Section 203.11. Qualifications

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), persons who are to be employed as police officers by police departments within this Commonwealth from December 21, 1996, shall:

(1) Be 18 years of age or older.

(2) Possess a high school diploma or GED Equivalency.

(3) Be citizens of the United States.

(4) Be free from convictions of disqualifying criminal offenses.

(5) Be able to read at no less than the ninth grade level, as established through the administration of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test.

(6) Be personally examined by a physician, physician’s assistant, or certified nurse practitioner who is licensed in this Commonwealth. The examination must include the following:

(i) Applicants shall be free from the addictive or excessive use of either alcohol or drugs which shall be determined using current laboratory testing procedures.

(ii) Applicants shall be free from the use of illegal controlled substances which shall be determined using current laboratory testing procedures.

(iii) Applicants physical condition shall be such that applicants could reasonably be expected to withstand significant cardiovascular stress.

(iv) Applicants shall be free from any debilitating conditions such as tremor, incoordination, convulsion, fainting episodes or other neurological conditions which may affect the applicants’ ability to perform as police officers.

(v) Applicants shall have visual acuity of at least 20/70, uncorrected in the stronger eye, correctable to at least 20/20; and at least 20/200, uncorrected in the weaker eye, correctable to at least 20/40. In addition, the applicant shall have normal depth and color perception and be free of any other significant visual abnormality.

The provisions of this § 203.11 amended October 12, 2001, effective October 13, 2001, 31 Pa.B. 5706; amended December 12, 2003, effective December 13, 2003, 33 Pa.B. 6046; amended September 22, 2006, effective September 23, 2006, 36 Pa.B. 5871; amended December 7, 2007, effective December 8, 2007, 37 Pa.B. 6401. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (322726) to (322730).