Eligibility for police officer

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and ethnicities. You will need to meet some basic eligibility requirements before you can apply.

To be eligible to apply, you must meet all the below criteria at the time of applying:

Entry qualifications

You must meet at least one of the criteria below relating to your education, experience or language skills.

• Hold a level 3 qualification (or higher). This must be equivalent to A-Level qualification in two subjects/NVQ level 3. We cannot accept predicted grades. If you’re not sure if you hold a level 3 qualification, you can find out more by reading what different qualification levels mean on the Government's website
• Possess a policing qualification approved by the Sector Skills Council for the Justice Sector
• Be currently serving as a PCSO. You will have completed your PCSO Action Checklist, passed your probationary period at the time of application and be up to date with all mandatory training.
• Be currently serving as a special constable. You will have attained independent patrol status and will consistently have completed sixteen hours per month. You will need to be up to date with all mandatory training.
• Are currently serving, or have previously served, with the Armed Forces. You will have served for a minimum of two years, and your service must have been within the last five years. You will have an exemplary reference.
• Be able to demonstrate sufficient competence in a second language, particularly Eastern European languages, Arabic, Far Eastern languages, Romanian and Bulgarian. If you are competent in any other languages, please contact the PC Recruitment team to discuss further. Competence in a second language is tested during the recruitment process.
• Be competent in communicating in British Sign Language and Makaton.

Age

You can apply at the age of 17, although you won’t be appointed until you are 18.

There is no upper age limit but bear in mind that the usual retirement age is 60 and new constables have to complete a two-year probation period.

Driving

You must have a full manual driving licence.

You must not have 9 or more endorsable points on your licence at the point of applying or at any point throughout the recruitment process.

Nationality

You must be a UK, EU citizen with EU settled status, a commonwealth citizen or a foreign national with no restrictions on your stay in the UK.

Residency

You must have lived in the UK for the past three years from the date of your application.  The only exception is British Military Personnel who have served abroad.

Health

Police officers encounter stressful situations, trauma, physical confrontation and work long hours on shifts. You will need to be in good mental and physical health to cope with the demands and pressures of police work. 

You must meet the medical standard entry requirements and attend a medical assessment with our Force Physician.

You must ensure that you are physically fit for the role. Endurance will be tested during the selection process.

Details of national recruitment medical standards are published by the Government.

Eyesight

You will have your eyesight examined during the medical assessment stage.

Details of national recruitment medical standards, including eyesight, are published by the Government.

Previous convictions, cautions and fixed penalties

Certain convictions and cautions will lead to automatic rejection unless there are exceptional circumstances. (Each case will be dealt with on an individual basis once an application has been submitted.)  

We will consider convictions, cautions, reprimands, warnings and fixed penalty notices on a case by case basis. Whether an application passes depends on the nature and circumstances of the offence.  

Police Checks and Security Vetting are carried out on you and your immediate family. The security service will also carry out checks to verify your identity and background.

Further information about the vetting process and what is involved can be found on the Joining the police website.

DNA and fingerprints (biometric vetting)

We will take samples of your DNA and fingerprints and check against outstanding crimes. We do this after we make a provisional offer, but before a final offer to appoint.

Financial status

You will have your financial status checked. You must not have any wilfully undischarged debts (e.g. County Court Judgements / Bankruptcy). This does not include mortgages, hire purchase, student loans or other loans that you are paying off normally.

Your application will be rejected if you have an active County Court Judgement or Voluntary Agreement. If you have been declared bankrupt you will not be eligible to apply until three years from the date of the Certificate of Satisfaction. If you have discharged bankruptcy debts you will need to provide a Certificate of Satisfaction.

Tattoos

Tattoos are not a bar to appointment. However, some tattoos could potentially offend members of the public or colleagues, or could bring discredit to the police service. It depends on their size, nature and location, and sometimes on the extent.

Members of the public are largely accepting of police officers and staff with visible tattoos. Visible tattoos are unacceptable if they could reasonably be interpreted as discriminatory or offensive and/or indicate attitudes or views inconsistent with Lincolnshire Police’s appearance standards. 

Tattoos are not permitted on the face, neck or hands as a general rule, however an exception may be made whereby they are inoffensive and extremely small or discreet in nature.

British National Party (BNP)

If you are a member of the BNP your application will be rejected. If you have previously been a member of the BNP, you may not be eligible for appointment.  Your application will be assessed on an individual basis. 

Previous applications

You can apply to any force at any time. If you have previously been unsuccessful at the national sift, you must wait at least six months from the date of notification before taking it again with any force.