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Questions about joining Marine Patrol?

Questions about joining Marine Patrol?

Contact Stephanie Colcord, Staff Development & Training Specialist

Stephanie.D.Colcord@dos.nh.gov | (603) 227-2135
 

Marine Patrol

Full-time and seasonal employment opportunities are available!

Upcoming Examination Dates

Position Date
Full-time Marine Patrol Officer TBD
Seasonal (Part-time) Marine Patrol Officer TBD

Opportunities

Full-time and seasonal Marine Patrol Officers enforce criminal, boating and all other appropriate laws to ensure public protection and safety, maintain law and order, detect and prevent crimes, apprehend suspects and prosecute violators, and provide security for the State’s seacoast and ports.

Throughout their patrol season, officers may be called upon to perform any or all of the following duties:

  • Patrol assigned areas using State patrol boats
  • Respond to emergencies and other calls for assistance
  • Enforce State boating and criminal laws
  • Investigate boating accidents and drownings
  • Conduct inspections of commercial boats and testing of commercial boat operators
  • Conduct boating safety education classes
  • Install, maintain and remove State marine aids to navigation
  • Conduct criminal investigations and generate cases for prosecution
  • Interact with other law enforcement and safety agencies

Minimum Requirements

A candidate must have at least one of the following:

  • Education: An associate degree or 60 credit hours from a recognized college, university, or technical institute with major study preferably in criminal justice or the equivalent.
  • Experience: No experience required

Or

  • Education: High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent.
  • Experience: Two years of experience comprised of any one of the following:
    • One year as a full-time certified police officer and one year of honorable military service, either intermittently or full-time, or
    • Two years as a full-time certified police officer, or
    • Two years of honorable military service, either intermittently or full-time.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
  • Age/Citizenship: Must be at least 21 years of age and a U.S. citizen either prior to or on scheduled date of examination administration. 
  • Eyesight and Hearing: Must have at least 20/100 in each eye uncorrected and corrected to 20/40 (near vision) and 20/30 (distant vision) in each eye and have normal uncorrected depth and color perception.; must possess normal hearing sufficient to enable performance of essential job functions. 
  • Examinations: Applicants must successfully participate in a physical agility test designed to measure ability to perform essential job functions which are physically demanding tasks encountered in job performance. Applicants must also successfully participate in a written examination and structured interviews. Before appointments are made, candidates will undergo comprehensive background investigations, polygraph examinations and psychological examinations. Candidates who do not have a record free of serious offenses will be ineligible for appointment. After conditional offers of appointment have been made, prospective appointees must pass a comprehensive medical examination provided at the State’s expense. The physician administering medical examinations will be selected by the N.H. Division of State Police. No physical conditions can exist prohibiting appointees from performing the duties and responsibilities of the Marine Patrol Officer II position. All candidates will be subject to unannounced drug testing at any point during the selection process. Additional information on required examinations can be obtained from the N.H. Division of Personnel and N.H. Division of State Police Recruitment and Training Unit.
  • Police Officer Certification: Candidates must be able to obtain full-time police officer certification within the time frame established by the N.H. Police Standards and Training Council. Must maintain police officer certification throughout tenure of service.
  • Candidates must be willing to accept employment anywhere in the State of New Hampshire.
  • Must be able to pass a 50-yard free style swim test or have a current certificate of swimming ability containing this requirement.
  • Candidates are prohibited from having any form of tattoo on the head, neck, face, or hands. Tattoos that we deem not to be "extremist" (racist, sexist, or otherwise indecent) are allowed on forearms up to but not past the wrist, provided that the candidate will submit to wearing a black compression sleeve on the affected arm(s) to cover the tattoo(s) whenever on duty in any short-sleeved uniform, or to wear long sleeves in any plain clothes assignment.

A candidate must have the following:

  • Education: High school diploma or high school equivalency credential.
  • Experience: No experience required.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Age/Citizenship: Must be at least 18 years of age and a U.S. citizen either prior to or on scheduled date of examination administration.
  • Eyesight and Hearing: Must have at least 20/100 in each eye uncorrected and corrected to 20/40 (near vision) and 20/30 (distant vision) in each eye and have normal uncorrected depth and color perception.; must possess normal hearing sufficient to enable performance of essential job functions.
  • Examinations: Applicants must successfully participate in a physical agility test (Cooper standards - 35th percentile) designed to measure ability to perform essential job functions which are physically demanding tasks encountered in job performance. Applicants must also successfully participate in a written examination and structured interviews. Before appointments are made, candidates will undergo comprehensive background investigations, polygraph examinations and psychological examinations. Candidates who do not have a record free of serious offenses will be ineligible for appointment. After conditional offers of appointment have been made, prospective appointees must pass a comprehensive medical examination provided at the State’s expense. The physician administering medical examinations will be selected by the N.H. Division of State Police. No physical conditions can exist prohibiting appointees from performing the duties and responsibilities of the Marine Patrol Officer II position. All candidates will be subject to unannounced drug testing at any point during the selection process. Additional information on required examinations can be obtained from the N.H. Division of Personnel and N.H. Division of State Police Recruitment and Training Unit.
  • Police Officer Certification: Candidates must be able to obtain part-time police officer certification within the time frame established by the N.H. Police Standards and Training Council. Must maintain police officer certification throughout tenure of service.
  • Candidates must be willing to accept employment anywhere in the State of New Hampshire.
  • Must be able to pass a 50-yard free style swim test or have a current certificate of swimming ability containing this requirement.
  • Candidates will be required to work a flexible schedule including early morning, evening and/or weekend hours during the boating season under varying environmental conditions.
  • Candidates are prohibited from having any form of tattoo on the head, neck, face, or hands. Tattoos that we deem not to be "extremist" (racist, sexist, or otherwise indecent) are allowed on forearms up to but not past the wrist, provided that the candidate will submit to wearing a black compression sleeve on the affected arm(s) to cover the tattoo(s) whenever on duty in any short-sleeved uniform, or to wear long sleeves in any plain clothes assignment.
Ready to apply?
A New Hampshire State Police Marine Patrol unit on patrol.

Ready to apply?

Prospective applicants can view all current job openings and submit an application on the Department of Safety website.

Other Beneficial Traits for an Applicant to Possess

  • Previous law enforcement experience or training
  • Previous boating experience
  • Knowledge of New Hampshire lakes and waterways
  • Possession of a vehicle capable of towing a State patrol boat

Application Process

All applicants must submit appropriate documentation (copy of official transcripts, proof of police certification, and/or verification of military service) with their applications to continue in the recruitment process. After an application is submitted online, a testing packet will be emailed to the applicant.  In order to be eligible to participate in testing, the applicant must complete the State Police medical form (requiring a doctor’s visit) and the pre-employment questionnaire (31-page background document). These forms will be included in the testing packet.  

Employment Selection Process

  • The candidate submits a completed application
  • The candidate's application is reviewed

Then, the following are administered:

  • Written examination - The New Hampshire State Police - Marine Patrol uses the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) for the written exam. This ADA-compliant test is designed to measure participants’ basic skills as it pertains to the following job-related abilities: arithmetic, reading comprehension, grammar, and incident report writing. A study guide and separate practice test are available.
  • Interview
  • Polygraph examination
  • Psychological evaluation
  • Medical examination
  • Drug screening
  • Background investigation
  • Marine Patrol classroom training
  • Marine Patrol practical on-the-water training
  • Field training officer review
  • Probationary assignment of patrol duties
  • Attendance of the New Hampshire Police Officer Academy
  • Swim Test – 50-yard free-style