Yea. I'm a LEO. What's up?

Not only does every state have different requirements, every department has different standards. You will find that a state police department, a large city department, and a rural sheriffs office, my all have vastly different requirements. I would look up your local police department or state agency to get an idea of the standards in your area.

Most of the hiring processes that I have been through start with a written exam. If you pass the written exam you move onto a physical fitness test, which consists of pushups, situps, a sprint, and a 1-1.5 mile run. You'll generally have to get a medical exam, or a recent physical exam around this time. Then you'll have to do a structured interview, which is generally a board of officers. If you get through that, then you'll have to wait for a background investigation to be completed, and in most states, a polygraph (lie detector) will be conducted. If you make it though all the steps you should be given a final offer, and invited to attend the police academy.

This is my first-hand experience, but I can't give any insight into the police academy because I have not made it that far that.