Academy Admission Disqualifiers

There are several possible areas concerning a potential Police Academy applicant’s background that will preclude their admission to the Basic Law Enforcement (BLE) program at this academy. Read and understand these disqualifiers. If you are not qualified for entry to the program, your application will be denied.

General Disqualifying Factors

It is Academy policy to disqualify a potential applicant from admission or processing for admission for failure to successfully complete the items listed below:

• failure to pass the oral board interview process
• failure to timely submit all required applicant documentation
• failure to pass drug-screening test
• failure to meet appropriate criminal history checks standards
• failure to meet FSCJ academic admissions and prescreening testing criteria
• submission of any false documents or statements

These items are covered in depth in application requirements and forms.

Driving History Disqualifying Factors

Any conviction for any driving felony.

Conviction for any of the following activities during a five-year period prior to the beginning date of the class:

• DUI/DWI, license suspended for points
• willful/wanton reckless driving
• fleeing and attempting to elude
• leaving scene of an accident
• license suspended for financial responsibility from an at fault accident
• five hazardous moving violations
• two hazardous moving violations resulting in accidents

Narcotics Abuse Disqualifying Factors

Any activity, arrest or conviction after the age of 18 (or after being adjudicated as an adult for Criminal Prosecution purposes regardless of age of adjudication) for the following violations:

• sales of illegal drugs/substances
• acting as middleperson in a drug deal
• drug trafficking
• failure to maintain a completely drug free history for two years prior to application
• continuous use of habit forming prescriptions/controlled substances for more than five years
• possession of drug paraphernalia in past year
• use of hallucinogenic drugs in past five years
• abuse/misuse/use of class I, II, III, IV, V drugs* in past five years
• use of non-prescription steroids in past five years
• use of marijuana in past two years

Violations occurring prior to the age of 18 will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

*See Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) web page for links to Florida Statues for a detailed explanation of drug class categories.

Domestic Violence Disqualifying Factors

Federal law prohibits persons convicted of any domestic violence violations (18 U.S.C. 922 (g) (9)) from carrying a firearm. Accordingly, any potential applicant fitting this category is disqualified from admission to or processing for admission to the academy.

Anyone individual applicant arrested or charged, but not convicted, of a domestic violence violation where the charges have been dismissed for cause or persons having been served with an active injunction for protection which prohibits the applicant from carrying a firearm is disqualified from admission to or processing for admission to the academy.

Any applicant arrested or charged, but not convicted, of a domestic violence violation where the charges have been dismissed may apply for admission.