Become a New Orleans Police Officer

Make a difference. Start a rewarding career. Join the New Orleans Police Department.

Competitive law enforcement salary and excellent benefits include:

Outstanding retirement plan with benefits earned in as little as five years
Affordable and quality health, vision, and dental insurance for you and your family
Many types of additional, incentive and shift pay
12 standard paid holidays (15 in 2024), 13 days of paid vacation, 13 days of paid sick leave, and 15 days of paid military reserve leave each year
New hiring incentives for Recruits and Lateral Officers of up to $20,000

New Virtual and Remote Testing Options

Applicants now have the option to take the written exam virtually, at a nationwide testing facility of their choosing, or at the Civil Service Department in New Orleans. Virtual and national testing are performed for a small fee. Testing at the Civil Service Department is free. Applicants should complete a Civil Service Application and self-schedule for testing via National Testing Network.

New Police Civilian Positions

NOPD is hiring for a number of civilian positions. Click here to for details and to apply for these positions.

Join NOPD

Advanced applicaton is not required for local applicants. Local applicants can report to the Civil Service Department at 8:45 a.m. on any day of their choosing, Monday - Friday (excluding major holidays). Afternoon testing is also available on Wednesdays at 12:45 pm. The Civil Service Department is located at 1340 Poydras Street, Suite 900, New Orleans, LA 70112.
Applicants are required to bring a valid driver's license to the test. You will not be tested without this document. Submission of proof of education is not required at the time of walk-in testing. Proof of education will be required by NOPD later in the hiring process. Acceptable documents for proof of education are: an official high school diploma, an official G.E.D. issued by a state department of education, an official high school transcript indicating graduation date, an official college diploma, or an official college transcript indicating high school or college graduation date. Photocopies, wallet sized diplomas, and online high schools will not be accepted at the test.
Testing takes 3-4 hours. Be sure to park in long term parking.
Be sure to arrive on time. Testing will be held on a first come first served basis.

Out of area applicants have the option of being scheduled for a three day process in New Orleans that includes multiple parts of the hiring process or taking the multiple choice test virtually or at a remote testing facility near you and completing the remaining hiring steps at a later date. To participate in bundled testing please submit a Civil Service Application and further instructions will be provided.

To apply, you must:

be at least 20 years old.
be licensed to drive with a good driving record and driving experience.
be in good physical and psychological condition to perform the essential functions of the job of Police Officer.
possess a state approved G.E.D./high school diploma.

Applicants must not have any disqualifiers, for example felonies, certain misdemeanors, or recent illegal drug use.

The Process

The hiring process consists of the steps below. You must complete all of the steps to be hired.

Multiple choice exam
Physical Agility Test including push ups, sit-ups, and running
Panel Interview
Background Investigation including a CVSA test (a type of lie detector test)
Substance Abuse Screening
Medical exam
Psychological/Psychiatric Evaluation

Police Recruit Job Announcement

Out of area applicants must apply with Civil Service and submit copies of the required documents to be scheduled for bundled testing. Bundled testing dates for out of area applicants are listed below.