Eligibility and Disqualifiers for Peace Officer

General Eligibility

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must be 21 years old by the time you graduate from our police academy.  There is no maximum age limit.
• Must complete and file a legible application with the Police Personnel office.
• Must have a high school diploma or G.E.D.
• Must have an associate’s degree or equivalent (60 college hours) from a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE)-approved / accredited school with at least a 2.0 GPA with the following exceptions:
  • Applicants who have completed three or more years of active military service and have exited within 18 months prior to submitting their application must have a high school diploma or G.E.D.
  • Applicants who have completed three or more years of active military service and have exited more than 18 months but less than 36 months prior to submitting their application must have completed 30 or more college hours with at least a 2.0 GPA.
  • Applicants who have been employed as a full-time certified peace officer for three or more years during the period immediately preceding the submission of their application must have a high school diploma or G.E.D.
  • Applicants who are and have been employed by the City of Irving as a Detention Officer for three or more years during the period immediately preceding the submission of their application, must have a high school diploma or GED. 
• Must not have any criminal conviction above the grade of a Class B misdemeanor or any Class B misdemeanor within the past 10 years.
• Must not have been on any court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense above the grade of a Class B misdemeanor or any Class B misdemeanor within the past 10 years from the date of the court order.
• Under Texas law expungements are not accepted on convictions, even if the sentence was probation. Expungements from another state must meet the same standards as Texas law.
• Must intelligently read and write the English language.
• Must be of good character.
• Must not have made any false statement in any material fact or practiced, or attempted to practice, any deception or fraud in application, examination or appointment.
• Must not have been dismissed from public service for inefficiency, delinquency, or misconduct.
• Must appear for all requested examinations and interviews.
• Must not have received more than two moving traffic violations or had two preventable accidents, or any combination, in the past 18 months or four in the past 36 months.
• Applicants must also be able to pass a physical exam as determined by the appointed civil service physician.
• Applicants must successfully pass a psychological examination.