Law Enforcement Officer Position

Chehalis Police Department - Police Officer

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PROFILE DISCLAIMER

The information herein is provided by the respective agency and is only as accurate and as up-to-date as the agency representative(s) update this information. PST is not responsible for the veracity of this data as it is provided directly from the agency. It is ultimately the applicant's responsibility to verify any information about the agency with the agency.

Chehalis Police Department - Police Officer

Last updated on January 16, 2026
PST Partner Agency since November 05, 2025

Vacancy: 1

Testing Deadline: March 02, 2026.

Community Information

Chehalis is a growing community located midway between Portland and Seattle on I-5 in Lewis County. We are centrally located between the State Capital, the coast, and the mountains providing an optimal location for recreation, shopping, and business.

Department Information

The Chehalis Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency, organized in three divisions; patrol operations, investigations, and administrative services. We are proud to be recognized as a fully accredited agency by the State of Washington.

We take immense pride in the quality of our personnel and the services they provide, which include:

• Traffic Enforcement
• Narcotics Investigations
• Emergency Services

The Chehalis Police Department is a full service law enforcement agency serving the roughly 2,300 households and 600 businesses within the Chehalis City Limits, as well as visitors and non-residents conducting business within the City. The department is headed by Chief Kaut, and Deputy Chief McKnight and we are proud to be recognized as a fully accredited agency by the State of Washington. The patrol division consists of four patrol sergeants, each supervising three patrol officers. Major felony crimes are investigated by a detective sergeant and two detectives. Specialty programs include traffic motorcycles, K-9, SWAT, and an interagency drug unit.

Job Description

The Chehalis Police Department takes pride in serving the citizens of Chehalis with professional, equitable, and unbiased service to all. As first responders, Police Officers are vital to public safety and perform basic police services in accordance with the mission, goals and objectives of the Chehalis Police Department and in compliance with governing federal, state, and local laws.

The nature of police work involves the protection of life and property, enforcement of laws and ordinances, the prevention and investigation of crimes, and the ability to exercise independent discretion. A police officer must possess intelligence, integrity and stand up to rigorous personal, ethical, moral and physical challenges while providing service to the community.

Area Information

County: Lewis
Population: 7,396
# of Staff:

Hiring Status

Chehalis Police Department - Police Officer has 1 vacancy.

The deadline to test for the next hiring cycle is March 02, 2026.

The eligibility list is a continuous listing and maintained as scores are received from PST with oral board interviews conducted on an as-needed basis. Vacancies are filled by Civil Service "rule of three" with the top three candidates forwarded to the appointing authority for background investigation and selection as vacancies occur.

Salary Information

$6,917 - $8,372 ($5,533 Non-Academy)

Lateral Incentive Bonus

Lateral Police Officer applicant's hired by the Chehalis Police Department may receive up to a $20,000 signing bonus incentive with a commitment of three years continuous employment.

$8,000 paid on their first paycheck after being formally hired

$6,000 paid upon successful completion of their probationary period

$6,000 paid upon the start of the Lateral Officer's third year with the City

Benefit Information

Insurance and Retirement
A portion of medical, dental and life insurance premiums are paid for the employee and eligible dependents. Vision and orthodontia coverage are included in the plans. Commissioned officers participate in the LEOFF retirement plan.

Paid Leave
Currently employees receive 12 days of sick leave and 10 holidays. Vacation leave ranges from 88 hours for one year of employment to 216 hours for a senior police officer. Paid time off is also given for such things as military duty and bereavement leave.

Uniforms
The City issues required clothing and equipment on the quartermaster system. Uniform cleaning is another benefit to the officers.

Our patrol officers work a 4 on 4 off schedule and rotate from days to nights every 6 months.

Chehalis Police Department - Police Officer Requirements

Category Requirement Required at time of...
    Test Hire
Written Examination Yes, required
LEO/CO Physical Ability Test (PAT) Yes, required

Your physical ability test must be completed 180 days (~6 months) before or after your passing written exam.
PST Personal History Statement Yes, required within 7 days of passing required exam(s)  
Minimum Age 21
Citizenship US Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident
High School Grad/ GED Yes
Driver's License Required Yes
Felony Conviction(s) as an Adult No felony convictions.
Felony Conviction(s) as a Juvenile None
Ability to Read, Speak & Write the English Language Yes
Vision Requirements Correctable to 20/20
Veterans Preference Points Yes
Current Hiring Status We currently have one position open.
Multiple Scores from Same Applicant We only consider the most recent score
Request/Access Scores On an as-needed basis as vacancies occur

Chehalis Police Department - Police Officer Disqualifiers

The following are automatic and potential disqualifiers. Applicants should not apply to our agency if they indicate any of the automatic disqualifiers. Potential disqualifiers will be considered on a case by case basis.

Category Disqualifier
Driving
Potential 1 or more traffic crime convictions in last 5 years (DWI, Suspended, Reckless, etc.).
Drug Usage
Automatic Illegal use of ANY controlled substance while employed in a criminal justice capacity.
Automatic Illegal use of illegal drugs in the last 1 year.
Criminal Activity
Automatic Any adult felony conviction.
Potential Adult misdemeanor convictions will be carefully reviewed.
Automatic Been convicted of any crime under a domestic violence statue.
Employment
Automatic Lied during any stage of the hiring process.
Automatic Falsified his or her application, personal history questionnaire, or any other forms during hiring process.
Automatic Previous revocation or denial of (CJTC/POST) certified status, or suspension of current (CJTC/POST) certified status.

Contact Information

Chehalis Police Department - Police Officer

350 N. Market Blvd
Rm 201
Chehalis, WA 98532 Lewis County
360-748-8605

Website
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Agency Test Requirements
Written Examination: Yes, required
PAT: Yes, required

PST Personal History Statement: Yes, required within 7 days of passing required exam(s)