Police Officer (New Recruits and Laterals) - 04/17/2026 Testing Date

Description

The Springfield Police Department is seeking to hire passionate new officers to make a positive impact in the Southwest Missouri area. Our department has one of the best training programs in the area, along with an abundance of diverse specialized units to experience, and an excellent benefits package.




Selection Process
Applicants must successfully complete the following steps in the hiring process before being hired as a Springfield Police Recruit and go through our Police Academy. To learn about the hiring process here.

• Written Exam
• Physical Agility Test
• Interview
• Background Investigation
• Drug Screen*
• Polygraph*
• Psychological Evaluation*
• Medical Examination*

*These examinations are completed after a conditional job offer is accepted.

Testing
To help with costs incurred from traveling to participate in entry testing, travel vouchers are provided.

Distance Traveled	Travel Assistance Provided
50-150 miles	$50 travel voucher
150 miles or more	$125 travel voucher  and 1 overnight hotel accommodation

Follow-up Testing and Post Offer
During the post-offer phase of the Officer selection process, on-site testing is required such as a polygraph and psychological examination. Testing is coordinated and accommodations are made so that the least amount of travel is required of our candidates. Additional assistance is available to help with costs incurred for both Police Recruits and Lateral Officer candidates.

Distance traveled	Travel Assistance Provided
150 miles or more	$125 travel voucher per visit  and 1 overnight hotel accommodation
50-150 miles	$50 travel voucher per visit

Relocation
We love welcoming new Officers to our wonderful community. To make things easier, we offer relocation reimbursement. This benefit is offered to both new Recruits and Lateral Officer candidates.

Distance Traveled	Reimbursement Amount
50-150 miles	Up to $1,000
150-300 miles	Up to $3,000
300 miles or more	Up to $5,000

This application must be submitted to determine your eligibility to take the written exam. If you've read through this information and you're not ready to apply, consider getting more information by talking to a recruiter.

Qualifications and Requirements

Experience, Education, and Training

Police Recruit

• Must be a high school graduate or have a G.E.D

            AND

• 21 years of age at or before being commissioned.  
  

            PREFERRED

• A degree from an accredited college or university.
• Experience or education in law enforcement.
• Class A P.O.S.T. certified peace officer or currently enrolled in a Class A P.O.S.T. program. 
• Military service with an honorable discharge or honorable military service in national guard or armed forces reserves. 
• Three (3) years of full-time employment. 

Additional Requirements

• U.S. Citizen
• Excellent physical condition
• No felony convictions
• No conviction for domestic assault
• No more than one DWI conviction; and no DWI conviction in the past three years
• May not have two (2) moving violations from separate incidents within the past twelve months, or have been at fault in more than one (1) traffic crash/accident during the past twelve (12) months
• Meet vision and hearing standards
• No objectionable tattoos and no head, face or neck tattoos.

Police Officer (Lateral) Requirements
In addition to the requirements listed above, lateral candidates must possess the following:

• A MO POST Class A license (if candidate does not possess a MO POST Class A license, but possesses law enforcement certification through another state, he/she may participate in the testing process while seeking reciprocity through MO POST)

• A minimum of two (2) years full time sworn police experience in any state within the last five (5) years. Police experience must include the primary duties of responding to calls for service, conducting preliminary and/or follow-up investigations of crimes, responding to traffic accidents and apprehending, detaining and arresting suspects.

Functions

For more information on essential functions and other requirements for Police Recruit, please see the job description.

For more information on essential functions and other requirements for Police Officer, please see the job description.

Other Requirements

Testing & Selection Procedure Steps

1. Submit application.
2. Receive email notification with instructions to schedule for written exam.
3. Schedule for written exam, April 17, 2026.
4. Bring photo ID with you on day of testing.
5. Complete the written exam and physical agility test.
   • Interviews will be scheduled immediately following the written exam for the following week
6. Attend scheduled interview.
7. Background investigation will begin.
8. Once the background investigation is completed, a conditional job offer can be made.
9. The final steps after a conditional job offer is made include a drug test, medical exam, psychological evaluation, and polygraph before the job offer is confirmed.

The City of Springfield promotes equal employment opportunities to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability, or other legally protected status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. 

Individuals with disabilities who believe they will need an accommodation to undergo any part of the interview, examination, or pre-employment process, should request a reasonable accommodation in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act prior to the testing or appointment. Requests should be requested by contacting City of Springfield Human Resources by phone, 417-864-1607, or in person at the Municipal Busch Building, 840 Boonville Ave. Springfield, MO 65802.

Proof of United States Citizenship/Authorization to Work in the United States as established by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986 is a condition of employment. We are committed to a drug-free workplace.  Pre-employment drug testing is required.
 
All interested candidates MUST complete the City of Springfield on-line application in its entirety.  The candidate profile must include all employment history with accurate and complete information prior to submission.  Resumes alone will not be accepted as the application, but they may be submitted as supplemental documentation.