Police Background Investigation:
What to Expect and How to Prepare

You’ve made it to the background investigation. Now you’re wondering what the investigator will check, what the interview will be like, and whether something in your past could keep you from getting hired.
 
You might also be waiting for an update and wondering whether the silence means something is wrong.
Understanding the process can help you prepare and avoid unnecessary mistakes. Below are answers to common questions about police background investigations and the background interview.
 
Questions Covered on This Page
 

• What do police background investigators check?

• What are investigators looking for?

• What happens during a police background interview?

• How should I prepare for the background interview?

• How should I explain something negative in my history?

• How long does a police background investigation take?

• Does no contact from my investigator mean something is wrong?

• Can past drug use, job discipline, or financial problems disqualify me?

• Does failing one department’s background end my law enforcement career?

What Do Police Background Investigators Check?
A police background investigation involves reviewing your history and verifying information you provide during the hiring process.

Depending on the agency and position, this may include employment, education, residences, driving history, finances, military service, criminal history, police contacts, and other areas covered in your background paperwork.

Investigators may contact supervisors, coworkers, references, neighbors, and other people who can provide relevant information. They may also compare your statements with records and information from previous applications.

The scope goes beyond whether you have a criminal record. Follow the agency’s instructions carefully and provide complete, accurate information.

What Are Investigators Looking For?
Investigators gather information that helps the department evaluate your suitability for the position. Relevant qualities include honesty, judgment, responsibility, dependability, communication, and how you handle problems and interact with others.

Positive information matters, too. A strong work history, reliable attendance, responsible decisions, and examples of handling difficult situations can help demonstrate your qualifications.

When concerns arise, the circumstances matter. An investigator may examine what happened, how recently it occurred, whether it was part of a pattern, and what you’ve done since.

Your responsibility is to provide an accurate account of your history so the department can make an informed decision.

What Happens During a Police Background Interview?
The investigator may review your Personal History Statement, clarify answers, discuss your history, and ask about information that needs further explanation.

You may be asked about employment changes, discipline, driving incidents, drug use, financial issues, police contacts, or other matters relevant to your application. The investigator may also identify missing documents or request additional information.

A background interview serves a different purpose from an oral board interview. The discussion focuses on your history, the accuracy of your disclosures, and information needed for the investigation.

Expect follow-up questions. A request for more detail doesn’t automatically mean the investigator believes you’re being dishonest.

How Should I Prepare for the Background Interview?
Review the actual paperwork you submitted. Know what you reported, check important dates, and identify anything that needs clarification or correction.

Organize the documents the agency requested and follow its instructions about what to bring. Be ready to explain significant events in your history clearly and accurately.

Before your interview:

• Review your PHS and supplemental questionnaires.

• Check employment dates, reasons for leaving, and significant incidents.

• Identify missing information or errors that need to be addressed.

• Organize requested records and documents.

• Review the appointment instructions, location, and arrival time.

• Prepare to discuss your own actions and the outcomes of relevant events.

 
If you discover an error before the interview, contact the investigator promptly and ask how to correct it.

How Should I Explain Something Negative in My History?
Start with a direct answer to the question. Explain what happened, your involvement, and the outcome. Add the circumstances needed to understand the event.

Take responsibility for what you actually did. If another person’s actions or an employer’s decision are relevant, explain those facts accurately as well.

Avoid vague labels that leave the investigator guessing. For example, “personality conflict” may need an explanation of what the disagreement involved and how the employment ended.

If you made changes afterward, describe them specifically. A statement such as “I learned my lesson” is more useful when you can explain what changed in your behavior.

You don’t need a rehearsed speech. You need a clear, truthful explanation that addresses the question.

How Long Does a Police Background Investigation Take?
There’s no single timeline that applies to every department or applicant.

The length can depend on the agency’s workload, the extent of your history, how quickly records arrive, and whether employers and references respond. Missing documents or information requiring clarification can also add time.

Two applicants at the same department may move through the process at different speeds. Comparing your timeline with someone else’s doesn’t reliably tell you where your application stands.

Ask your agency what to expect, respond promptly to requests, and keep your contact information current.

Does No Contact From My Investigator Mean Something Is Wrong?
Silence alone doesn’t tell you whether your background is going well or poorly. The investigator may be waiting for records, completing contacts, preparing the report, or working on other assigned investigations.

Follow any communication instructions you received. If the agency gave you an expected update date and it has passed, a brief, professional inquiry is reasonable.

Continue checking your email, voicemail, and applicant portal where applicable. Make sure the agency can reach you.

Avoid treating every delay as a sign of disqualification. The agency’s actual communication is more useful than speculation.

Can Past Drug Use, Job Discipline, or Financial Problems Disqualify Me?
They can, but the answer depends on the issue and the agency’s requirements. Some conduct may fall under a mandatory restriction or an agency’s automatic disqualification policy. Other concerns require a closer review of the circumstances.

Relevant considerations may include seriousness, frequency, recency, patterns of behavior, and evidence of change.

Read the department’s published standards. Don’t assume that an online answer about another agency applies to yours.

Be truthful about what the application asks. Concealing information can create an additional concern even when the underlying event might have been considered.

Does Failing One Department’s Background End My Law Enforcement Career?
A rejection from one agency doesn’t automatically establish the outcome at every other department. The reason for the decision matters, and some eligibility restrictions may affect multiple agencies.

Review any explanation the department provides. Determine whether the concern involves a specific agency standard, an issue that may change with time, or something more substantial.

Answer future application questions about prior applications and disqualifications accurately. Changing agencies doesn’t erase your history or remove your responsibility to disclose what is requested.
Before applying again, address anything within your control and make sure you understand the requirements of the next department.

Want More Help Preparing for Your Background Interview?
Knowing what the process involves is a starting point. Preparing to discuss your own history takes additional thought and organization.

The Law Enforcement Background Investigation Interview Guide from BackgroundPrep.com provides additional guidance for applicants preparing for this stage of the hiring process.

Use it alongside your department’s instructions as you review your history and prepare to discuss it clearly, honestly, and thoroughly.

About BackgroundPrep
BackgroundPrep.com was founded by Jim Kurkoske, an active background investigator and retired police lieutenant. His experience includes more than 1,000 background investigations.

BackgroundPrep helps law enforcement applicants prepare for the hiring process with practical guidance on personal history statements, interviews, and background investigations.

Hiring procedures, reporting requirements, and disqualification standards vary by agency. Always follow the instructions and published requirements of the department receiving your application.