All applicants must be at least 18 years of age for civilian positions, and 21 years of age for deputy sheriff positions. Virginia has a mandatory retirement age of 70 for full-time sworn positions. Applicants may and have applied into their 60s!

Typically, the hiring process is four to six months.

The starting salary range for deputies is $70,955 – $125,533 and is determined based on your educational background, prior military and law enforcement experience, and Spanish language proficiency.

Yes! Applicants receive a higher starting salary for associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees.

Yes! Applicants with prior military experience are credited for each year of service.

Yes! Applicants with prior law enforcement experience are credited for each year of service.

Yes, we require all applicants to complete a thorough background investigation to ensure we maintain our high standards. Officers who are certified in Virginia are not required to perform the Physical Abilities Assessment or Panel Interview portions of our background process.

No, applicants who are certified in Virginia do not need to complete an academy. These applicants are placed in a condensed Field Training Officer Program/Corrections Training Officer Program.

We can consolidate the hiring process into two trips to Loudoun County for applicants coming from a significant distance. We also offer a $4,000 relocation bonus for those who move within 50 mile of LCSO headquarters!

Jump to Steps

Hiring process for civilian positions:

• Online application submission
• Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Screening Questionnaire
• Panel Interview
• Personal History Statement
• Conditional Offer of Employment
• Polygraph Examination
• Background Interview/Investigation

Field Deputies and Court Deputies attend the six-month Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy in Ashburn, Virginia. Correctional Deputies attend the three-month Skyline Regional Criminal Justice Academy in Middletown, Virginia . Both academies run four days a week. No live-in academy! You will also receive full salary and benefits while attending the academy.

Our FTO Program for patrol deputies is 14 weeks long. Our CTO Program for corrections deputies is 12 weeks long.

We have permanent, non-rotating shifts.

Corrections/Patrol: 12-hour shifts. Two days on, two days off, three days on, two days off, two days on, three days off, and repeat. Our day shift works from 0600-1800 hours, evening shift works from 1630-0430 hours, and our midnight shift works from 1900-0700 hours.

Courthouse: Monday-Friday, approximately 8:30 am – 5 pm with the potential of some later nights depending on court cases, trials, etc. Off on holidays and weekends.

The LCSO participates in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) with full retirement after 20 years of service and 50 years of age for deputies. 30 years of service and 50 years of age for civilians.

No, the LCSO provides all needed equipment, gear, vehicles, and training!

Typically, deputies are eligible to put in for specialty units after three years with the agency.

Deputies in the Operations career path are issued their own cruiser. Deputies who live in Loudoun County are permitted to take their cruiser home at the end of every shift.

Applicants who desire to be eligible for a relocation bonus, must move within 50 driving miles of our Headquarters building which is located at 803 Sycolin Road SE., Leesburg, Virginia 20175. If, any time after hire, an employee moves within 50 miles of headquarters, they are then eligible for the relocation bonus.

Yes! We encourage all our employees to seek further education. Our staff are provided $3,000 of tuition assistance per year.

Yes! Deputies are provided opportunities to work a variety of overtime assignments. Most of our overtime assignments are posted in an online portal, and are available on a first come, first served basis.

Deputies are occasionally required to work late, come in on days off for court, or required to work additional shifts in cases of emergency or to address staffing needs. Outside of emergency circumstances, deputies are not permitted to work more than 16 hours a day and 120 hours every two weeks. In practice, most deputies don’t work more than a few hours of overtime each week, unless they elect to work additional assignments.