seizures of any kind are disqualifying. Applicants with a history of a seizure disorder must be able to control the disorder by medication, be seizure free for one year, and sign the Notification, Understanding and Commitment Agreement prior to consideration.
Diabetes Mellitus - Insulin dependent diabetics who are subject to frequent or uncontrolled hypoglycemic episodes or ketoacidosis are disqualified.