How to Become a Police Chaplain — The Definitive Guide
A 7-step pathway from initial discernment to your first call-out, written by a 43-year practitioner.
There is a roadmap. Most people who want to do this work either never find it, or find a sliver of it and assume that is all there is. Here is the whole map, in seven steps, written from inside the work.
Overview: seven steps, eighteen to thirty-six months
From the day you decide you want to explore police chaplaincy to the day you respond to your first call-out as a credentialed chaplain, expect somewhere between eighteen and thirty-six months. Some people compress this; most take the long version, and they are the better chaplains for it. The seven steps are sequential, but they overlap. You can be discerning your calling (Step 1) while pursuing seminary coursework (Step 2). You can be in ICPC Basic training (Step 4) while your endorsement is being processed (Step 3). What you cannot skip is any of them. People who skip discernment burn out in year three. People who skip endorsement get rejected by the agency. People who skip ICPC or equivalent training make the kind of mistakes that close a program. The order is forgiving; the steps are not.
Step 1 — Discern the calling honestly
Most people who think they want to become police chaplains have actually been moved by a single moment: a story they heard, a ride-along they did, an officer who told them about losing a partner. That moment is real and worth honoring. It is not yet a calling. Discernment means sitting with the moment for long enough to ask: am I drawn to the story of police chaplaincy, or am I drawn to the practice of police chaplaincy? The story is dramatic. The practice is most often boring. The practice is showing up at briefings nobody else wants to attend, returning phone calls from officers' spouses about parenting struggles, standing for two hours at a roll-call funeral, being on call for a shift that contains nothing but routine — until it doesn't. A trusted mentor, a working chaplain who will tell you the truth, and at minimum one ride-along before you commit are the three instruments to use here. The Discernment Quiz is a starting place; it is not a substitute.
Step 2 — Get the right education
- Ordination through a recognized denomination, with at
- Master of Divinity or equivalent seminary degree
- Bachelor's in pastoral ministry plus ordination plus
Step 3 — Earn ecclesiastical endorsement
Ecclesiastical endorsement is a written affirmation from your denomination, church body, or recognized faith authority that you are spiritually, morally, intellectually, and emotionally fit to serve as a chaplain in a public-safety context. It is not optional. Almost every agency in the United States requires it. ICPC certification requires it. Without it, you will not be credentialed. The endorsement is not a rubber stamp. The endorser is putting their institution's name behind your suitability. Expect the process to take weeks to months. Expect to write a personal statement. Expect references to be contacted. Expect, in some denominations, an interview. If your denomination does not have an established chaplaincy endorsement process, your local pastor or judicatory leader can usually still write one in the format the agency requires. Several non-denominational endorsing bodies exist for those without formal denominational structure.
Step 4 — Choose your training pathway
- ICPC Basic Training (40 hours) — the de-facto standard.
- Billy Graham Law Enforcement Chaplain Training Program
- International Fellowship of Chaplains (IFOC) — 40-hour
- Resilient Minds and similar regional programs — 2-day
Step 5 — Apply to your local agency
- Lead with relationship, not paperwork. Visit the agency.
- Apply for what the agency actually needs, not what you
- Expect a long timeline. Hiring (or appointing volunteers)
Step 6 — Background check and screening
- Comprehensive background check (criminal, civil, financial)
- Drug screening
- Polygraph (in some jurisdictions)
- Psychological evaluation
- Character references contacted
- Personal interview before a committee or chief
Step 7 — Your first 90 days
Once appointed, the work begins. The first 90 days are about presence and learning the agency, not heroics. Show up to roll calls. Eat lunch in the squad room. Go on ride-alongs with as many shifts and units as you can. Learn names. Learn what the dispatchers do. Learn the difference between a Code 3 and a Code 7 in your jurisdiction. Watch how the chaplain coordinator moves; mirror it. Resist the urge to be useful in dramatic ways. The dramatic calls will come. What you are building in the first 90 days is the trust that will make those dramatic calls effective when they arrive. The full first-90-days framework is in The First 90 Days as a Police Chaplain.
A note on volunteer vs paid chaplaincy
Roughly 90 percent of law-enforcement chaplains in the United States serve as unpaid volunteers, contributing 10–20 hours a month while maintaining other ministry positions. The remaining 10 percent are paid, ranging from part-time stipends to full-time coordinator roles in major agencies. Reported salary range for paid police chaplains is approximately $48,000–$110,000 annually, with a median around $63,000 (2026 figures). Whether to pursue paid chaplaincy is a long conversation that depends on your bivocational capacity, your agency's structure, and the role's expected scope. Most chaplains begin as volunteers and remain so. A smaller subset transitions into paid positions after demonstrated capacity over years.
Next steps
- Take the Calling Discernment Quiz
- Read ICPC vs IFOC vs Billy Graham LECTP
- Apply for individual mentoring
- Read Chaplain with a Badge
Frequently asked
How long does it take to become a police chaplain?
Typically 18–36 months from initial discernment to your first call-out as a credentialed chaplain. The timeline depends on whether you already hold ordination, how quickly your ecclesiastical endorsement processes, and your agency's appointment cycle.
Do I need a seminary degree to become a police chaplain?
Not strictly. Most agencies require ordination by a recognized faith body and at least three years of active ministry experience. A Master of Divinity is common but not universal. Practical pastoral and crisis-care training matter as much as the formal degree.
Is ICPC certification required?
It is not legally required, but ICPC Basic Training (40 hours) is the de-facto standard credential and is preferred or required by most agencies. Other pathways like IFOC and Billy Graham LECTP are recognized as well.
Can I become a police chaplain without belonging to a specific denomination?
Yes, but you will need ecclesiastical endorsement from a recognized faith body. Several non-denominational endorsing organizations exist for chaplains who do not have formal denominational structure. Without endorsement, you cannot be credentialed.
Are most police chaplains volunteers or paid?
Approximately 90% of law-enforcement chaplains in the United States are unpaid volunteers serving 10–20 hours per month while holding other ministry positions. The remaining 10% are paid, with reported 2026 salary ranges of approximately $48,000–$110,000 per year.