Honesty, Integrity, Pride, Professionalism 

Employment Information 

The Sheriff’s Office is a professional organization with high standards and expectations for all of its employees. The department operates on the cutting edge of technology with new facilities in both the Correctional Services Bureau and the Court Services Division. 

Hiring for positions within the Sheriff’s Office is done through the Chesterfield County Human Resources Department located at 9901 Lori Road, Room 303. You must complete the application online at: careers.chesterfield.gov  

Duties:  Responsibilities include the processing of prisoners; maintaining security and control of all persons placed in the custody of the Sheriff; performing court and civil functions; other duties as assigned. Must be able to work permanent shifts, weekends, holidays and overtime as required.  View a listing of all vacant county positions.

You can access the 24-hour jobline at 804-768-7777 to hear a listing of all vacant county positions. 

The Deputy Sheriff position is the entry-level position for the department. Minimum Qualifications are:  High school diploma or GED; minimum of 21 years old; valid Virginia driver’s license; U.S. citizen; able to communicate effectively and have strong organizational skills.

Must successfully complete an oral interview; character/background investigation, to include driving and criminal history inquiry; psychological test and polygraph examination. A medical examination (physical) is also required and the applicant must pass to be able to proceed in the process. The applicant must also pass a physical agility test. The exact requirements of this test can be viewed a Physical Agility.  See a video describing the general requirements of the test. If the applicant does not complete the physical agility test within the time limit specified, the applicant will be removed from the process. The applicant must also pass a written test.  Applicants are encouraged to begin a physical fitness program prior to taking the physical agility test or entering the basic recruit academy. See a suggested exercise program.

The REACT Practice Test is now available for all applicants who will be taking REACT Testing. The REACT Practice Test has sample items modeled after each portion of the test. These items are not confidential and not in the actual test. They are for study purposes only. The REACT Practice Test is designed to reduce test anxiety and gives applicants an idea of the format of the testing and what to expect.

The REACT Practice test is $14.95 for applicants and allows them to go through the practice items twice. After completion, they see their score along with wrong answer choices. Correct answers are given with explanations of why they are the best choices.

The REACT Practice Test is online at www.reacttest.com. All instructions are given on the website.

In addition to DCJS requirements, applicants must successfully complete all Chesterfield Sheriff’s Office mandated training to include Firearms and other weapons training.

Employee Benefits 

• Career Development Program
• Medical and dental coverage for employee
• 12 days vacation the first year with increases to 21 days per year
• Permanent shift assignments
• 15 days military leave per year for the purpose of attending annual reserve training
• Uniform and equipment furnished
• 12 holidays included in annual leave accrual
• 15 days sick leave per year which accumulate indefinitely
• Up to 3 days sick leave for illness of immediate family member within the household
• Free life insurance coverage to twice your salary. Additional coverage available
• LEOS retirement with 1.85% multiplier through VRS after 20 years service
• Worker's Compensation Insurance
• Tuition Assistance Reimbursement
• Deferred Compensation Plans

Hiring Criteria 

NOTE:  The following information is for informational purposes only and does not represent all factors that may eliminate a candidate from consideration. 

• Must be a United States citizen.
• Must be 21 years of age.
• Must have a high school diploma or a GED.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.
• No felony convictions.
• Must have not plead guilty or no contest to any felony.
• No conviction on any offense that would be a felony if committed in Virginia.
• No conviction on any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or domestic violence.
• Must have not plead guilty or no contest to any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or domestic violence.
• No conviction of any offense involving that would involve moral turpitude or domestic violence if committed in Virginia.
• No alcohol or drug-related convictions within the past five years.
• Must have not accumulated 8 or more negative points on a Virginia driver’s license or the equivalent for an out-of-state license in the past three years (starting from a zero baseline).
• No major moving violations as defined in the Virginia Motor Vehicle Code within the past four years.
• No DUI convictions within the past five years.
• No use of any controlled substances, to include marijuana, within the past two years.
• No conviction of manufacturing or distributing illegal drugs.
• Must have received an honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable conditions.
• Cheating on any examination or test associated with the position.
• Untruthfulness or the withholding of information on any application, interview, or paperwork associated with the application.
• Engaging in behavior which is in conflict with the law or which would place the individual or department in a position of compromise, undue embarrassment or criticism, or loss of public credibility.
• No conviction of manufacturing or distributing illegal drugs.
• Membership in or association with members of subversive organizations (i.e. government overthrow, extremist, racial/religious intolerance, etc.)
• Failure to comply with reporting times, appointments, deadlines or time limits imposed during any portion of the hiring process. Reasonable exceptions shall be granted on a case-by-case basis for family emergencies, out-of-state candidates.
• Failure to successfully complete a federal E-Verify check.

You can contact the Sheriff’s Office Human Resource Unit by calling 768-7377 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.