Special Police - Maryland State Police

How To Apply

​The Maryland State Police application for Special Police Officer appointment can ONLY be completed through the Licensing Portal. Applicants for Railroad Police Officer​ appointment​​ will be required to submit the above prerequisites and required documentation.

Application Process

Once a Special ​Police Officer​ applicant has submitted Livescan fingerprints and has satisfactorily completed the 80-hour training course, they should access the Licensing Portal and begin the application for Special Police Officer.Applicants who do not have a Licensing Portal account will be required to create one in order to access the Special Police Officer application. You are required to have your own personal account in the Licensing Portal. Do Not Share Your Portal Account with anyone - there are specific details tied to the expiration of YOUR licenses and YOUR demographic information. Once you have created your account, you will be able to login and start your Special Police Officer application. Upon completing and submitting the applicant portion of the Special Police Officer application, you will receive a confirmation email with your application number and PIN number. Both the application number and PIN number will be required by your Employer. You will need to provide your Employer with certain information for them to access your application via the Licensing Portal.​ The Employer will access the Special Police Officer application and verify the identity of the applicant, the application data entered, reaffirm the application questions with the applicant and submit the application along with the required fees to the Licensing Division. The Licensing Division will review the application for completion and accept all complete applications. Should an application not meet the minimum requirements for acceptance, the application will be sent back to the applicant, agency or employer for corrections. After the corrections have been made, the application can be resubmitted for review and acceptance. Accepted applications will be submitted into the queue for a criminal history background investigation to be completed on the applicant. During the course of this investigation, the applicant may be contacted by a background investigator to schedule an interview if necessary.

Once the background investigation is complete, the Licensing Division will forward a recommendation to the Governor for a final disposition. The Governor will notify the Special Police Officer applicant of the final disposition of the application. If the appointment is granted, the Special Police Officer applicant will be required to take the oath required by Article I, § 9 of the Maryland Constitution before the clerk of the court where the appointment is received. After swearing in, the Special Police Officer​ shall submit a signed copy of the District Court Special Police Officer Certificate received from the clerk of the court to the Licensing Division. The Licensing Division will print and send, via US mail, the Special Police Officer certification card to the Special Police Officer's employer within 14 days.

If the Special Police Officer application is disapproved, you may contact the Maryland State Police Licensing Division for more information regarding the disapproval and appeals process. The Special Police Officer applicant may log into their Licensing Portal to view the current status of their application at any time.​ 

Please allow 90 days for completion of the application process.

When Should I Renew

A Special Police Officer Commission expires three (3) years after its date of issuance. 

The Special Police Officer renewal application and any required documentation must be submitted via the Licensing Portal at least 90 business days before a certification expires. 

Prerequisites for Renewal​

Special Police Officer​ Renewal applications require:

• ​Livescan fingerprints
• documentation of satisfactory completion of 12 hours of in–service training approved by the Secretary in consultation with the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission. Additional information for the training requirements can be found at Police and Correctional Training Commissions - Special Police Officer Training
• the renewal fee

It is the Special Police Officer​’s responsibility to update their Licensing Portal account with any email or address changes. Alternatively, you may notify the Licensing Division in writing, within 30 days of any change. You may send your updated information to: [email protected]​. Renewal reminders and other important notifications will be sent to the email or physical address associated with the Special Police Officer​'s Licensing Portal account.

Renewal Application Process

The Special Police Officer renewal application process closely mirrors the original application process. The applicant will log into their Licensing Portal account and begin the Application for Special Police Officer. The applicant should select RENEWAL as the type of application. The Licensing Portal ​The system will recognize that the applicant has a current Special Police Officer and adjust the application accordingly. 

Upon completing and submitting the applicant portion of the Special Police Officer renewal application, you will receive a confirmation email with your application number and PIN number. Both the application number and PIN number will be required by your Employer. You will need to provide your Employer with certain information for them to access your application via the Licensing Portal.​ The Employer will access the Special Police Officer renewal application and verify the identity of the applicant, the application data entered, reaffirm the application questions with the applicant and submit the application along with the required fees to the Licensing Division. The Licensing Division will review the application for completion and accept all complete applications. Applications that are incomplete or missing required information and/or documentation will be sent back to the applicant for corrections. Corrected applications can be resubmitted for acceptance by the Licensing Division. Accepted applications will have a criminal history background check completed and a final disposition assigned as outlined above in the APPLICATION PROCESS section. 

Please allow 90 days for completion of the renewal application process.

Application Fees 

Application fees will be collected electronically in the Licensing Portal.

​Acceptable forms of payment include Visa and MasterCard. 

Original/Initial – $100Renewal – $60

For a complete list of MSP application fees, please see the Licensing Division Fee Schedule.​​​

Application fees are non-refundable​​.

How Long is the Application Process

​APPLICANT - Unless exempt from the training requirement, an applicant will be required to attend 112 hours of in–service training approved by the Secretary in consultation with the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission and submit Livescan​ Fingerprints. 

Once these prerequisites have been completed, the Special Police Officer application can be completed in the Licensing Portal within 30-60 minutes. Renewal applications can be completed in the Licensing Portal within 15-30 minutes.

EMPLOYER - The verification of applicant's identity, review of the application and documentation, and submission of the application fees can be completed in the Licensing Portal within 10-20 minutes. 

LICENSING DIVISION PROCESSING TIME - Once the Licensing Division electronically receives the completed Special Police Officer application and the required application fees, the applicant will be notified of the final disposition within 90 days.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS ​- Applications received by the Licensing Division will typically be reviewed for completeness​ within 5-10 business ​days. Applicants who submitted incomplete applications will be notified of the status of their application via email within 5 business days of the review. 

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS MAY BE EMAILED TO THE LICENSING DIVISION PROFESSIONAL LICENSING UNIT[email protected]​​