Who we're looking for

Applicants are not limited to any age group, and we welcome applications from those who are looking for a career change. The minimum age to apply is 17 but you must be 18 by the time your employment commences. There is no upper age limit, though you should bear in mind that the normal retirement age for police constables and sergeants is 60.

One element of our screening process is the physical fitness test. Our officers must be able to move quickly while carrying a lot of heavy equipment, so they need to be in fairly good shape.

If you pass the assessment process you will have to reach level 5.4 in a bleep test. To pass this you will need to be reasonably fit, and able to run short distances fairly quickly.

You will be required to pass a medical examination which includes a drugs test. Prior to your medical examination you will be required to provide information about your health, which might need to be verified by your own GP. 

Our Occupational Health team follow the national recruitment medical standards, so you may wish to review this document prior to attending your medical examination. We will review your suitability for the role on an individual basis, following the medical guidance of our occupational health screening nurse and medical advisors.

You must be a UK citizen, an EU citizen with EU settled status, a commonwealth citizen or a foreign national with no restrictions on your stay in the UK.

You must have lived in the UK for the past three years from the date of your application. The only exception is military personnel who have served abroad. Time spent abroad travelling may also be considered.

To apply to become a police officer, you must hold a full UK manual driver’s licence.

Each entry route requires different criteria to apply. Find the pathway that matches your skills and qualifications in our entry routes section.

Anyone who works for the police is in a privileged position with regards to accessing information and could be considered potentially vulnerable to corruption.

Applicants should therefore not be under pressure from un-discharged debts or liabilities and should be able to manage loans and debts sensibly.

Applicants who have existing County Court Judgments (CCJs) or who have been registered bankrupt, and their bankruptcy debts have not been discharged will not be considered.

Applicants who have been convicted or cautioned, depending on the nature and circumstances of the offence, may still be eligible for appointment. However, Nottinghamshire Police will not recruit people where the integrity of the applicant or the police service could be questioned.

The following will result in an automatic decline of your application:

• If you have cautions or convictions unless there are exceptionally compelling circumstances surrounding the original incident

• Any offence either as an adult or juvenile that resulted in a prison sentence where a vulnerable person was targeted, if the offence was motivated by hate or discrimination, or is domestic abuse related

• If you are a registered sex offender or are subject to a registration requirement in respect of any other conviction

The public expect that the police service only employs people with the highest levels of integrity, and those that work for Nottinghamshire Police act and always behave professionally.

As part of your application, you will be required to provide personal details about yourself, your family members, and co-residents for vetting checks to be conducted.

See further information regarding the vetting process.

We are seeking applications from individuals who are able to display the right values in accordance with the policing Code of Ethics, our proud to serve pledge, and our PROUD values.

The skills required to perform the role of a police constable are supported and assessed through the competency and values framework. This sets out nationally recognised behaviours and values, which will provide a consistent foundation for a range of local and national processes. The framework ensures there are clear expectations of everyone working in policing.

The key values that we are looking for in a police officer are:

• Courage

• Respect and empathy

• Public service

Throughout our recruitment process we’ll take you through a number of competency and values-based assessments, which are designed to measure your natural engagement and motivation, which are just as important as capability when it comes to creating the best fit between you and the role you have applied for. The assessment is designed to understand what energises and motivates you, as well as what you do well.

Throughout the recruitment process, we’ll be looking for candidates to demonstrate competencies in the following categories:

• Emotionally aware

• Ownership

• Collaboration

• Support and inspire

• Analyse critically

• Innovative and open-minded

• Your application would be unsuccessful if you have tattoos on your face, neck or hands which are deemed offensive. All tattoos will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis

• Piercings are allowed but would need to be removed during training and service if deemed hazardous

• Your nails must be to a functional length that do not interfere with your duties