Juvenile Justice Officer & Juvenile Court Counselor Certification
The Criminal Justice Standards Division is responsible for verifying that every applicant for a Juvenile Justice Officer or Juvenile Court Counselor position meets the requirements listed below.
The Department of Public Safety-Division of Juvenile Justice the hiring and employing agency. For information on available jobs, please visit its website.
Under 12 NCAC 09B .0116 and 12 NCAC 09B .0117 every person employed as a Juvenile Justice Officer or Juvenile Court Counselor shall:
- Be a citizen of the United States.
- Be at least 20 years of age.
- Education
- Juvenile Justice Officer must be a high school graduate or have passed the General Educational Development Test indicating high school equivalency; or
- Juvenile Court Counselor must have attained a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning.
- Be of good moral character.
- Not have committed or been convicted of:
- A felony;
- A crime for which the punishment could have been imprisonment for more than two years;
- A crime or unlawful act defined as a “Class B misdemeanor” within the five year period prior to the date of certification;
- A crime or unlawful act defined as a “Class B Misdemeanor” occurring after the date of certification;
- Four or more crimes or unlawful acts defined as “Class B misdemeanors” regardless of the date;
- Four or more crimes or unlawful acts defined as “Class A misdemeanors” except the applicant may be employed if the last conviction occurred more than two years prior to the date of certification; or
- A combination of four or more Class A Misdemeanor(s) or Class B Misdemeanor(s) regardless of the date.
- Have been fingerprinted by the employing agency in the manner provided in 12 NCAC 09B .0103.
- Have been examined and certified by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner who holds a current license in the United States to practice medicine to meet physical requirements necessary to properly fulfill the officer’s particular responsibilities.
- Have produced a negative result on a drug screen.
- Have been administered a psychological screening examination in accordance with G.S. 17C-10(c). The psychological screening examination shall be valid for a period of one year from the
date on which it was administered. - Have been interviewed personally by the Agency Head or a designated representative to evaluate the applicant’s knowledge, skills, and abilities for success as a juvenile justice officer or juvenile court counselor.
- Notify the Standards Division of all criminal offenses which the officer is arrested for or charged with, pleads no contest to, pleads guilty to, or is found guilty of. This shall include traffic offenses identified in the Class B Misdemeanor Manual and offenses of driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while impaired (DWI).
Documentation of Criminal Charges:
When an applicant has a criminal record, he/she must list ALL charges, regardless of the disposition or the date of the charge, on the Personal History Statement and the Report of Appointment / Application for Certification. Even if a charge was dismissed by the court or the district attorney, it still must be listed under the Criminal Offense Record section of these forms. Every charge listed must be accompanied by true/certified copies of the warrant for arrest, citation/magistrate’s order, etc. and the court disposition/judgment. This documentation may be obtained from the Clerk of Court’s Office in the county in which the applicant was criminally charged.
Failure to list ALL charges may result in denial of certification, or suspension/revocation of an existing certification.