Jobs

Sûreté du Québec: police officer recruitment, step by step

Candidate profiles, criteria, process steps, posting and probation: what the Sûreté du Québec publishes about its police recruitment, and what it does not publish.

Full guide: Police jobs in Quebec

October 11, 2026 · Lire en français

Jobs

Recruitment at the Sûreté du Québec (Quebec's provincial police) goes through a single online posting, "Policière ou policier 2026-2027", posted from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. The police officer hired signs a mobility consent, receives a posting according to the organization's needs and serves 12 months of probation. This text applies to women and men police officers alike.

The role of the Sûreté du Québec

Section 50 of the Police Act (chapter P-13.1) makes the Sûreté du Québec the national police force, under the authority of the Minister of Public Security. It has jurisdiction to prevent and repress offences against laws throughout Quebec, and offences against municipal by-laws where it provides police services.

Candidate profiles

The Sûreté's "Recrutement policier" page asks you to choose a profile. Each has its own rules.

A graduate of the École nationale de police du Québec (Quebec's police academy) can apply at any time
A future graduate applies as soon as they receive their letter of invitation to an École cohort
An experienced police officer from another province must obtain a certificate of equivalency from the École before being hired
A candidate for the AEC Diversité policière program holds a bachelor's degree or a DEC in any field
A senior police officer has 28 years of service in a Canadian police force

The academic path to the École is described in our article on the steps to become a police officer and in the one on the École nationale de police.

The AEC Diversité policière profile is closed to graduates and students of Police Technology in Quebec.

Eligibility criteria

Have Canadian citizenship
Be able to speak, read and write French
Have a working knowledge of English
Hold a valid Quebec driver's licence
Not have been found guilty of an offence described in the Criminal Code
Have a minimum visual acuity of 6/12 for the better eye and 6/30 for the other, or 6/18 for each eye, before correction

The steps of the recruitment process

Eligibility: checking the online file and documents, including the eye examination report completed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist
Review of applications, for profiles other than that of the École graduate
The interview, about one hour long, on the competencies of the patrol officer profile
The security check
The overall review of the file by a selection committee
The standardized physical abilities test, the ESAP
The complete medical examination, done by a specialized firm

The French test is waived for anyone who passed the DEC uniform French exam. Otherwise, TÉLUQ does the assessment.

A missing document can lead to the file being closed for three months. After failing the interview, the candidate can apply again after one year. After a refusal at the overall review, the committee sets the waiting period and all steps must be redone.

The physical test and how long it is valid

The Sûreté accepts only the ESAP, with no equivalency. The Sûreté writes that a passed test is valid for 2 years, while the École gives 12 months for its own admission. The job posting sets the validity of the École's medical examination report at 1 year.

Where to apply

The application is filed on the recrutement.sq.gouv.qc.ca portal, under posting number POL_2026. The SAAQ driving record must be less than 6 months old.

Posting and mobility

A candidate who passes all the steps is placed on an eligibility list. The organization's needs take precedence over the candidate's expectations.

If the posting is more than 60 kilometres from the residence, the Sûreté pays all moving costs, including 3 days to look for housing. A police officer who receives their first posting can stay there for their whole career if they wish.

Probation and the welcome program

The new police officer is permanent from the time of hiring. They start as a patrol officer on a flexible schedule, with 12 months of probation. The welcome program includes 3 weeks of paid training.

Salary

The recruitment page still shows a starting salary of $48,386 as of April 1, 2021, but Schedule T of the 2022-2028 employment contract sets the constable's entry salary at $57,222 as of April 1, 2026: the full scale is in our article on a police officer's salary.

Civilian jobs at the Sûreté du Québec

The "Carrière civile" page refers to the Government of Quebec's Emplois en ligne platform, where you must choose "Sûreté du Québec" under the "Ministère et organisme" criterion. Two jobs are open there at all times: security guard, in Montreal and Quebec City, and emergency telecommunications support officer, in all regions.

What the page does not publish

The Sûreté publishes neither the number of police officers it hires, nor the number of applications received, nor the length of the process. The working conditions on the page are dated April 1, 2021.

This text summarizes public documents. It is neither legal advice nor union advice.

Did you like this article?

Share this article

Facebook LinkedIn Reddit X Email

Frequently asked questions

How do you get into the SQ?

You choose your profile on the Sûreté du Québec "Recrutement policier" page, then apply to the "Policière ou policier 2026-2027" posting on recrutement.sq.gouv.qc.ca. Then come the interview, the security check, the ESAP and the medical examination.

What are the steps to become a police officer?

At the Sûreté du Québec, the process includes eligibility, review of applications, the interview, the security check, the overall review of the file, the physical test and the medical examination. The selected candidate then receives their posting.

What is a Sûreté du Québec police officer's salary?

Schedule T of the 2022-2028 employment contract gives $57,222 a year at entry as of April 1, 2026. The recruitment page still shows $48,386, a rate from April 1, 2021.

Is it possible to become a police officer at 50?

The eligibility criteria published by the Sûreté du Québec mention no maximum age. The senior police officer profile targets people who already have 28 years of service as a police officer.

Do you have to move to work for the Sûreté du Québec?

Mobility is required and the candidate signs a mobility consent at the eligibility step. The Sûreté pays moving costs when the posting is more than 60 kilometres from the residence.

How long is the physical test valid for the Sûreté du Québec?

The Sûreté du Québec writes that a passed ESAP is valid for 2 years. The École nationale de police medical examination report is valid for 1 year according to the job posting.