Deputy Sheriff - Lateral

County of San Mateo; California (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government agency in California is seeking experienced peace officers for the Deputy Sheriff Lateral position. The role includes facilitating community interaction, investigating crimes, and supervising inmates. Candidates must possess a valid California Basic POST Certificate, have no felony convictions, and be willing to work irregular hours. This recruitment is ongoing, and applications are only accepted online through the County’s website.

Qualifications

• Must possess a valid California Basic POST Certificate.
• Experience as a peace officer required.
• Free from any felony convictions and recent drug use.
• No felony convictions and no recent drug use.
• Must be free from any condition which might adversely affect fitness for the duties of the position; uncorrected visual acuity of at least 20/100 in each eye, correctable to 20/30 in each eye; weight must be in proportion to height.
• Willing to work irregular hours, holidays, weekends, and rotating shifts. Refrain from using tobacco products at any time for employees hired by the County after October 1, 2004.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate community interaction and solve problems collaboratively.
• Investigate crimes and patrol assigned areas.
• Supervise and transport inmates.
• Transport inmates when required and participate in related law enforcement tasks.

Skills

Community interaction

Problem-solving techniques

Investigation

Patrolling assigned areas

Transporting inmates

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Valid California Basic POST Certificate

Valid California Basic POST Certificate

Tools

California Class C Driver License

Job description

Effective January 22, 2026, the hiring and relocation incentives previously offered for this position are no longer active.

Please note that on January 11, 2023, the job posting was revised to update the eligibility requirement for employment in the United States under federal law.

This job posting was revised on January 20, 2022, to remove the requirement of submitting scores for the Work Sample Test Battery (WSTB) Physical Agility test.

Are you an experienced peace officer? The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is seeking current peace officers for the position of Deputy Sheriff Lateral.

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office employs over six hundred sworn and civilian employees. Deputy Sheriffs facilitate community interaction and utilize collaborative problem-solving techniques; investigate crimes; patrol assigned areas; receive, supervise and transport inmates; act as bailiff or civil deputy; and perform all related duties in law enforcement and crime prevention as may be assigned under general supervision.

To avoid delays in processing your application for this position, please read all the information contained in this job posting prior to submitting an application.

NOT AN ENTRY-LEVEL POSITION

Successful candidates must have experience as a peace officer and must possess a valid California Basic POST Certificate. The Basic Certificate is awarded to current full-time peace officers of a POST-participating agency that have satisfactorily completed the prerequisite Basic Course requirement and the employing agency’s probationary period. A copy of a valid California Basic POST Certificate or Basic Course Waiver Letter must be attached to the application.

CALIFORNIA BASIC POST (PEACE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING) CERTIFICATE

The Basic Certificate is awarded, as defined in Regulation 1012, to currently employed full-time peace officers of a POST-participating agency who have satisfactorily completed the prerequisite Basic Course requirement and the employing agency’s probationary period.

OUT-OF-STATE APPPLICANTS

Completion of the Basic Course Waiver process is an option for meeting California’s Regular Basic Course training requirement for out-of-state applicants. An individual must successfully complete the entire four-step Basic Course Waiver (BCW) process to obtain a waiver. To begin or learn more about the Basic Course Waiver process, please visit https://www.post.ca.gov/basic-course-waiver-process.aspx.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Valid California Basic POST Certificate (required).
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Valid California Class C Driver License or equivalent.
• No felony convictions and no recent drug use.
• Must be free from any condition which might adversely affect fitness for the duties of the position; uncorrected visual acuity of at least 20/100 in each eye, correctable to 20/30 in each eye; weight must be in proportion to height.
• Willing to work irregular hours, holidays, weekends, and rotating shifts. Refrain from using tobacco products at any time for employees hired by the County after October 1, 2004.

APPLICATION/EXAMINATION

Anyone May Apply. Responses to supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to the County of San Mateo application form along with a copy of your Basic POST Certificate. An application screening committee may select those applicants whose education, experience, training, and knowledge most closely match the requirements of the position and the needs of the Sheriff’s Office.

This is a continuous recruitment which may close at any time. The final filing date will be posted 5 days in advance in the County of San Mateo Human Resources Department.

Qualified candidates will be notified of the date, time and place of the examinations. Subsequent phases of the selection process include a psychological evaluation, polygraph test, and medical examination. The Sheriff’s Office will conduct final interviews with candidates who pass all required tests and evaluations. Final selection of candidates is made by the Sheriff’s Office and is based on panel interview performance and information gathered in the background investigation, psychological and polygraph assessments, and medical evaluations. The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute a contract, expressed or implied, and any provisions contained in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without notice. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California, and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County’s website, you may click the “Apply” button. If you are not on the County’s website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

For specific questions regarding retirement, the San Mateo County Employees’ Retirement Association (www.samcera.org) can be contacted by email ([e-mail]) or by phone (650‑599‑1234).

Apply immediately. This recruitment is open on a continuous basis and selections may be made at any time within the process.

ABOUT THE COUNTY