State Trooper​/Lateral

Position: State Trooper Recruit/Lateral (26-01)

Recruitment Exemption

The recruitment is exempt from the hiring freeze (Administrative Order 358).

About the Position

The Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) is seeking qualified applicants to attend the DPS Training Academy beginning July 2026 and January 2027.

Successful candidates will be appointed as an Alaska State Trooper Recruit or Alaska State Trooper, depending on qualifications. You will receive high-caliber training at no expense and will earn wages and benefits while attending the academy.

What You Will Be Doing

Troopers work in a wide variety of law enforcement fields and, later in their careers, are eventually able to request assignments that fit their personal interests. General areas of enforcement include rural law enforcement, highway law enforcement, near-urban patrol work, and serious criminal investigations. The Alaska State Trooper/Alaska Wildlife Trooper position is among the most demanding of any law enforcement agency.

Where

You Will Be Doing It

Trooper recruits will be stationed in one of our three training posts after completion of their academy. Our three training posts are located in Fairbanks, Palmer/Wasilla, and Soldotna. The Alaska Department of Public Safety Training Academy is in Sitka, Alaska.

Our Organization, Mission and Culture

The mission of the Divisions of Alaska State Troopers and Alaska Wildlife Troopers is to preserve the peace, enforce the law, prevent and detect crime, protect life and property, and preserve Alaska’s resources. The work that a Trooper performs within their community reflects a commitment to public safety for the citizens of Alaska.

The Benefits of Joining Our Team

As an Alaska State Trooper/Alaska Wildlife Trooper, you will have a rewarding career and receive high-caliber training and benefits at no expense to you while attending the academy. The diversity of available assignments and locations helps Troopers engage in a wide variety of career choices.

The Working Conditions You Can Expect

The Alaska State Troopers/Alaska Wildlife Troopers serve primarily as rural police officers. Alaska does not have counties, Sheriff’s Offices, or Deputies, requiring Troopers to provide complete law enforcement services for areas outside of the traditional “city limits” of most Alaska cities. Some Troopers choose to serve in very rural areas, where the only transportation is by air, riverboat, snow machine, or four-wheeler.

Some choose to remain on the road system, in semi-rural areas. While others choose to live in Southeast Alaska, where travel options include both air and ferry, and town sizes vary from under a thousand to over 35,000.

Who We Are Looking For

• Must be 21 years of age or older at the start of the academy.
• Must be conversant in both spoken and written English.
• Must possess a high school diploma or have passed a General Education Development (GED) test.
• Not disqualified from any portion of a prior background investigation for this job class in the last twelve months.

Pre-Academy Hiring

The Alaska Department of Public Safety now offers a transformative opportunity for aspiring Alaska State Trooper Recruits through Pre-Academy Hiring, allowing applicants to be hired prior to the academy. This innovative approach aims to streamline the hiring process and expedite your appointment date.

Lateral Applicants

To meet lateral requirements, you must have twelve months of work experience as a police officer AND possession of an active police officer certificate issued by a jurisdiction outside the State of Alaska and recognized by the Alaska Police Standards Council. You will need to contact the Recruitment Unit at  or dps.recruit to start the lateral process.

Initial Physical Fitness Test

All applicants must successfully pass the initial physical fitness test to move forward in the application process. For more information on our fitness test standards, go to  Additional details can also be found in the Physical-Fitness-. This test can be proctored by an adult at a local gym, or any adequate outdoor or indoor facility. Applicants will submit results via the applicant tracking platform in the Agency Provided Documents section when completing their…