r/AskCHP

Hey just curious for the CHP background check investigation would they care if you had drunk and drive once or twice in your teens without getting caught while you were dumb and young?

I wanted to share a project I built with Claude Code and also explain the why behind it for anyone trying to build something similar.

The app is called LOC8. It started from a real problem I noticed in law enforcement. During foot pursuits, perimeter setups, large apartment complexes, alleys, backyards, or unfamiliar areas, it is easy to get turned around and need to quickly relay your exact location.

The idea was not to build another map app. The idea was to remove friction. Maps can give you a blue dot, but when you need the actual address, nearest cross street, GPS coordinates, heading, and accuracy fast, there are still extra steps. LOC8 puts that information on one screen for iPhone and Apple Watch.

Claude Code helped me build basically everything: the iPhone app, Apple Watch app, location logic, UI iterations, bug fixes, edge cases, and landing page. I used it heavily for React Native, watchOS, location handling, design cleanup, and keeping the product consistent.

The hardest part was not showing GPS data. The hard part was making it feel fast and useful under stress. I had to think through things like location accuracy, Apple Watch responsiveness, speed gating, driving versus walking, address refresh behavior, cached location data, and how much information is actually useful at a glance.

So far the app has grown to 1,500+ users, made a little over $1.5k in under 2 months, and has been around a 25% App Store product page conversion rate. Most growth has come from Reddit posts and manual outreach.

The biggest lesson for me is that Claude Code works best when you bring a real problem to it. It did not invent the use case. I understood the pain point first, then used Claude Code to help turn it into a working product.

For anyone one or two steps behind me, my advice would be: do not start with “what app can AI build for me?” Start with “what annoying problem do I understand better than most people?” Then use AI to help you move faster, test more ideas, and ship.

Would love feedback on the concept, the Apple Watch side, or how you would improve the product from here.

For those who took the test at Mt. SAC on 6/27 how’d you do? I was able to pass the Pat and took the exam at 10:30 felt pretty confident about everything! There was way more people there then I was expecting. My question is when they send you the results for the pellet b do they send you your score or just tell you whether you pass or fail?

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to apply to CHP next year after I'm fully recovered from surgery, so I'll most likely be 22 when I submit my application.

By then I'll have earned a BS in Computer Science, around five years of full-time professional software engineering experience (I started my career when I was 17½ with a local startup), and currently work as a Software Engineer for a California state department. I have good references, a clean criminal record, no drug, alcohol, or marijuana history, good credit, and one corrected traffic citation (rolling stop/tint) from late 2024.

For those of you who applied in your early 20s, what was your experience like? Did your age seem to matter at all? Based on my background, is there anything you'd recommend I focus on over the next year, or anything you wish you had done differently before applying?

I've also seen that CHP recently completed its goal of hiring 1,000 new officers. For those who have applied within the last year or two, have you noticed the hiring process becoming more competitive?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

I was in academy 2024.

You’ll do knuckle pushups while holding your baton sideways on the basketball court. Train that.

You’ll run 2 miles then stop and do 100 lunges while holding the guy next to you who is taller or shorter on both sides. Then you’ll run another 2 miles.

Finish line doesn’t exist. We ran an extra mile because a Cadet brought it upon himself to sprint to the so called “finish line”. They will make you late to breakfast they don’t care.

Everything for them always seemed to be in reps of 50 and 100. However a few times reps went to 200 or higher when people messed up.

Practice working out WHILE screaming or shouting. If you never trained to talk or yell while you are doing PT, you’ll struggle big time.

The slowest running group was a 9min mile pace. And the average running pace was 8mins with 2-4 people slower than that. You will regret being that Cadet if it so happens to be you. 8mins or so was the average pace across 3-4 miles and it was a consistent pace. It tends to remain the same and very rarely will slow down to cadence which is about a 10min pace. Train for 4miles at 7mins to be successful.

There is no preparing just know that. There is only being fit and the only thing after that is accepting where you at. Is what it is its gonna suck. All these people here not giving you the full picture in my eyes

On top of that you’ll hold planks for 5mins+
Lunge until you can’t walk
You’ll run to every single class in boots whilst having a full duty belt with a gun (minus ammo and some other things).

Sometimes classes are over a half mile apart from each other. Think im lying? Im not. You’ll have half 1 mile jogs just to get to some class/parts of EVOC or PT. For example: You are going to be tested for a sprint obstacle course, but the total run is 0.5 miles to get there, therefore thats a 1 mile broken up run just for that (on top of the testing). If you walk you’ll regret it big time.

Anything that you think is a cheat code, way out, “boost”, it’s all gonna scam yourself. Don’t do the energy drinks its the fastest way to death in Academy. I fell for it and regretted everything. Those energy drinks start from 1 daily to 2 to 3 to 4 and it won’t stop incrementing. Accept you’ll be tired and are a capable bull without them

I hope that answered your question. Nobody else was saying it so I said it. If someone is mad I shared such “secrets” eh.. Just let the people succeed and be ready. The academy isn’t even the job lmfao. You can be an amazing cadet and a terrible cop. You might be the worst cadet but the best cop. They’ll convince you that you being a bad runner or a slow dresser = problem. But nope once you graduate that won’t happen. Only thing that will happen on the road is multitasking and responding to calls in a timely matter.. Nobody running 1 mile in boots and if you are then you probably lost your patrol car and forgot to put it in park 🤣.

Ima say it AGAIN. The ACADEMY is not the job. If you get sad and wanna quit IT IS NOT THE JOB. They’ll peer pressure you into thinking its the job but no. Don’t listen to them its all fake news. If you ever get to a breaking point tell them loudly you want them to stop and need to speak to someone about it cause they are required to accommodate that. Do not rely on that but hey if you truly think you’re gonna say i quit the best option is talking about it with them. They might yell and look scary but they will help you not quit if you let them

Farthest we ran in one go was 6.5 miles. However they do tend to stop every 2 miles or so cause of the slow runners. So you hold a plank or do burpees while the slow guys in the back waddle. Trust they will be the most hated cadets and it’ll become a political issue lmfao

If your classmates fight, argue.. let it be. Don’t be a hero. Bunch drama queens in there with no commonsense. If a classmate peer pressures you into something or scolds you ignore it. Like I said its full on anarchy in there at times. Bunch of emotional men and women with different opinions. If it wasn’t “joe” it’ll be “doe”. Meaning if a classmate causes everyone to get extra PT it’s part of the game. If “joe” didn’t make a mistake they would have just said he did anyway. They will lie and plant things. For example your sign out sheet might get ruined randomly.. integrity test to see if you’ll admit to something that wasn’t your doing. Someone in your class is gonna try to brute force the academy and blame everyone for such event. They lack the understanding of the academy.. stand up and tell them to shut up 🤣

Finally!!! If your keys go missing in the pigeon whole its fine. Don’t panic when another cadet takes your shoes. Most certainly don’t ask the rto’s for help they’ll laugh at you. Locate the missing shoe somehow and move on. My shoes were taken so many times and so were my keys. Thats why being perfect is fake. You might be perfect but someone else causes you to tilt. Don’t be the cadet who rages at dumb billy for taking your keys. Chances are RTO’s took your keys or swapped them with another pigeon whole just because they can. Ask me how I know.

Bird bath in the bathroom sink is tempting. Please don’t be that lazy and do it.. my god people.

Food is good but don’t eat the cookies or chocolate chip cookies. Trust me they might not “care”, but they’ll secretly punish you. You ain’t there to eat well.

Don’t sneak food in rooms. One of our guys in the quarters did this and it was absolutely hell for us since. Have mercy on your classmates!

Don’t sneak into your car throughout the week. Like why would you even consider this?!? People did it though. Starts with F and ends with D! Fireeeeeeeeeed

Don’t lie cheat or steal. And do not do memos for other cadets. Do not DATE another cadet. Do Not think ABOUT dating another cadet. DO NOT EVEN HAVE LOVE FOR A CADET OR THINK ABOUT ANOTHER CADET.. yeah you get my point.

If you get sick, cry. No time off will happen unless you need hospital. They won’t care that you want your teeth cleaned and that dentist appointments aren’t open on weekends.

Don’t talk to workers or staff. They will snitch on you for fraternizing.

Don’t buy candy at the PX.

Just cause you think you aren’t being watched doesn’t mean you aren’t. The classrooms have see through invisible glass for the rto’s to see you + microphones.

The second day you will stencil your name on the back of your shirt by hand. Rush it and get to bed cause after that from there forward you can just get your shirts printed.

If your roomates keeps you up a night turn the lights off and if they get mad tell them you will go to rto right now if they don’t let you sleep. Sleep is important and if they won’t respect that well thats not fair to you. All in all me and my roomates were getting to bed hella early. But I could see a scenario where 2 are on task and a 3rd isn’t so he wants to keep the lights. Nah screw that.

If it HURTS stop. If you think you’re straining a muscle, hurting your tissue, causing a hernia.. stop. They might call you names but tell then you need medical attention immediately and want to get it checked out. Or alter the workout as needed to avoid injury. Its not worth getting a permanent injury because of ego.

They might fail you so you can get extra training through remediation. Don’t stress that its your final attempt. If you really try and give it your all and you’re an honest genuine person you ain’t failing anything.

Understand. You’re a failure. You’re a dumb cadet. You’re nothing but scum and sweaty smell and must. Know your worthless title as a cadet and all will be fine. Enjoy the miserable academy!! But once you graduate it’ll be worth it

If anyone has a problem with the info I shared…… Just let the stressers eat man. Why try to hide this stuff? This is someones future and life. You should want them to succeed. I walk among you so called disciplined people. And im speaking to other officers here.. If your mindset is making it miserable for others because you think you are better than them.. just know these people who are “not meant for the career.. might just be your sergeants in the future. Being a cop starts with serving the public. And the public in this post has been served!

If they ask for marines or vets and you don’t wanna be a hero don’t raise your hand. Not everyone wants to lead and thats okay. However in some cases it might be forced upon you.

Don’t fat shame. I was being out ran by these so called “pork bellies”. Also don’t underestimate the rto’s who may look out of shape. I can assure you a good majority of them can out PT you.

You cannot go to your car in the first week until Friday at 5pm or 6pm or so. The following weeks you have liberty wednesday and friday through sunday. Your wednesday can be removed and it is not a right it is a privilege. 3 blue cards = no wednesday. You will lose it don’t cry about it. Only way you lose your weekend is if you shoot your gun off at 3am or do something REALLY STUPID 🤣.

Oh and since nobody is gonna answer it. $4,200 minimum you make a month up to $6,500 for certain people (depends on taxes and dependents etc). Yes every time you get punished you get paid overtime. Meaning if you like OT then losing every liberty = OT. Its all petty OT its not worth the $$ trust.

At week 15 you’ll make approximately $10,000 in overtime.
At week 26 approximately $14,000 or higher

At end of academy you’ll be given a 0% interest loan for housing of I think if I recall it was $5k? I think its still offered but could be wrong.

Invest in yourself. Buy a gun light. Buy the nice gear. Buy the nice running shoes and boots. Spend top dollar. You are gonna make good $$.

Any time you are on academy grounds you fall under academy cadet rules and sop. Nobody will care if its a saturday at 3PM, greet the staff, and respect the rules. You will get jammed up even on a weekend for failing to do so.

Watch out for hiding cops!!!! Rto’s might sneak up on ya. Head on a swivel, always greet them. Good morning mam! Good morning sir! Good evening ladies! Good afternoon captain! Etc

Go to RTO and ask for food if you want to get yelled at. If you got the courage ask them to help you 🤣

This one is for my pork bellies!! Your vending machines will include but not limited to.. delicious weltches fruit snacks, crispy cool ranch and spicy Doritos, pop TARTS baby, and some weird apple juice liquid that made my tummy hurt. You will also have hot coco, coffee, and energy drinks (ghost, monster, and gatorade is offered). Vending machines also have 4-5 protein protein bar brands, ruffles chips, pretzels, cheez its, etc

Academy food included but is not limited to: Powdered eggs, soggy waffles and pancakes, sausage links/patties, chicken tenders, pizza, hotdogs, etc. You will have access to all the fruit you could ever ask for.

More hidden food includes cereal, chocolate milk, bread fixings, ice cream, soda, and more. Eat whatever your career can handle. If the chocolate milk is worth the PT and shame then by all means its yours

If you need to pee don’t take off your entire duty belt.. unzip from within. Thank me later. If you need #2, well.. its gonna get annoying. Xrays (females) yall will have it the worst im sorry

Do not write to the academy staff or captain and complain about food. If you ask for food, expect that said food to be removed from the menu indefinitely

Also yes they have vegan and vegetarian dishes

When you eat in chow do not slide your chair.

You will have access to basketball and the gym/track after you become a junior, or after a specific amount of time has passed

You will stop hand writing memos at about week 12 or sooner maybe. No promises though

You will take a spelling test once a week up until week 12 or sooner maybe. You will study for a spelling test but they will change the words on you. Is what it is.

Spelling tests include gun nomenclature, vehicle codes, etc

Vehicle codes must be memorized entirely when asked what a code is. “Umm” and “uh” = wrong

After chow you’ll get trapped in a gig line. As in line = gig if you fail. You’ll have approximately 15-30 seconds to prepare for a random question out of the cadet pamphlet. If you get it right, they might ask you 5 more just cause they can.

When filling out gigs, stand in position of advantage and constantly look left and right and behind you. Try to give your gig to the rto right there and then so you don’t have to report it to staff office. Approach them respectfully and say, “Sir/Mam, cadet —, I have a (what you have)”. Make sure you memorized their name and go to the right rto.

If you get a commendable it’s possibly a trap. I got one and 1 commendable = 2 gigs. A commendable is the opposite of a gig. But you have to report it just like a gig. Meaning there is room for more gigs.

You will take 3 standard post written exams. RBC 1, RBC 2, and RBC 3. I got 90% on them and barely studied. Take with that what you will.

Scenarios are around week 16 I believe. Yes you will have to give classroom presentations and speak to a group of people. If you cannot handle that you will not like fto cause there is a guy next to you judging your every move

Academy report writing is not the same as the job report writing. Academy is a lot harder and drawn out than real world. Although it will better prepare you for the job

Conclusion: Have faith in yourself and your abilities and be confident about the choices and decisions you make. If you went through the entire process and got into academy then you already made the decision that this career is for you. Nobody forced you to attend, and nobody took your hand and made you sign. You wanted this and so you made it happen. Do not allow yourself to fall for something that you don’t actually want. And if this career truly isn’t for you, then in the very least, graduate, make it to the road, and prove to yourself its not for you. God bless.

I live in Reno. I want to join law enforcement but feel my application is weak. I’ve been fired from 3 jobs since 18. Once for using a mangers code without authorization while serving at a restaurant to order food for myself (22yo). The other for crashing a car on midnight shift as a valet (19yo)- I also tested positive for marijuana. And the other for failing to properly do my job as a bartender- not ringing in all the drinks I was serving (22yo)

I’ve smoked once as a sophomore in highschool, and a handful of times at 19 but stopped after being fired for it.

I have 5 tickets since 18yo.2 for expired registration, 1 for texting while driving, 1 for speeding (25 over) and 1 for running a stop sign.

Longest job I worked was 2 years, and since then I’ve job hopped about every 9 months in the service industry. I have some college, no volunteering, and the only really accomplishment I can say is that I’ve created financial stability for myself at 23 (good credit, solid investments). All my former bosses liked me. I was a hard worker but made mistakes with integrity. I have good references as well.

I feel as though my CHP dream is far and few between and feel as though I should try to build a reputation for myself first in RPD or another local California department.

If you’ve applied with a similar application or gone through training with someone of a similar background I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I would’ve gone the military then law enforcement route but I have keratoconus.

Hey guys just wanted to check in and see what type of workouts you guys are doing to be better prepared for the CHP academy. Of course running and body weight exercises but I guess what I’m trying to ask is how frequently are you guys training and do you guys have a workout regiment you guys follow. Any tips are greatly appreciated.

How many pairs of boots do we need for the academy?

So basically I have used alcohol in cooking purposes for a long time and I know during BI they will ask me about alcohol usage. I have never unlawfully consumed or purchased alcohol. I will disclose this but am I fine?

**Hi, longtime lurker first time poster here.**

**I’ve applied to CBP, SDPD, NCPD, and SDSO.**

**I completed all the steps for CBP, but unfortunately did not pass the poly. I was truthful but yet was still deemed a “fail”.**

**After completing the PIQ for SDPD I was told to be a non select due to a recent speeding ticket and my weed use was too recent (at the time I’d only been 7 months clean). I was told I was a great applicant and to try again in 2028, lol.**

**After I completed NCPD’s PAT, PIQ, and PelletB, I was emailed I was DQ’d. I reached out for clarification but was left unanswered.**

**I passed SDSO entry exam and completed their PIQ, but was told I would not move forward and to try again in the future.**

**I still have one department left, passed their test, completed my PHS, and have the PAT in a couple weeks.**

**My question is, would continuing to apply to departments only hurt my case?**

**Im 22, clean record, only two speeding tickets.**

**I’ve heard having mulitiple DQs and non selects makes me look bad when background investigators see that. Im not sure if I’ve been getting DQ/non select due to my recent speeding ticket, failed poly, or weed use.**

**For the record my speeding ticket was in October 2025, and my last weed use was in May of 2025.**

**Any input is appreciated, thank you.**

Just wondering if you’re allowed to have a mustache at the academy if its meets their regulations. Any input would help thank you.

I have a quick question related my religion. I am a sikh i wear turban, but I trim my beard. I want to know can I apply for the CHP 🚔.

I’m currently scheduled for my psych interview in about a week and was wondering what my chances are of making the October academy versus being pushed to the following one.

For those of you who completed all of the hiring steps but didn’t receive an invite to the July academy, when were you officially cleared?

See title. I have a regular pencil but it has designs and no eraser.

I currently have PAT and pellet on 8/29 but I was reading and I think I’ll get a DQ because I’ve done chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2022 and have cards in collection because I couldn’t pay them because what I and and the rent in la is expensive. Should I continue or just stop already

Since it’s this weekend would love to know what expect timing wise

Mentally I’m thinking Starts at 7AM — ending 11/12ish?

Just to make sure also — this structure is seemingly identical to LASD — i’m assuming that the interview follows the PAT

Is informal and definitely doesn’t require a suit

Let me know from somebody’s whose done it

Would this kind of damage be easily or superficially repairable, and pass inspection in California?

Total loss for 2013 Scion tC 115k miles is $14.2k before deductible. This is double what I paid for a good deal, and honestly more than it should be. I do not yet have an estimate for the salvage value for the buy back. So is my insurance company kind of getting a good deal because the repair cost is actually low? Will I be able to just buy that taillight assembly and bulbs and pass inspection? Thank you!

Would this kind of damage be easily or superficially repairable, and pass inspection in California? If yes, then what would be a reasonable buy back price?

Critically, this question regards a potential EV rebate of $10k+ that requires two years of ownership, including salvage, so if I could just get it back and get that $10k, LOL.