Employment & Civil Service Rules

Cowlitz County Civil Service Commission Rules (PDF)

Entry-Level Applicants

Entry-level applicants are those who have never had a position in the law enforcement field. We use a third-party company called Public Safety Testing to conduct our preliminary hiring process. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement as a deputy with the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, please click here!

Lateral Applicants

If you have previously been employed with a law enforcement agency, and want to join the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, here are the documents you’ll need to complete and return to our office. Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office Lateral Packet (PDF)

Guidelines for the physical agility test (PDF)

Support Staff Employment

Support and Records Staff positions at the Sheriff’s Office are Civil Service positions that are hired from a list obtained by the Cowlitz County Civil Service Test given every year, but can be extended for another year.

The Civil Service Commission is authorizing testing for the position of Support Specialist. This is for the purpose of creating an eligibility list which is available for a minimum of one year. The top candidates are ranked by score and certified by the Civil Service Commission.

To apply for this position and schedule your test, visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/cowlitz.