Troopers
ONLY THE BEST CAN BECOME TROOPERS
Be your best while giving back to your community - join AZDPS.
Traffic Stop
SPEND MORE TIME OUTDOORS
Do you have an adventurous spirit? Unleash your inner explorer - become an Arizona State Trooper today.
Trooper in the Rain
Courage, Integrity & Honor
These are the traits of an Arizona State Trooper.

Aviation

SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS

Aviation

SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS

 

The Department provides statewide law enforcement, air rescue, medical, and fixed wing aviation services.  With a combination of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, the Department covers all 114,000 square miles within Arizona’s borders.

Aviation

SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS

 

The Department provides statewide law enforcement, air rescue, medical, and fixed wing aviation services.  With a combination of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, the Department covers all 114,000 square miles within Arizona’s borders.

Special Operations Unit

SWIFT AND READY

Special Operations Unit

SWIFT AND READY

 

Special Operations District members are recruited from within the sworn ranks of the Department and candidates go through a detailed selection and training process prior to joining the unit.

Team members may be trained to perform other specialty assignments within the unit such as SWAT operator, SWAT sniper, explosive breaching, advanced bomb technician certification, drone/robot operator, and specialty vehicle operation.

Special Operations Unit

SWIFT AND READY

 

Special Operations District members are recruited from within the sworn ranks of the Department and candidates go through a detailed selection and training process prior to joining the unit.

Team members may be trained to perform other specialty assignments within the unit such as SWAT operator, SWAT sniper, explosive breaching, advanced bomb technician certification, drone/robot operator, and specialty vehicle operation.

K-9 Patrol

SKILLED DETECTION

K-9 Patrol

SKILLED DETECTION

 

The mission of the Canine Unit is to detect and apprehend criminal offenders and drug traffickers on state highways, the Canine District works to secure Arizona’s borders by interdicting and seizing thousands of pounds of illicit and dangerous drugs and arresting numerous dangerous criminals each year.

K-9 Patrol

SKILLED DETECTION

 

The mission of the Canine Unit is to detect and apprehend criminal offenders and drug traffickers on state highways, the Canine District works to secure Arizona’s borders by interdicting and seizing thousands of pounds of illicit and dangerous drugs and arresting numerous dangerous criminals each year.

State Gang Task Force

COMBATTING CRIMINAL NETWORKS

State Gang Task Force

COMBATTING CRIMINAL NETWORKS

 

GIITEM is a Statewide Gang Task Force created in the early 90's to combat the gang activity plaguing communities throughout the State of Arizona.

GIITEM's focus is to target the street gang activity through enforcement and conduct gang related criminal investigations for the purpose of disrupting and dismantling gangs.

State Gang Task Force

COMBATTING CRIMINAL NETWORKS

 

GIITEM is a Statewide Gang Task Force created in the early 90's to combat the gang activity plaguing communities throughout the State of Arizona.

GIITEM's focus is to target the street gang activity through enforcement and conduct gang related criminal investigations for the purpose of disrupting and dismantling gangs.

Motorcycle Patrol

SKILLED ON TWO WHEELS

Motorcycle Patrol

SKILLED ON TWO WHEELS

 

Motor troopers are primarily assigned for operations within the boundaries of Phoenix and Tucson, while being responsive to requests to assist Highway Patrol Districts and other agencies across the state.

Motor troopers to enhance the Department's public image by participating in various traffic escort events and public relations details throughout the state. 

Motorcycle Patrol

SKILLED ON TWO WHEELS

 

Motor troopers are primarily assigned for operations within the boundaries of Phoenix and Tucson, while being responsive to requests to assist Highway Patrol Districts and other agencies across the state.

Motor troopers to enhance the Department's public image by participating in various traffic escort events and public relations details throughout the state. 

READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

WE TAKE CARE OF YOU

WITH BEST OF CLASS BENEFITS

 

We strive to provide DPS employees and their loved ones with excellent benefits packages, focused on supporting their physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing. With programs such as, ComPsych and the Command Performance Initiative thoughtfully designed to enhance your health and wellbeing.

Benefits

The Arizona Department of Public Safety is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to all employees in cooperation with the State of Arizona. Benefits are administered by the Arizona.


  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Life Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • Flexible Spending
  • Tuition Reimbursement

Find more information on benefits here

Retirement

The Arizona Department of Public Safety is proud to offer retirement to all employees in cooperation with the State of Arizona.

  • Defined Benefit plan (Pension) or Defined Contribution plan option 401(a)
  • Additional Deferred Compensation plans offered. 457 (b)
  • Survivor Benefits
  • Defined Retirement Plan
  • Ability to Buy Back Military Time
  • Automatic Cancer Insurance

 

Time Off

Paid Time Off/Sick Time

There are ten (10) paid holidays that are recognized per year.

Vacation time is accrued based on years of service with the State, as follows:

YEARS OF SERVICE HOURS ACCRUED BI-WEEKLY WORKING DAYS OF LEAVE PER YEAR
0-5 4.62 15+
6-10 5.54 18+
11-20 6.47 21+
21+ 7.39 24+

Sick Leave is accrued at a flat rate for all employees:

YEARS OF SERVICE HOURS ACCRUED BI-WEEKLY WORKING DAYS OF LEAVE PER YEAR
FULL-TIME 4.62 15+

The State offers 480 hours as the maximum amount of earned sick leave hours an employee may use per calendar year to care for a sick spouse, dependent child or parent. So, employees may now use more of their regularly accrued sick leave to care for their loved ones.

PPL

Pilot Paid Parental Leave Program (PPL)

Up to 12 weeks of paid leave to eligible employees following the birth of a child, new placement of a foster or adoptive child in the home on or after January 1, 2023. Employees no longer need to use their own leave balances or take leave without pay when they add to their families. This PPL may be taken within the 12 months following the birth or placement of the child.

For cases where both spouses are state employees, each spouse may use a maximum of 12 work weeks of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Leave for the birth and care of a newborn child, placement of a child for adoption or foster care, or to care for a parent who has a serious health condition. And each spouse can use up to 26 work weeks of leave to care for an eligible military service member with a serious injury or illness.

Wellness

Health and Wellbeing

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional information or questions, please contact us by submitting your inquiry below. 

Your application will be screened to ensure you meet the minimum standards to test.  In the weeks leading up to your test, you will receive an e-mail confirmation for your test date, or an e-mail rejection notifying you that you do not meet the minimum standards to test.  Your e-mail will confirm all of the information needed for test day.  

On testing day, Cadet State Trooper and Trooper Trainee applicants will complete the Physical Fitness Test, followed by the Written Exam.  This testing takes approximately 4-5 hours to complete.  In-state Lateral State Trooper applicants will complete a standard AZPOST Firearms Qualification, a physical fitness test (either the POPAT, a timed 5000-meter row, or the Cadet Physical Fitness Test), and an oral board.  This testing will vary depending on the number of applicants, but In-state Lateral applicants should be prepared for this to take the majority of the day.  

After passing the entrance exams, you will be scheduled to complete a polygraph examination, a medical examination, a psychological examination, and comprehensive background investigation by your assigned Background Investigator. 

Our hiring process, on average, is approximately 3 months.  This will vary by candidate.  Although this may seem long, it is to ensure those we employ are qualified to protect the community and embody the standards set forth by the Department.

This will depend on your level of fitness when you come to your scheduled test.  Some applicants find our standards to be challenging, while others who maintain a routine physical fitness program can meet the standards.  We strongly recommend that you practice the Physical Fitness Test before coming to test to assess your readiness.  Our standards can be found in the next question.

The Physical Fitness Test consists of: maximum sit-up repetitions in 60 seconds, followed by a five-minute rest; a timed 300-meter sprint, followed by a 10-minute rest; maximum untimed push-up repetitions, followed by a five-minute rest; a timed 1.5-mile run.  In order to pass the Physical Fitness Test, you must meet or exceed the minimum standards for each event in the same testing process.  Failure to meet the minimum standard in one exercise will result in a failure of the test.

There are male and female minimum standards.  The passing standards are listed below.

Sit-ups:  35 for males, 32 for females

300-Meter Sprint:  61 seconds for males, 71 seconds for females

Push-ups:  30 for males, 15 for females

1.5-mile Run:  14:54 for males, 15:05 for females

There are three options to select: 

1. POPAT with a passing score of 384 

2. Cadet PT testing standards as shown above 

3. USMC 5,000 Meter Row  - Click Here to see what you would need to pass

The Written Exam is a 100-question, general knowledge, multiple choice exam.  It is designed to test for core competencies that are critical to be successful in the State Trooper Academy.  Since this is a general knowledge exam, there is no study guide. 

The following core competencies will be tested:  Perceptual Ability (Photos, Situational, Police Reports), Sensitivity, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar, Word Choice, Spelling, Reasoning, Numeric Skills, Logic.

The State Trooper Academy is not a "live-in" academy.  Our Cadet State Troopers travel to and from work every day like a normal job.  The work schedule is typically Monday to Friday during normal business hours, although some training may require irregular hours.  After graduation from the State Trooper Academy, your work schedule will be determined by your supervisor.  There is no cost to attend the State Trooper Academy, as you will be a full-time employee while you attend.  Annual Cadet State Trooper salary is currently $64,118.08.  If coming from outside of the Greater Phoenix Area, we do offer housing in the form of shared apartments at no-cost to the candidate while attending the State Trooper Academy.

We believe in training our Cadet State Troopers to be the best law enforcement officers in the state.  A career in law enforcement will challenge you in many ways.  Accordingly, you will be tested physically, mentally, and academically throughout the State Trooper Academy.  You will be held to the very high standards expected of all State Troopers. 

We do not have a maximum age limit.  You must be at least 21 years of age upon graduation from the State Trooper Academy.  If you are between the ages of 18 and 20.5 and have graduated from high school, you may be eligible for the Trooper Trainee position, which is designed to prepare you for the State Trooper Academy.

During the hiring process, we will ask you to provide your top three duty station requests.  If and when a job offer is made to you, you will be told what duty station you are being offered upon graduation from the State Trooper Academy.

Arizona Department of Public Safety does not allow tattoos from the neck up or from the wrist on. This means no neck tattoos or hand tattoos will be allowed. Tattoos violating this policy will need to be removed prior to gaining employment. 

FUEL YOUR DRIVE WITH US

Do you have a question?

 

We are committed to providing you with the best service. 

 

Please provide your information and our recruiters will contact you to answer any questions you may have.