Trooper Career FAQs

View our current openings and apply, or complete an application on the Patrol's Application System.

There is no need to submit a resume, letter of reference, or recommendation. If you reach the background investigation stage, it may be useful to give references and additional documentation to the officer conducting your investigation, so they can be reviewed by the Oral Interview Board.

The Patrol's Law Enforcement Academy is at the General Headquarters complex in Jefferson City, Missouri.

There is no cost to attend. If you are selected, you are hired as a full-time employee and receive the salary of a recruit or probationary trooper.

Applicants must be willing to move anywhere in the state, and you are required to live within the area you are assigned to. Efforts are made to accommodate recruits' first-choice assignments where reasonable, but the needs and mission of the Patrol are the deciding factor.

Successful in-state Accelerated Academy applicants are not required to relocate. Out-of-state applicants know their assignment before entering training.

Cover for a new employee and their family takes effect on the first day of the calendar month following the date of employment. If you were enrolled in the Patrol's plan as a dependent immediately before being employed, the creditable service requirement is waived. The effective date depends on submitting the proper application and paying any required contribution.

If you have applied before, you can log in to your profile and apply for additional recruit classes. You must reapply to be considered for a future selection process.

The standard Academy runs approximately twenty-five weeks. The Accelerated Academy is fifteen weeks.

Yes. Recruits live in the Academy complex for the duration of training, normally reporting on Sunday evenings and being released on Friday evenings.

You may qualify for the Accelerated Academy if you meet the eligibility requirements. Contact a Patrol recruiter or the Human Resources Division for more information.

For the physical testing, see the Fitness for Duty Assessment. A routine of running, sit-ups, push-ups, and cardiovascular exercise will help you score well.

You must be free of objectionable tattoos or brands, and none are permitted on the head, neck, hands or wrists. The sole exception is one traditional band-style ring tattoo on a single finger, which must not extend beyond the proximal phalanx.

Tattoos elsewhere that would be visible while on duty must be covered, which means wearing the Class A uniform year-round — long-sleeve shirt, trousers, tie, straw hat, and the appropriate leather and insignia.