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Correctional & Probation/Parole Officer Certification

The Criminal Justice Standards Division is responsible for verifying that every applicant for a Correctional Officer or Probation/Parole Officer position meets the requirements listed below. The Department of Public Safety-Division of Adult Correction is the hiring and employing agency. For information on available jobs, please visit its Web site.

Under 12 NCAC 9G .0200, every person employed as a Corrections Officer shall:

  • Be a citizen of the United States.
  • Be at least 20 years of age.
  • Education:
    • For Correctional Officers and Probation/Parole Officers-Surveillance, be a high school graduate or have passed the General Educational Development Test.
    • For Probation/Parole Officers, be a graduate of a regionally accredited college or university and have attained at least the baccalaureate degree.
  • Be examined and certified by a licensed physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner to meet the physical requirements to properly fulfill the officer’s particular job responsibilities.
  • Be administered a psychological screening examination by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist licensed to practice in North Carolina to determine the officer’s mental and emotional suitability to properly fulfill the officer’s particular job responsibilities.
  • Be of good moral character as evidenced by, but not limited to:
    • Not having been convicted of a felony.
    • Not having been convicted of a misdemeanor as defined in 12 NCAC 9G .0102(9) for three (3) years since the date of conviction or the completion of any corrections supervision imposed by the courts, whichever is later.
    • Not having been convicted of an offense that, under 18 U.S.C. 922 (1996), and all subsequent amendments, would prohibit the possession of a firearm or ammunition.
    • Having submitted to and produced a negative result on a drug test within 60 days of employment or any in-service drug screening required by the Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice that meets the certification standards of the Department of Health and Human Services for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs.
    • Submitting to a background investigation consisting of:
      • Verification of age.
      • Verification of education.
      • A criminal history check of local, state, and national files
      • Being truthful in providing all required information to the Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice and to the Criminal Justice Standards Division for the purpose of obtaining probationary or general certification.

Notification of Criminal Charges/Convictions

(12 NCAC 9G .0302) Every person employed and certified as a Correctional Officer, Probation/Parole Officer, or Probation/Parole Officer-Surveillance shall notify the Criminal Justice Standards Division of all criminal offenses for which the officer is charged, arrested, pleads no contest, pleads guilty, or for which the officer is found guilty. Criminal offenses shall include all felony offenses and shall specifically include those misdemeanor offenses delineated in 12 NCAC 9G .0102.

Felony Firearms Act

The North Carolina Felony Firearms Act, found in N.C.G.S. 14-415.1, outlines which persons are prohibited from access to firearms. This restriction on gun ownership applies to any person who has been convicted of any North Carolina felony or violations of criminal laws of other states, or the United States, which are punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Effective Dec. 1, 2004, these individuals cannot purchase, own, possess, or have in their custody, care, or control, any firearm at any location or any weapon of mass death and destruction. This prohibition continues indefinitely. This prohibition does not apply to “antique firearms.” For more details on antique firearms, see Section II. B. of the North Carolina Firearms Laws manual.

Federal Firearms Statute

The Federal Firearms Statute, at 18 U.S.C. 922, is independent of North Carolina’s firearms laws and should be consulted before anyone convicted of a felony, in any state or federal court, possesses, receives or transports any firearm. For detailed information on this federal law, persons are urged to contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or the U.S. Attorney’s Office in their area.