In Florida a person wishing to become a police officer must meet the minimum requirements, which are listed in the section below. The law enforcement candidate must then find a place to complete the basic training for law enforcement officers. This means that you apply to an academy prior to applying to a particular police department or for a particular job or posting. Once a cadet has completed the basic training, he or she must take the required State Officer Certification Exam. After passing the exam a cadet would become a sworn in police officer and could be placed in a working department.

How to Become a Police Officer in Florida

The following is a list of basic requirements you must have in order to apply for a training program in Florida to become a police officer.

  • Be at least 19 years of age (2 years younger than the national average)
  • Be a legal citizen of the United States
  • Have graduated high school or GED equivalent
  • Have a valid Florida Driver’s License: with no suspensions within the last 3 years
  • No excessive traffic citations:  three in the last two years
  • Not have a dishonorable discharge from any branch of the US military
  • Not have been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor involving perjury
  • No misdemeanor convictions in the last 5 years
  • No DUI conviction in the last 10 years
  • Drug free minimum of 3-5 years prior to applying, depending on substance use
  • Not have used any illegal substance within the past 5 years
  • No L.S.D./Methamphetamine use at any time in past
  • No Marijuana use within the past 3 years, no instance of ever having sold

Average Salary for Police Officer Jobs in Florida

According to LawEnforcementEdu.net, the average salary for a regular patrol officer in the state of Florida is around 54,000 a year. As Florida has a wide variety of regions, cities and towns, a lot of the pay depends on where the police officer is employed. A police officer in Miami would make almost double what a police officer in the Northwest rural region of Florida. As far as an average salary for detectives of criminal investigators in Florida goes, the annual salary is an average of around 62,000 a year.

The more schooling you have, the higher starting pay you would receive. Years of experience and attaining promotions will increase your pay, and the more populated the region in which you live and work would also indicate where on the pay scale you would start and what the possibilities are for achieving a higher pay grade.

Criminal Justice Colleges in Florida

As stated above, all candidates looking to become police officers in the state of Florida must attend a state of Florida Criminal Justice training program. These programs are located at a number of different sites throughout Florida. The following is a complete list of where these programs can be found.

  • Broward College, Institute for Public Safety

111 East Las Olas Boulevard, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301

954-201-7350

  • Broward County Sheriff’s Office Institute for Criminal Justice Studies

2601 West Broward Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312

954-831-8150

  • College of Central Florida Criminal Justice Institute

3001 SW College Road, Ocala, FL 34474

352-873-5800

  • Citrus County Public Safety Training Center

1201 W Main Street, Inverness, FL 34450

352-726-2430

  • Criminal Justice Academy of Osceola

501 Simpson Road, Kissimmee, FL 34744

407-344-5080

  • Daytona State College, School of Emergency Services

1200 W International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114

386-506-3000

  • Eastern Florida State College, Public Safety Institute

3865 North Wickham Road, Melbourne, FL 32935

321-632-1111

  • Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Bureau of Professional Development

2331 Phillips Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308

850-410-7000

  • Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Law Enforcement Training Center

620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399

850-488-4676

  • Florida Gateway College, Public Service Training Center

149 SE College Place, Lake City, FL 32025

386-752-1822

  • Florida Highway Patrol Training Academy

2900 Apalachee Parkway MS49, Tallahassee, FL 32399

850-617-2315

  • Florida Keys Community College, Institute for Public Safety

5901 College Road, Key West, L 33040

305-296-9081

  • Florida Panhandle Technical College Public Safety Institute

757 Hoyt Street, Chipley, FL 32428

850-638-1180

  • George Stone Vo-Tech Center, Criminal Justice Training Center

2400 Longleaf Drive, Pensacola, FL 32526

850-941-6200

  • Gulf Coast State College, CJ Training Academy/Division of Public Safety

5230 West Highway 98, Panama City, FL 32401

850-769-1551

  • Hillsborough Community College, Criminal Justice Institute

551 24th Street NE, Ruskin, FL 33570

813-253-7000

  • Indian River State College, Criminal Justice Institute

4600 Kirby Loop Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34981

772-462-7676

  • Manatee Technical College, Criminal Justice Academy

6305 State Road 70 E, Bradenton, FL 34203

941-751-7900

  • Manatee Sheriff’s Office Training Center

600 Highway 301 Blvd. W, Bradenton, FL 34205

941-747-3011

  • Miami-Dade Public Safety Training Institute

9601 NW 58th Street, Miami, FL 33178

305-715-5000

  • Miami-Dade College, School of Justice

11380 NW 27th Avenue, Miami, FL 33167

305-237-1000

  • Northeast Florida Criminal Justice Center

4715 Capper Road, Jacksonville, FL 32218

  • North Florida Community College, Public Safety Academy

325 NW Turner Davis Drive, Madison, FL 32340

850-973-2288

  • Northwest Florida State College, Criminal Justice Training Center

100 College Blvd. E, Niceville, FL 32578

850-678-5111

  • Palm Beach State College, Criminal Justice Institute

4200 Congress Avenue, Lake Worth, FL 33461

561-967-7222

  • Pasco-Hernando State College, Public Service Technology Programs

36727 Blanton Road, Dade City, FL 33523

352-567-6701

  • Polk State College, Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety

999 Avenue H NE, Winter Haven, FL 33881

863-297-1000

  • Santa Fe College, Institute of Public Safety

3000 NW 83rd Street, Gainesville, FL 32606

352-395-5000

  • Suncoast Technical College, Criminal Justice Academy

4748 Beneva Road, Sarasota, FL 34233

941-924-1365

  • Seminole State College Center for Public Safety

1055 Aaa Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746

407-708-4567

  • South Florida State College, Criminal Justice Academy

600 W College Drive, Avon Park, FL 33825

863-453-6661

  • Southwest Florida Public Service Academy

4312 Michigan Avenue, Fort Myers, FL 33905

239-334-3897

  • St. Petersburg College, Southeastern Public Safety Institute

3200 34th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711

727-614-7026

  • Tallahassee Community College, Florida Public Safety Institute/PTLEA

75 College Drive, Suite 203, Havana, FL 32333

  • Valencia College Criminal Justice Institute

8600 Valencia College Lane, Orlando, FL 32825

407-582-8200