If you are looking for information on how to become a Game Warden in California, then you have come to the right place. Here we have all the information you need to be up to date on California Game Warden Requirements.
Requirements to Become a Game Warden in California
Age: Must be at least 18 years old when you join the academy.
Citizenship: Proof that you are a US citizen or permanent resident alien status for individuals who are eligible and applied to be a US citizen. Must be a resident at the time of your application.
License:A valid California driver’s license.
Military Service: Honorable Discharge is required of former military.
Work Eligibility: Must have documents stating that you are eligible for employment in the United States.
Background and Legal History: Passing a thorough background check is required. You should not have any of the following in your history:
- Felony conviction in California or any other state in the US
- Felony conviction based on mental incompetence
- Found not guilty due to insanity
- Sex offender due to mental disorder
- Addicted to drugs/narcotics
- Have been committed to a State mental facility
- Legally not permitted to carry a firearm
- Drug test failure
Interview: Nearing the later stages of the process, candidates will have an individual panel interview.
Medical Condition: Medical doctor examination to establish physical ability to perform the duties of a California Wildlife Officer.
Hearing: Display the ability to hear adequately enough to perform all job duties of a California Game Warden.
Vision: 20/20 vision is required (with or without corrective lenses). No color blindness. Lasik or other eye surgeries may be required to meet minimum requirements.
Physical Readiness: Must be able to pass the state’s physical requirements.
Psychological Condition: Must be psychologically and emotionally healthy to finish training to be eligible to work as a California game warden.
California Game Warden Education Requirements
High school graduate or equivalent, or California High School Proficiency Examination; completion of 2 years of college (or equivalent) with 18 semester hours in the biology, political science and/or law enforcement, natural resources conservation, and ecology or related fields.
What You Can Expect Being a California Wildlife Officer
California Wildlife Officers are responsible for public protection, implementing fish and wildlife legal guidelines, investigating illegal sales of wildlife, shielding the state from pollutants, implementing habitat safety legal guidelines, combating unlawful drug trafficking, retaining homeland security and responding during natural disasters. As peace officers, they have the authority to implement all California legal guidelines, such as the vehicle Code and Penal Code, and are federally deputized to enforce federal fish and wildlife legal guidelines.
An ordinary day for a California wildlife officer is diverse as the state’s fish and wildlife. Wildlife officers patrol ocean, desert, mountain and valley environments, in addition to city regions. They often work independently and conduct complete-scale regulation enforcement investigations. Wildlife officers employ everything from all-terrain automobiles to jet skis and snowmobiles while on patrol and spend lots of their usual day making contact with Californians in the superb outdoors. CDFW has a dive crew and makes use of k-9 partners as well. Environmental crimes and pollution incidents additionally fall below the purview of wildlife officers. Yearly, wildlife officials make contact with more than 295,000 people and issue more than 15,000 citations for violations of the law.
California Game Warden Salary
California Fish and Game Wardens take home a great salary while pursuing a fulfilling career protecting fish and game of his or her state. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average California Fish and Wildlife Officer makes a median salary of $72,630 per year.
Contact Info:
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
1416 9th Street, 12th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-0411
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Choose an area of study & concentration and receive free information about programs you are interested in. Federal and state game wardens are law enforcement officers and wildlife conservation specialists, so having a degree in an area like environmental science or wildlife management is just as important as experience in law enforcement.