Agent and Agent Trainee Minimum Qualifications
The Department offers two peace officer classifications: Agent and Agent Trainee. It is important to note that you do not have to start your employment with ABC as an Agent Trainee, as both Agent and Agent Trainee positions are entry-level positions.
The minimum required qualifications for the two classifications differ, so please review the position details carefully. Additionally, please review the Peace Officer Candidate Selection Standards carefully before applying.
Agent
- Pattern I
- Pattern II
- Pattern III
Experience: One year of experience in the California state service performing duties of an Agent Trainee, Alcoholic Beverage Control, or at a comparable level performing investigative duties. (Applicants who are within six months of satisfying the experience requirement for this pattern will be admitted into the examination, but they must satisfactorily complete one year of experience in the class before they can be considered eligible for appointment.)
Experience: Two years of experience as a peace officer (as defined in the California Penal Code Section 830 et. seq.) performing investigative work as part of regular enforcement activity.
Education: Equivalent to graduation (four year degree) from an accredited college/university. (Students in their senior year in college will be admitted to the examination, but they must produce evidence of graduation or its equivalent before they can be considered eligible for appointment.)
Agent Trainee
- Pattern I
- Pattern II
- Pattern III
Education: Equivalent to completion of two years of college (60 semester units) with a major in criminal justice, law enforcement, criminology, administration of justice, or police science. (Students who have completed at least 30 semester units will be admitted to the examination, but they must produce evidence of completion of the required 60 semester units before they can be considered eligible for appointment.)
Education: Equivalent to completion of the 12th grade [U.S. high school diploma, high school equivalency (GED), or California High School Proficiency Exam].
And
Experience: Two years of active duty military service while in the United States Armed Forces performing law enforcement and/or directly associated security functions with an honorable discharge for said service.
Education: Equivalent to completion of the 12th grade [U.S. high school diploma, high school equivalency (GED), or California High School Proficiency Exam].
And
Experience: Graduation from a California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Academy or equivalent.

Qualification Patterns I, II, III
These patterns are the three different paths that you can use to meet the minimum qualifications when applying for the position. The path you choose will determine the documentation you will need to submit when applying for the written exam.
Exam Bulletins
Contact
If you have any questions, please call (916) 419-2582 or email us at recruiter@abc.ca.gov.