Code of conduct, uniform and appearance

We trust police officers to have authority, integrity and responsibility for public safety. That means they must follow the Victoria Police code of conduct and certain policies and appearance standards.

Be aware how these conditions may impact your personal and professional life before you start the police application process.

What we expect

Victoria Police employees have a responsibility to follow the expected standards at all times.

Police officers must adhere to:

the Victoria Police code of conduct
uniform and appearance standards
our drug and alcohol policy, and
other requirements.

A Victoria Police police officer stands in front of a Victoria Police car on a Melbourne street. He is smiling widely and holding his arms to his chest.

The Victoria Police Act 2013

The Victoria Police Act 2013 imposes a duty on employees to be of good behaviour at all times.

Your conduct, both on and off duty, reflects on both you and Victoria Police.

Actions you take in your personal life may affect your employment. They may also see you face internal discipline or criminal proceedings.

Victoria Police's organisational values

Your behaviour must demonstrate our organisational values.

Our organisational values underpin our policies, procedures and practices. They provide guidance on how we expect employees to interact with the community and each other.

Code of conduct

The Victoria Police Code of Conduct Professional and Ethical Standards sets out behaviour requirements for all employees.

The code of conduct can also help you identify situations and associations which may be conflicts of interest.

Victoria Police Code of Conduct - Professional and Ethical Standards

PDF 146.63 KB

Drugs and alcohol

During the application process and your employment with Victoria Police, you will be tested for drugs and alcohol.

This means:

you must be completely sober while on duty, and on call.
you must be free of illegal drugs at all times, both on and off duty.
if you are taking prescribed medications, you must disclose them in your application medical report.

Uniform and appearance

All employees must adhere to the Victoria Police Uniform and Appearance Policy.

Your appearance must reflect a professional and disciplined law enforcement agency. This includes clothing, grooming and personal accessories.

Exemptions to the uniform and appearance policy can be sought on genuine medical, cultural or religious grounds.

An application for an exemption can be made at the induction stage of the application process.

Tattoos and tattoo placements

Victoria Police has recently updated their policy regarding Uniform and Appearance Standards, which includes direction around tattoos/body art and piercings.

Employees are required to project an image that is consistent with a professional and disciplined law enforcement agency.

No visible offensive, or inappropriate tattoos are permitted.

Offensive or inappropriate tattoos

These are tattoos that include words, images or objects that are, or could be perceived to:

be obscene, violent, defamatory, sexually explicit, discriminatory, harassing, insulting, threatening or racially intolerant
constitute sexual harassment, or that are discriminatory or vilifying under equal opportunity legislation
be incompatible with Victoria Police's role, and could affect our reputation, or diminish public confidence.

Face, neck and head tattoos

Tattoos on the face, head and front of the neck are not permitted.

Neck tattoos on the rear of the neck may be permitted, but must not extend forward of the neck, beyond an imaginary line drawn vertically from behind the back of the ear down to the shoulder.

Existing employees are not permitted to get additional body art on the face, head and/or front of the neck. While on duty, employees must cover or remove all body art or modifications that are offensive or inappropriate.

Approved neck tattoo placement, showing that it must not be visible from the front, and can sit on the rear of the neck but must not extend forward of the neck, beyond an imaginary line drawn vertically from behind the back of the ear down to the shoulder.

Hand tattoos

Hand tattoos may be permitted.

Leg and arm tattoos

Tattoos on the legs and arms may be permitted.

Tattoo questions

Current or future applicants with tattoos/body art on the head, face, neck or hands should email RECRUITINGSERVICES-MGR@police.vic.gov.au.

Jewellery

Police officers can wear the following items of jewellery:

wristwatches
minimal rings of conservative style
emergency medical alert bracelets or pendants.

Other jewellery, ornaments, adornments or accessories are not permitted. This includes:

earrings
spacers
any facial or body piercings
plugs
tunnels
bars
chains
dental grills
or similar.

Facial hair

There are some requirements around beards and moustaches.

Beards

You may have a beard if it is:

grown while you are on leave, or absent from duty
grown for at least three weeks before you resume duty
full face, including a moustache
trimmed to follow the underside of the jawline, with a clean-shaven neck
kept neat, clean and close-trimmed
not over 20mm in length
not extreme in style or colour.

Goatees and patches of hair below the lower lip are not permitted.

Moustaches

You may have a moustache if it is:

clean, tidy and neatly trimmed
does not extend beyond a vertical line from the outer edge of the eye or below the bottom edge of the top lip.

Secondary employment

Employees must gain approval from their Assistant Commissioner or Executive Director to hold a secondary job.

Approval will not be granted where employment conflicts with your role as a Victoria Police employee.

This includes the:

liquor industry
gaming industry
racing industry
transport industry
firearms industry
weapons industry
private security industry, and
sex industry.