Qualifications & Testing

• Minimum 21 years old

• United States citizen (WHP will not sponsor citizenship)

• High school diploma or equivalent (GED)

• Two (2) years of prior work experience working with the public (i.e. customer service, medical field, etc.).  Prior law enforcement experience is not required.

• Wyoming residency is not required to apply or to take initial examinations.  

• Wyoming residency is required prior to completion of the Trooper Basic Academy.

• Must successfully complete all required entry-level examinations in order to be invited to attend the Trooper Basic Academy.

• Vision: Visual acuity must be 20/20 in each eye or correctable to 20/20 or better as indicated below:

  • Uncorrected visual acuity greater than 20/100 must be corrected to 20/20 or better through the use of soft contact lenses (no glasses or hard contact lenses).

  • Uncorrected visual acuity between 20/20 and 20/100 may be corrected to 20/20 or better through the use of hard or soft contact lenses or glasses.

  • A candidate must be a successful contact wearer for at least six months before an appointment to recruit school.

  • Candidates who have undergone surgical procedures to improve visual acuity must do so at least six months before appointment to recruit school.

Step 1 - Initial Application

Complete the online application for the appropriate position. 

• Trooper I application for applicants with no prior qualifying law enforcement experience

• Trooper II application for pre-certified law enforcement officers with a valid Advanced Peace Officer certification through WY POST (or out-of-state equivalent).  Please contact Wyoming Peace Officer Standards & Training to inquire about your certification level and eligibility.  WHP is unable to determine your certification level and/or status for you.

Step 2 - Written Test, Guardian, & SCOPE

Complete the following prerequisites before attending an in-person testing event. 

(You will receive email notifications with the necessary links and guidance once you've completed your initial application.)

1. Pass the Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) test administered by Public Safety Testing within one year prior to the in-person testing date 

➡️ Public Safety Testing.

2. Complete the Guardian Alliance background investigation.

3. Complete the SCOPE Questionnaire.

Step 3 - In-Person Testing

Receive an invitation to attend in-person testing in Cheyenne, WY.  This testing will be conducted by appointment only and will consist of the following sequential phases.

1. WYRAP Physical Fitness Test (refer to our Fitness page here ➡️ Fitness page for more information);

2. Oral board interview panel;

3. Eye-detect deception test;

4. Psychological evaluation.

Step 4 - Background Investigation

Upon successful completion of the in-person testing process you will advance to the background investigation portion of the hiring process.  This portion of the process can take several months.  The Wyoming Highway Patrol will send a background investigator to your home town to conduct formal interviews with you, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers, and anyone else who may have insight into whether or not you're right for the job.

Step 5 - Hiring Decisions

Upon completion of background investigations, WHP Command Staff will meet to review the final list of qualifying applicants.  Executive Command Staff members have ultimate decision making authority regarding which applicants will receive an official offer of employment.  Once final hiring decision have been made, applicants will be notified of their status via telephone call.  Succesful applicants will be provided with information regarding how to prepare for the Basic Trooper Academy, their projected duty station assignment, and an official report date for the academy.  

Step 6 - Basic Trooper Academy

The Basic Trooper Academy and Pre-Certified Onboarding takes place in Cheyenne, WY.  During training, recruits are required to reside at the academy throughout the week and are only permitted to leave campus on weekends and scheduled holidays.  Recruits are provided room and board for the duration of the academy, 7 days a week, and receive full pay and benefits beginning on the first day of training.

WHP holds two 20-week Basic Trooper Academies per year with one typically running from early January through May and the other typically running from early August through December.  Pre-certified onboarding courses begin at the same time as each of the 20-week academies and continue for the first six (6) consecutive weeks.  Following the six week onboarding, pre-certified members begin Field Training in their home duty station.  Pre-certified members will be required to return to the academy at times for advanced training and for commissioning at the WY Supreme Court. 

During the testing process, applicants will be asked to list their top three desired duty station assignments.  Applicants may provide information such as family considerations, community ties, interests, military commitments, or any other information they deem pertinent for review.  Throughout the testing and application process, applicants receive a ranking based on their performance, education, and experience.  Duty station assignments are based on several factors including the aforementioned ranking, the applicant's desired duty station assignment, and the needs of the agency.

All candidates will be informed of their duty station assignment upon notification of hiring decisions, before beginning the academy.  

You can find a list of current duty station openings on the WHP Troop Locations page.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of disqualifiers:

• Conviction of a felony offense in this State or a crime in any other state that would be a felony if committed in this State. 

• Conviction of an offense involving moral turpitude. 

• Conviction of any offense involving the unlawful use, sale, manufacture, production, or distribution of a controlled or illegal substance. 

• Currently pending criminal proceeding(s) or under criminal investigation by a law enforcement agency. 

• Has a documented history of physical violence or has been convicted of a crime of “Domestic Violence” as defined by 18 U.S.C. § 921 (a)(33)(A). 

• Maintains an ongoing relationship with an individual(s) who has been convicted of felony crimes and is reputed to be involved in recent or current felonious activity. 

• Any violation of public trust while previously employed in law enforcement or other public services. 

• A recent or current affiliation with, and/or support of, any organization or group that advocates the violent overthrow of the State or of the United States Government or whose professed goals are contrary to the interest of public safety and welfare. 

• Deceptive results of a polygraph, eye-detect, or deception detection examination regarding the candidate’s background. 

• Evidence that the applicant willfully provided false or misleading information in their written application, oral board, Personal History Statement, or cheated during any portion of the testing process. This also includes the applicant having willfully provided false, misleading, or omitted information during the application or background investigation process.

• Any revocation, suspension, denial, or disqualification of a driver’s license or driving privileges where the suspension, denial, or disqualification ended within a three-year period prior to the start of the testing process. 

• Any conclusion by an oral interview panel that the applicant is unsuited for police work. 

• Demonstrated pattern of bias with regard to race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, sexual harassment, or other discrimination. 

• A history of poor moral character.

• Three (3) prior rejections from WHP recruit testing and hiring process as a result of a failed background investigation, an unsuitable psychological assessment rating, or any combination thereof.

• A conclusion by any physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist that indicates poor suitability to perform the duties of a State Trooper.

• Any candidate who is prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm.

Applicants must be aware that marijuana/cannabis/THC is illegal in the state of Wyoming and Wyoming State Employees are prohibited from its possession and/or use.  Any applicant who tests positive for THC, or any other illegal controlled substance(s) of any kind, will be disqualified.