Contents

Police ranks of the United States

The United States police-rank model is generally quasi-military in structure.^[1][2] A uniform system of insignia based on that of the US Army and Marine Corps is used to help identify an officer's seniority.^[2][3]

Rank[edit]

Although the large and varied number of federal, state, and local police and sheriff's departments have different ranks, a general model, from highest to lowest rank, would be:

• Chief of police/commissioner of police/superintendent/sheriff: The title commissioner of police is used mainly by large metropolitan departments, while chief of police is associated with small and medium-sized municipalities; both are typically appointed by a mayor or selected by the city council or commission. In some cities, a "commissioner" is a member of the board of officials in charge of the department, while a "chief" is the top uniformed officer answering to the commissioner or commission. In very large departments, such as the New York City Police Department, there may be several non-police officer deputies and assistant commissioners, some of whom outrank the chief of department and others on par with the uniformed chief. There may be a chief of operations who is second in command to the top-ranking chief. In contrast, sheriffs in the United States are usually elected officials, one in each county, who head the sheriff's department (orsheriff's office).^{[citation needed]}
• Assistant chief of police/Undersheriff/assistant commissioner/assistant superintendent: Only seen in some departments. In New York City, assistant chiefs head borough commands.^{[citation needed]}
• Deputy chief of police/deputy commissioner/deputy superintendent/chief deputy/Assistant Sheriff: The top subordinate of the chief of police, commissioner, superintendent, or sheriff; may or may not have a specific area of responsibility. In some places the undersheriff is the warden of the county jail. The New York City Sheriff's Office has five undersheriffs: each one is responsible for a borough of New York City, with the Sheriff of the City of New York overseeing all of them. In some Sheriff's Offices, the rank of Assistant Sheriff exists, below the Undersheriff, but still above Commander and other ranks.^{[citation needed]}
• Inspector/commander:^[4] Sometimes have an insignia of a single star, analogous to brigadier generals, but in other areas wear a gold or silver eagle, similar to a colonel. "Inspector" is also used as a term for "detective" in the San Francisco Police Department but is two ranks above captain in the NYPD and the Philadelphia Police Department. In the NYPD, inspectors command divisions, which may be groups of precincts within a borough or specialized branches of the police service.^{[citation needed]}
• Colonelorlieutenant colonel: A majority of state police as well as some municipal agencies use "colonel" or "lieutenant colonel" as their senior executive rank, often jointly with a civilian title such as "superintendent, deputy superintendent", "commissioner, deputy commissioner" or "director, deputy director", "Chief, Deputy Chief", etc. Conversely, the colonel or lieutenant colonel rank is rarely employed by other agencies, though it is used by the Baltimore Police Department and other Maryland agencies as either an executive or commander-like rank. Colonels generally wear the gold or silver eagle of a military colonel, and lieutenant colonels have the oak leaf of a Military lieutenant colonel, from the U.S. armed forces. Many sheriffs also wear the eagle insignia, and use colonel as an official rank.^{[citation needed]}
• Major^[5]/deputy inspector: Sometimes Majors/Deputy Inspectors have the insignia of a gold or silver oak leaf, similar to a majororlieutenant colonel in the armed forces. In the Baltimore Police Department and Atlanta Police Department, majors supervise police stations.
• Captain: Two gold or silver bars ("railroad tracks"). A Captain often supervises a police station but can supervise another division or unit (detectives, patrol, etc.) in smaller departments and only certain sections of a police station in larger departments. In the NYPD, captains are the normal commanders of precincts.^{[citation needed]}
• Lieutenant: Wearing a single gold or silver bar, a lieutenant supervises two to three or more sergeants. Lieutenants can supervise an entire watch shift in a police station or detective squad (narcotics, homicide, etc.) in larger police departments, entire barracks in state police departments, and entire precincts in smaller police departments.^{[citation needed]}
• Sergeant: Three chevrons, a police officer who supervises an entire watch shift in smaller departments and areas of a precinct and individual detective squads in larger departments. Some agencies, such as the New Jersey State Police, use a para-militaristic range of sergeant ranks, such as staff sergeant and sergeant first class, in addition to the basic sergeant rank.^{[citation needed]}
• Detective/inspector/investigator: An inspector/detective/investigator usually works in plain clothes. This may be in several classes that correspond to higher supervisory and pay grades. In the NYPD, the detective rank is technically a designation: detectives do not actually outrank police officers although they are in charge of cases and are often senior in years of service, and so have a certain degree of authority beyond police officers in specific situations. Detectives also perform undercover duties for some of their cases.^{[citation needed]}
• Officer/deputy/trooper/corporal: A regular officer or deputy wears no rank insignia, and there may be several pay grades. Corporals, who may be senior officers or acting watch commanders, wear two chevrons. A police corporal is generally employed as an officer as an entry level supervisor position. These duties may include one or more of the following roles:^[6]

  

  • Detective
  • Division supervisor
  • Field training officer (FTO) (in some departments, field training officers are not given any supervisory powers and hold no higher rank than other officers).^{[citation needed]}

Police corporals will often act as a lead officer in field situations when a sergeant is not present.^[7] The position is also referred to by some agencies as Agent.^[8]

In a few departments, such as New York City, Washington DC, and Baltimore, officers from the rank of lieutenant and up wear white shirts instead of the dark blue or black uniform shirts common to lower-ranked police officers. In Philadelphia the rank of sergeant and up wear white shirts.^[9] Command staff and ranking officers/supervisors may wear fretting ("scrambled eggs") on their hat visors.

Advancement from officer to captain is generally by appointment after successful completion of a series of examinations, and after the officer has sufficient time in grade. Grades above captain are generally by appointment of the chief or sheriff. In addition, there must be vacancies for a higher rank. In police departments, the second-highest rank is usually similar to a chief of staff. In a sheriff's office, the second-highest ranking person is often responsible for most operations, similar to a chief of police in a police department, because the Sheriff is often elected and in many cases is a politician rather than an experienced law enforcement officer.^{[citation needed]}

Variations[edit]

Federal[edit]

Border Patrol Headquarters	Chief Superintendent of the Border Patrol	Deputy Chief Superintendent of the Border Patrol	Division chief	Deputy division chief	Associate chief	Assistant chief				Operations officer (non-supervisory)
Border Patrol sectors			Chief patrol agent (CPA)	Deputy chief patrol agent (DCPA)	Division chief/ACTT director	Executive officer/assistant chief patrol agent (ACPA)			Special operations supervisor (SOS)	Operations officer (non-supervisory)	Supervisory Border Patrol agent (SBPA)		Border Patrol agent – intelligence (BPA-I)
Border Patrol stations						Patrol agent in charge (PAIC)	Deputy patrol agent in charge (DPAIC)	Watch commander (WC)	Special operations supervisor (SOS		Supervisory Border Patrol agent (SBPA)		Border Patrol agent – intelligence (BPA-I)	Border patrol agent (BPA)
Border Patrol academy			Chief patrol agent (CPA)	Deputy chief patrol agent (DCPA)		Assistant chief patrol agent (ACPA)	Training operations supervisor (TOS)		Supervisory Border Patrol agent (senior instructor)		Supervisory Border Patrol agent (instructor)	Border Patrol agent (detailed instructor)
Insignia													No insignia

United States Capitol Police

Rank	Chief of Police	Assistant Chief of Police/ Chief of Operations	Deputy Chief	Inspector	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Detective/MPO	Technician	Private First Class	Private with Training	Private
Insignia												No insignia

United States Park Police

Rank	Chief of Police	Assistant Chief	Deputy Chief	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Private/Investigator
Insignia								No insignia

United States Marshals Service

United States Secret Service

Federal Bureau of Investigation

United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Rank	Chief of Police	Deputy Chief of Police	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Detective	Corporal	Police Officer
Insignia									No insignia
Description	Chief of Service. Responsible for the entirety of the Police Service.	Deputy Chief of Service. Charged with assisting the Chief of Police in running the entirety of the Police Service.	Supervisory Police Officer or Supervisory Security Specialist. This position is equivalent in grade to a Captain. However, this rank is awarded to those officers specifically charged with overseeing patrol operations.	Supervisory Police Officer or Supervisory Security Specialist. Usually commands a section or division within the Service, such as Physical Security, Administration, Investigations, Communications etc.	Supervisory Police Officers (Watch Commanders). Supervises a shift (or multiple shifts) of Police and Security personnel, including Police Officers, Sergeants, and Security Assistants (Dispatchers).	Lead Police Officers (Watch Leaders). Assists the Watch Commander in running a shift of Police Officers and Security Assistants (Dispatchers). First line leaders within the Service.	Detectives are police investigators charged with investigating those crimes that do not fall under the purview of the VA Inspector General's Office (OIG).	This rank is authorized at the local level. It is the same grade as a journeyman level police officer. Generally, this rank is awarded to those officers who hold a special certification or responsibility.	Charged with performing a wide array of policing duties with the jurisdiction of VA.

State[edit]

Rank	Director (colonel)	Assistant director (lieutenant colonel)	Chief (major)	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Senior trooper	Trooper
Insignia								No insignia

Alaska

Rank	Commissioner	Deputy Commissioner	Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper
Insignia									No insignia

Arizona

Arizona Department of Public Safety

Rank	Director (Colonel)	Deputy Director (Lieutenant colonel)	Assistant Director (Lieutenant colonel)	Major	Captain	Sergeant	Trooper
Insignia							No insignia

Arizona Rangers

Rank	Captain	Sergeant	Ranger
Insignia			No insignia

Arkansas

Rank	Director (Colonel)	Deputy Director (Lieutenant colonel)	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper First Class	Trooper	Cadet
Insignia									No insignia
Description	Director holds the Rank of Colonel, appointed by the Governor of Arkansas to be the professional head of the Department.	Deputy Director holds the Rank of Lieutenant Colonel, second-in-command of Department and second highest ranked commissioned officer in the Department.	Responsible for serving as a Highway Patrol Regional Commander, as the Criminal Investigations Commander, as the Crimes Against Children Commander, or as the Administrative Services Division Commander.	Responsible for serving as a Highway Patrol Troop Commander, Criminal Investigation Division Regional Commander or other upper-level administrative and managerial staff position.	Responsible for serving as a Highway Patrol Troop Assistant Commander, Criminal Investigation Division Company Commander or supervising a specialized function with the State Police.	First supervisory rank, responsible for overseeing and supervising Troopers and non-commissioned personnel in the performance of their duties.	Rank attained by Trooper First Class after completion of 7 years of service. May supervise Troopers in the performance of their duties in absence of a sergeant.	Rank attained by Trooper after completion of 4 1/2 years of service.	Rank attained by Cadets upon successful completion of the training academy, responsible for field law enforcement patrol or specialized or technical law enforcement function.	A Cadet is a new recruit, and is the rank held by all personnel while assigned as a student at the training academy. These personnel do not wear rank insignia.

California

California Highway Patrol

Rank	Commissioner	Deputy Commissioner	Assistant Commissioner	Chief	Assistant Chief	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Officer	Cadet
Insignia	OR								No insignia

California State Parks Peace Officer

Rank	Director	Chief Deputy Director/ Deputy Director, Park Operations	Deputy Director	Division Chief	Superintendent V/ Superintendent IV	Superintendent III	Superintendent II	Superintendent I	Supervisor	Ranger	Cadet
Insignia										No insignia

Colorado

Rank	Colonel	Deputy Chief[10]	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Sergeant Major	Master Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Master Trooper and Technician	Trooper
Insignia											No insignia
Description	Chief of the Patrol		Region Commander	District/Branch Commander	Troop/Section Commander

Connecticut

Rank	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Master Sergeant	Sergeant	Trooper First Class	Trooper
Insignia									No insignia

Delaware

Rank	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Master corporal	Senior corporal	Corporal grade 1	Corporal	Trooper 1st class	Trooper
Insignia												No insignia
Description	Superintendent of the Delaware State Police.	Second in Command of the Delaware State Police.	Member of the Executive Staff in charge of a specific duty.	Troop Commander of a Patrol Troop, or Commander of a specialized unit.	Assistant Troop Commander, oversees the Troop's criminal or traffic activities or oversees a specialized unit.	Road supervisor for Troopers, or Supervisor of a specialty unit.	Troopers with 16+ years of experience.	Troopers with 12–16 years of experience.	Troopers with 8–12 years of experience.	Troopers with 4–8 years of experience.	Troopers with 2–4 years of experience.	New Troopers who have graduated the Delaware State Police Training Academy.

Florida

Rank[11]	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Chief	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Master Sergeant	Sergeant First Class	Staff Sergeant	Sergeant	Master Corporal	Senior Corporal	Corporal	Master Trooper	Senior Trooper	Trooper First Class	Trooper Specialist	Trooper Auxiliary Trooper	Recruit
Insignia																		No insignia

Georgia

Rank	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant First Class	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper First Class	Trooper
Insignia									No insignia
Description	Commissioner	Deputy Commissioner	Area Commander	Region Commander	Watch Commander	Post Chief	Post Chief

Hawaii

Idaho

Rank	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Trooper
Insignia							No insignia

Illinois

Rank	Director	First Deputy Director	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Master Sergeant	Sergeant	Master Trooper	Trooper First Class	Trooper
Insignia												No insignia

Indiana

Rank	Superintendent	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	First Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper	Probationary Trooper	Recruit
Insignia										No insignia

Iowa

Rank	Superintendent	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Trooper III (Senior Trooper)	Trooper II	Trooper I	Peace Officer Candidate Current
Insignia						No insignia

Kansas

Rank	Superintendent (Colonel)	Assistant Superintendent (Lieutenant colonel)	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Technical Trooper	Master Trooper	Trooper	Trooper Trainee (Recruit)
Insignia						No insignia
Description	Rank of colonel, appointed by the Governor of Kansas to be the professional head of the Department	Rank of lieutenant colonel, second-in-command of Patrol, appointed by the Superintendent	Regional and Division Commanders	Troop Commander	First Line Supervisor	Rank held by veteran Troopers assigned to a technical specialty (e.g. Bomb Technicians, Aircraft Pilots, Canine Handlers, Task Force Officers, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement troopers).	Rank attained by Trooper after completion of 5 years of service and completion of advanced professional training.	Rank attained by Recruits upon successful completion of the training academy, responsible for field law enforcement patrol.	This rank is held by law enforcement officers while attending the KHP training academy.

Kentucky

Rank	Colonel-Commissioner	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Trooper
Insignia							No insignia

Louisiana

Rank	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Master Trooper	Senior Trooper	Trooper First Class	Trooper	Cadet
Insignia											No insignia
Description	One individual is appointed (by the Governor) as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Superintendent of the State Police and holds the rank of Colonel. The Colonel wears one gold-colored eagle on each epaulet.[12]	There are four officers with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, each overseeing one of the four bureaus within the State Police. Lieutenant Colonels wear a silver-colored oak leaf on each epaulet.	Majors are responsible for a command within the State Police. Majors wear one gold-colored oak leaf on each epaulet.	The specific responsibilities of a Captain vary depending upon where they are assigned within the Agency. For example, a Captain may be a Troop Commander in the Patrol Bureau or a Division Commander in one of the other Bureaus. Captains wear two gold-colored bars on each epaulet.	The responsibilities of a lieutenant vary within the department. At the Troop level, a lieutenant is typically the commander of a shift. Other Lieutenants in other divisions may command a unit. Lieutenants wear gold-colored metal bars on each epaulet.	Sergeants act as assistant shift commanders or duty officers. A sergeant is generally considered to be a first-line supervisor in most units.[13] Sergeants wear three yellow inverted chevrons on each sleeve under the State Police patch.	The insignia for this rank consists of a gold-colored 'MT' collar pin worn on the wearer's right lapel. Troopers who complete fifteen (15) years of satisfactory or exceptional service are promoted to the rank of Master Trooper. While not considered a first-line supervisor, Master Troopers are occasionally tasked to supervise other lower-ranking Troopers[14]	The insignia for this rank consists of a gold-colored 'ST' collar pin worn on the wearer's right lapel. Troopers who complete ten years of satisfactory or exceptional service are promoted to the rank of Senior Trooper.	The insignia for this rank consists of a gold-colored 'TFC' collar pin worn on the wearer's right lapel. Troopers who complete five years of satisfactory or exceptional service are promoted to the rank of Trooper First Class.	The insignia for this rank consists of a gold-colored 'TPR' collar pin worn on the wearer's right lapel. This rank is attained by Cadets upon successful completion of the training academy.	A Cadet is a raw recruit, and is the rank held by all personnel while assigned as a student at the training academy. These personnel do not wear rank insignia.

Maine

Title	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper
Insignia							No insignia

Maryland

Rank[15]	Colonel Superintendent	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	First Sergeant	Detective Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Master Trooper[16]	Senior Trooper	Trooper First Class	Trooper
Insignia													No insignia
Description	The Superintendent of the Maryland State Police holds the rank of colonel. He is the Secretary of the Department of State Police and a member of the governor's cabinet.	There are three officers with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, each overseeing one of the three bureaus within the state police.	Majors are responsible for a command within the state police.	The specific responsibilities of a captain vary depending upon where they are assigned within the agency. For example, a captain may be a troop commander in the Field Operations Bureau or a division commander in one of the other bureaus.	A lieutenant is the commander of each barrack. Other Lieutenants may command a unit.	First sergeants are assistant barrack commanders or may perform administrative functions in other areas.	Detective sergeants are in charge of all criminal investigations at a barracks, or may be assigned to other investigative functions.	Sergeants act as shift commanders or duty officers.	Corporals are the first-line supervisors and are usually assigned as road supervisors within barracks. In the absence of a sergeant, they may act as the duty officer.	Troopers who complete 15 years of satisfactory or exceptional service are promoted to the rank of Master Trooper.	Troopers who complete 10 years of satisfactory or exceptional service are promoted to the rank of Senior Trooper.	Troopers who complete three years of satisfactory or exceptional service are promoted to the rank of TFC.	Candidates successfully completing the academy and field training are appointed as troopers.

Massachusetts

Rank[17]	Colonel[18]	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Detective Captain	Captain	Detective Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Sergeant			Trooper	Probationary Trooper	State Police Trainee
Insignia											No insignia
Description	Superintendent	Deputy Superintendent or Division Commander	Troop Commander	Station Commander		Deputy commander		First-line supervisor			Standard patrol officer		Trainee in State Police Academy
Ranks prior to 1992	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain		Lieutenant		Staff Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper	Probationary Trooper	Recruit Trooper
Insignia prior to 1992											No insignia

Michigan

Rank[19]	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Inspector	First Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Trooper	Recruit
Insignia									No insignia

Minnesota

Rank	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Trooper
Insignia							No insignia

Mississippi

Rank	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Master Sergeant	Sergeant First Class	Staff Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper First Class	Trooper	Cadet
Insignia												No insignia

Missouri

Rank[citation needed]	Superintendent (rank of Colonel)	Assistant Superintendent (rank of Lieutenant Colonel)	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Master Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper	State Trooper (Recruit)[20]
Insignia									No insignia
Description	Superintendent Holds the rank of Colonel. Appointed by the Governor of Missouri. must be confirmed by the Missouri Senate	Assistant Superintendent holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and reports directly to the Superintendent and has authority over the units.	Majors are responsible for a command within the Highway Patrol.	A captain is a troop commander in the Field Operations Bureau or a division commander in one of the other bureaus.	A lieutenant is the assistant commander of a division/unit.	A Master Sergeant acts as a zone sergeant commanding a group of troopers.	A Sergeant supervises an entire Patrol shift of their respective District.	Corporals are the first-line supervisors and are usually assigned as road supervisors within barracks. In the absence of a sergeant, they may act as the duty officer.	Candidates successfully completing the academy and field training are appointed as troopers.	The initial rank of oncoming Missouri State Highway Patrol, held while undergoing training at the Missouri State Highway Patrol Law Enforcement Academy.

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

Rank	Chief (rank of Colonel)	Assistant Chief (rank of Lieutenant colonel)	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Trooper
Insignia							No insignia
Description	The Chief of Police holds the Rank of Colonel and is appointed by the Nevada Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director. The Chief of Police must be confirmed by the Governor of Nevada	The Assistant Chief holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and reports directly to the Colonel and has authority over the units.	Majors are responsible for a command within the Highway Patrol.	A captain is a troop commander in the Field Operations Bureau or a division commander in one of the other bureaus.	A lieutenant is the assistant commander of a division/unit.	A Sergeant is a person who supervises an entire Patrol shift in their District.	Candidates successfully completing the academy and field training are appointed as troopers.

New Hampshire

New Jersey

Rank	Colonel (Superintendent)	Lieutenant colonel (Deputy superintendent)	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant First Class	Detective Sergeant First Class	Staff Sergeant	Sergeant / Detective Sergeant	Trooper I / Detective I	Trooper II / Detective II
Insignia											No insignia

New Mexico

Rank	Chief	Deputy Chief	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Senior Officer	Officer
Insignia							No insignia

New York

Rank	Superintendent	First Deputy Superintendent	Deputy Superintendent/Colonel	Assistant Deputy Superintendent/Lieutenant Colonel	Staff Inspector Superintendent	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Technical Lieutenant	Chief Technical Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	First Sergeant	Senior Investigator (plainclothes)	Zone Sergeant	Sergeant Station Commander	Technical Sergeant	Sergeant	Investigator (plainclothes)	Trooper
Insignia													No insignia					No insignia

North Carolina

Rank	Colonel[21][22]	Lieutenant Colonel[21][22]	Major[21][22]	Captain[21][22]	Lieutenant[21][22]	First Sergeant[21][22][23][24]	Sergeant[21][22][25][24]	Master Trooper[21][22]	Senior Trooper[21][22]	Trooper[21][22]	Probationary Trooper[26][22]	Trooper Cadet[27][22]
Insignia								No insignia
Description[28]	Patrol Commander[29] Appointed by the Governor	Patrol Deputy Commander / Director of Support Operations[28]	Support/Operations/Training/Professional Standards	Troop Commander / (1 per troop; others assigned to specific posts)	(3 per troop; others assigned to specific posts)	District Commander (1 per patrol district; others assigned to specific posts)	Shift Supervisor (3 per patrol district; others assigned to specific post)	Rank stated on badge (6+ years experience)	Rank stated on badge (3–6 years experience)	6 months – 3 years experience	0–6 months experience (field training)	Trooper School

North Dakota

Rank	Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Trooper
Insignia						No insignia

Ohio

Rank	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Staff Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Trooper
Insignia								No insignia

Oklahoma

Rank[30]	Commissioner	Assistant Commissioner	Chief (Colonel)	Assistant Chief (Lieutenant Colonel)	Deputy Chief (Lieutenant Colonel)	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Trooper	Cadet
Insignia										No insignia
Description	Appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma to serve as the head of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety	Appointed by the commissioner to serve as the chief of Administrative and Support Services for the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety	Rank of colonel, appointed by the commissioner to be the professional head of the patrol, highest ranking uniformed officer	Rank of lieutenant colonel, position not used but still recognized	Rank of lieutenant colonel, responsible for overseeing patrol operations for assigned sections or performing administrative functions	Responsible for overseeing zones which consist of two or more troops of the patrol	Responsible for serving as a troop commander or performing a technical or specialized staff function	First supervisory rank, responsible for supervising troopers in the performance of their duties or performing a technical or specific staff function	Rank attained by Cadets upon successful completion of the training academy, responsible for field law enforcement patrol or specialized or technical law enforcement function	A Cadet is a new recruit, and is the rank held by all personnel while assigned as a student at the training academy. These personnel do not wear rank insignia.

Oregon

Rank	Superintendent	Deputy Superintendent	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Trooper
Insignia							No insignia

Pennsylvania

Rank	Colonel (Commissioner)	Lieutenant Colonel (Deputy Commissioner)	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper First Class	Trooper	State Police Cadet
Insignia									No insignia
Description	Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.	Deputy Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.	Commander of an Area, such as Area III, encompassing several Troops.	Troop Commander, such as Troop B, encompassing several Stations.	Station Commander, such as Station 1 (located in Troop B of Area III).	Station Commander, Supervisor of a unit, section, or specialty position.	Supervisor of Troopers, oversee the patrol's daily calls for service.	This is a longevity promotion for Troopers with 12 years of service.	Upon graduation from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy, cadets are promoted to the rank of Trooper.	A Commonwealth employee who is enrolled in but has not yet graduated from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy.

Rhode Island

Rank	Colonel Superintendent	Lieutenant Colonel Superintendent	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper
Insignia								No insignia

South Carolina

Rank	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	First Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Master Trooper	Lance Corporal	Trooper First Class	Trooper
Insignia												No insignia
Description	Commander of the South Carolina Highway Patrol	There are two Troopers who hold the position of Deputy Commander, Overeeing Operations and Administrations	There are four Majors in the SCHP. Overeeing Field Operations	A Captain commands one of ten Troops	A Lieutenant commands a post, or station	A First Sergeant is the second in command of a Post, or station	A Sergeant commands a patrol shift	A Corporal acts as a field supervisor	A Master Trooper has served for at least ten years	A Lance Corporal has served for at least five years	A Trooper First Class has served for at least three years	The base SCHP rank

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Texas Highway Patrol

Rank	DPS Director (Colonel)[31]	Deputy Director (Lieutenant Colonel)[31]	Chief[31]	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Master Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper	Probationary Trooper
Insignia										No insignia

Texas rangers

Rank	Chief[31]	Assistant Chief	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Field Ranger
Insignia							No insignia

Utah

Rank	Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Trooper
Insignia						No insignia

Virginia

Rank	Colonel[32]	Lieutenant Colonel[32]	Major[32]	Captain[32]	Lieutenant[32]	First Sergeant[32]	Sergeant[32]	Master Trooper[32]	Senior Trooper[32]	Trooper-Pilot[32]	Trooper II[32]	Trooper I[32]	Trainee[32]
Insignia								No insignia
Description	Superintendent of State Police	Deputy Superintendent (1) / Bureau Director (1 per bureau) / Office of Performance Management and Internal Controls (1)	Bureau Deputy Director (2 per bureau)	Division Commander	Field / Headquarters Lieutenant / Staff Assistant	Area Commander	First-line supervisor	Career Progression, based on length of service, 25+ years[32]	Career Progression, based on length of service, 9+ years[32]	Trooper's assigned to the Aviation Unit[32]	Career Progression, automatic after 1 year probationary period[32]	Probationary Trooper, first year in the field[32]	Status while attending the state police academy[32]

Vermont

Rank[33]	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Senior Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper	Trooper Probationary
Insignia										No insignia
Description	The Director of the Vermont State Police may be promoted to full colonel at the discretion of the Commissioner.	The Director of the Vermont State Police is a lieutenant colonel. The Commissioner of Public Safety makes this appointment for a term of three years. The director may be reappointed at the commissioner's discretion. This rank can also be issued to a deputy director, though actual use of such a position varies and is not always used.	Captains may be promoted to major on a case-by-case basis when the need arises. Currently the State Police has three majors, each overseeing one of the major divisions of the State Police i.e., Support Services, Field Force and Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).	Lieutenants with 6 months of experience at that rank may be considered for promotion to captain. Each troop area is overseen by a captain. There are also a number of captains in staff positions.	Sergeants with three years of experience at that level may be considered for promotion to lieutenant. Lieutenants are commissioned officers and the rank generally includes station commanders as well as commanders of other specialized divisions within the State Police. All members hired after January 1, 1998, must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university to be eligible for a promotion to lieutenant.	Sergeants with 15 years of service are promoted to the rank of Senior Sergeant.	Troopers are eligible for consideration for promotion to sergeant after a minimum of five years with the department. Sergeants in the State Police are the first-line supervisors, typically referred to as patrol commanders. Many of the department's detectives also hold the rank of sergeant. All members hired after January 1, 1998, must possess an associate degree from an accredited college or university to be eligible for a promotion to sergeant.	Senior troopers are promoted to corporal upon completion of fifteen years of service.	Probationary troopers are promoted to the rank of trooper first class after one year of service with the department.	Trooper Probationary No rank insignia. This is the entry level rank of all members of the State Police.

Washington

Rank	Chief of the Washington State Patrol	Deputy Chief	Assistant Chief	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	State Trooper	Trooper Cadet[34]
Insignia							No insignia

West Virginia

Rank	Superintendent - Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	First Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant	First Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Trooper First Class	Senior Trooper	Trooper
Insignia												No insignia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Rank	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Trooper
Insignia							No insignia

Counties[edit]

Rank	Chief of Police	Deputy Chief	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Police First Class	Police Officer
Insignia									No insignia

Baltimore County, Maryland

Rank	Chief Of Police	Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Police Officer First Class	Police Officer	Police Recruit	Police Cadet
Insignia									No insignia

Denver County, Colorado

Rank	Sheriff	Division Chief	Major	Captain	Sergeant	Deputy
Insignia						No insignia

East Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Rank	Sheriff	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Deputy Sheriff
Insignia									No insignia
Description	The sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer for East Baton Rouge Parish. The sheriff wears four gold stars on each shoulder. Sheriff Sid J. Gautreaux, III	The colonel is the Chief Criminal Deputy of the sheriff's office. Ultimately all divisions of the sheriff's office fall under the guidance of the colonel. The colonel wears a silver eagle on each shoulder. Colonel Lawrence McCleary, Chief Criminal Deputy Stephen Hymel, Chief Civil Deputy	The lieutenant colonel is primarily responsible for the criminal division of the sheriff's office. The lieutenant colonel wears a silver oak leaf on each shoulder. Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Grimes is the Warden at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. (Warden)	There are four majors in the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. Majors wear a gold oak leaf on each shoulder. Major Ron Boucher, Chief of Detectives Major Michael Crawford, Chief of Operations Major Robert Clements, Deputy Warden of the Parish Prison	Captains are commanders of their particular division such as: Kleinpeter Substation, Criminal Investigations, Crime Scene etc... Captains are ultimately responsible for the performance and conduct of the deputies in their command. The sheriff's office has approximately 12+ captains. Captains wear two gold bars on each shoulder.	Lieutenants are shift supervisors. They are responsible for all of the activity on their respective shifts and for ensuring the deputies are serving the citizens and enforcing the laws properly. Lieutenants wear a single gold bar on each shoulder.	Sergeants are assistant shift supervisors. The shift sergeant assists the shift lieutenant with day-to-day activities of his shift and the supervision of deputies under their command. Sergeants must perform patrol activities as well as knowing about the shift as he is the acting shift supervisor when needed. Sergeants wear three inverted chevrons on the uniform shirt collar.	Corporals are first line supervisors who assist the shift sergeants and lieutenants with supervising deputies under their command. Unlike many law enforcement agencies where the rank of corporal is given after a certain period of service, corporals with the Sheriff's office are promoted much like sergeants and are supervisors who routinely perform the job of acting sergeant or scene supervisor when necessary. Corporals wear two inverted chevrons on the uniform shirt collar.	The position of deputy sheriff is the entry job title of the Sheriff's Office. Even after they are promoted or transferred they are still a deputy sheriff as they serve under the sheriff. Deputies do not wear rank insignia.

Jefferson County, Colorado

Rank	Sheriff	Undersheriff	Division Chief	Commander	Sergeant	Deputy
Insignia						No insignia

Kern County, California

Rank	Sheriff	Undersheriff	Chief Deputy	Commander	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Senior Deputy	Deputy
Insignia								No insignia

Los Angeles County, California

Rank[35]	Sheriff	Undersheriff	Assistant sheriff	Division Chief	Commander	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Deputy sheriff (BONUS II) (Master Field Training Officer / Detective / Custody Senior Deputy)	Deputy sheriff (BONUS I) (Field Training Officer + various other assignments in Bureaus & Details)[36]	Deputy sheriff (Patrol Deputy, Line Deputy + other assignments)	Deputy sheriff trainee
Insignia											No insignia

Maricopa, Arizona

Rank[37]	Sheriff	Chief Deputy	Executive Chief	Deputy Chief	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Deputy or Detention Officer
Insignia								No insignia

Central Marin, California

Rank	Chief of Police	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Police Officer
Insignia						No insignia

Miami-Dade, Florida

Rank	Director	Deputy Director	Assistant Director	Deputy Chief or Division Chief	Major	Bureau Commander	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Police Officer
Insignia										No insignia

Nassau County, New York

Rank	Police Commissioner	Chief of Department	Chief of Division	Assistant Chief	Deputy Chief	Inspector	Deputy Inspector	Detective Captain or Captain	Detective Lieutenant or Lieutenant	Detective Sergeant or Sergeant	Detectiveor Police Officer
Insignia											No insignia

Orange County, California

Rank	Sheriff	Undersheriff	Assistant Sheriff	Commander	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Investigator	Master Field Training Officer	Deputy Sheriff II	Deputy Sheriff I
Insignia										No insignia

Pima County, Arizona

Rank	Sheriff	Chief	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Detective	Deputy
Insignia						No insignia

Riverside County, California

Rank	Sheriff	Undersheriff	Assistant Sheriff	Chief Deputy	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Master Investigator	Investigator	Corporal	Deputy Sheriff
Insignia								Two stripes over two rockers, with a star encircled by a wreath in between.			No insignia
Description									There are four ranks as part of the Career Investigator Program: Investigator I, Investigator II (Senior Investigator), Investigator III (Lead Investigator), and Investigator IV (Master Investigator).	There is only one rank as a Corporal: Corporal I. A Corporal's role is to assist mainly the Sergeant and/or the Lieutenant with overseeing of Probationary Deputies and other Deputies in that division. When a member of the Riverside County Sheriff is promoted to Corporal he/she receives a new uniform with a Corporal Insignia placed on the upper left and right arm underneath the Riverside County Sheriff emblem/insignia.	There are three Deputy Sheriff grades (currently used only for pay grade identification): Deputy Sheriff, Deputy Sheriff A (possesses CA intermediate POST certificate), and Deputy Sheriff B (possesses CA advanced POST certificate). Deputy Sheriff's distinguish themselves from Correctional Deputies and Deputy Coroners by having a yellow stripe down the side of their pants. Correctional Deputies and Deputy Coroners also wear a black tie while Deputy Sheriffs wear a green tie.

St. Louis, Missouri

Rank	Chief of Police	Deputy Chief of Police	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Detective	Police Officer	Probationary Police Officer
Insignia						No insignia

San Bernardino County, California (Probation)

Rank	Chief	Deputy Chief	Director II	Director I	Probation Supervisor II	Probation Supervisor I	Probation Officer II	Probation Officer I
Insignia							No insignia

San Diego County, California

Rank	Sheriff	Undersheriff	Assistant Sheriff	Commander	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Corporal	Deputy Sheriff
Insignia									No insignia

San Francisco County, California

Rank	Sheriff	Undersheriff	Assistant Sheriff	Chief Deputy	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Senior Deputy	Deputy
Insignia									No insignia

Santa Barbara County, California

Rank	Sheriff	Undersheriff	Chief Deputy	Commander	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Senior Deputy	Deputy
Insignia								No insignia

Santa Clara County, California

Rank	Sheriff	Undersheriff	Assistant Sheriff	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Deputy Sheriff
Insignia							No insignia

Shelby County, Tennessee

Rank	Sheriff	Chief Deputy/Jailer	Assistant Chief Deputy/Jailer	Chief Inspector	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Detective	Deputy
Insignia								No insignia

Suffolk County Police, New York

Rank	Police Commissioner	Chief of Department	Chief of Division	Assistant Chief	Deputy Chief	Inspector	Deputy Inspector	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Police Officer/Detective
Insignia											No insignia

Suffolk County Sheriff, New York

Rank	Sheriff	Undersheriff		Chief Deputy Sheriff/ Chief of Staff/ Warden	Warden	Deputy Warden	Captain/ Investigator Captain	Lieutenant/ Investigator Lieutenant	Sergeant/Investigator Sergeant		Deputy Sheriff/ Correction Officer/ Deputy Sheriff Investigator/ Correction Officer Investigator
Insignia											No insignia

Sullivan County, Tennessee

Rank	Sheriff	Chief Deputy	Assistant Chief	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Deputy/Detective
Insignia							No insignia

Ventura County, California

Rank	Sheriff	Undersheriff	Assistant sheriff	Commander	Captain	Sergeant	Senior deputy sheriff	Deputy sheriff
Insignia								No insignia

Cities[edit]

Rank	Chief of Police	Deputy Chief of Police	Chief of Staff	Deputy Chief of Staff	Commander	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Police Officer/Detective
Insignia[38]								No insignia

Atlanta

Rank	Chief of Police	Assistant Chief	Deputy Chief	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Investigator	Senior Police Officer	Police Officer
Insignia								No insignia

Aurora

Rank	Chief of Police	Deputy Chief	Division Chief	Commander	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Police Agent	Police Officer Specialist	Police Officer	Police Cadet
Insignia										No insignia

Austin

Rank	Chief of Police	Chief of Staff	Assistant Chief	Commander	Lieutenant	Sergeant (10 years seniority)	Sergeant	Corporal/ Detective	Senior Police Officer	Police Officer	Recruit
Insignia[39]									No insignia

Bakersfield

Baltimore

Rank[40]	Police Commissioner	Deputy Police Commissioner	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Police Officer / Detective	Police Trainee
Insignia									No insignia

Bishop

Rank	Chief	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Police Officer
Insignia				No insignia

Boston

Rank	Commissioner (civilian)	Superintendent In Chief	Superintendent	Deputy Superintendent	Captain/Captain Detective	Lieutenant/Lieutenant Detective	Sergeant/Sergeant Detective	Detective	Police Officer
Insignia	No insignia							No insignia
Description	The Commissioner is appointed by the Mayor of Boston. The Commissioner is the executive head of the department.	The Superintendent in Chief is the highest-ranking police officer in the department. This position is not always filled.	Superintendents are typically in charge of a Bureau, or they can be the director of the academy.	Deputy Superintendents are typically second-in-command of a Bureau, or the deputy director of the academy.	Captains are typically commanders in charge of a district, or unit commander in academy, or service chief in the department administration	Lieutenants are in charge of holding the functions of being second-in-command of their respective district, or Unit leader in district, or service chief in the department administration, or instructor in academy, etc.	Sergeants are responsible for holding the functions of district sergeant, or unit deputy chief in district or staff sergeant in the department administration, or instructor in academy, etc.	Detective is a rank, guaranteed by a Legislative Act of 1986, they work in civil clothes and hold the function of an investigator.	Police Officers are the first ranking officers.

Charlotte

Rank	Chief of Police[41]	Assistant Chief[42]	Deputy Chief	Major	Captain[43]	Lieutenant[44][43]	Sergeant	Detective	Police Officer
Insignia								No insignia

Chicago

Rank	Superintendent of Police	First Deputy Superintendent of Police	Chief	Deputy chief	Commander	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Field training officer	Police officer/assigned as: detective/youth officer/gang specialist/police agent/major accident investigator/ etc	Police officer
Insignia										No insignia
Description	Appointed by the Mayor of Chicago. Highest rank in the Chicago Police Department.	Appointed by the Superintendent of Police. Second Highest rank in the Chicago Police Department.	Rank since September 8, 2011. Chiefs are typically in charge of a Bureau.	Rank since September 8, 2011.	Commanders are typically in charge of a district.	Captains are typically Executive Officers of Districts.			Field training officers wear one chevron over one rocker, with "FTO" in the center of the insignia, but are not considered ranking officers.	Chicago detectives are not considered ranking officers, but rather officers assigned to specialized units, e.g. violent crimes, robbery, gang and narcotics (NAGIS), Internal Affairs Division (IAD), Major Accident Investigation Section (MAIS), etc. (Unless they hold the rank of sergeant or above.)	Police officers are the first ranking officers. They are dispatched radio assignments, conduct patrol, and respond to other emergencies as needed.

Cleveland

Rank	Chief	Deputy Chief	Commander	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Field Training Officer	Police Officer
Insignia							No insignia

Cincinnati

Rank	Chief	Executive Assistant Chief	Assistant Chief	Captain	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Police Officer
Insignia							No insignia

Colorado Springs

Rank	Chief of police	Deputy chief	Commander	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Police officer/Detective
Insignia						No insignia

Columbus

Rank	Chief of police	Assistant Chief	Deputy Chief	Commander	Lieutenant	Sergeant	Police Officer
Insignia							No insignia