Note to the Voter: Remember that you are the HR person choosing who is best qualified to be a Sheriff. Check out their Educational Background, their Work History, and Community Service. If they are an Incumbents (IN), who are Candidates up for re-election, what is their Job Record of Service? Do they have any marks against them? Make sure it matches up with your core beliefs what they are saying from the campaign trail that they support. Even Sheriifs have a Platform of issues they want to focus on. Which candidate is best qualified? That is who you should vote for. 

About the Office: 

Texas Constitution Article 5 Sec. 23. SHERIFFS. There shall be elected by the qualified voters of each county a Sheriff, who shall hold his office for the term of four years, whose duties, qualifications, perquisites, and fees of office, shall be prescribed by the Legislature, and vacancies in whose office shall be filled by the Commissioners Court until the next general election. Sheriffs serve a term of four years and are elected by the voters of their county. Should there be a vacancy, the Commissioners Court will appoint a temporary Sheriff until the next general election Requirements may vary County to County.  Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) may require any Sheriff who is not a commissioned peace officer to attend up to 40 hours of education within two to four years of taking office.

Qualifications

​To become an elected county sheriff in Texas, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, a registered voter, and a resident of Texas for 12 months and the county for 6 months. Under Texas law (including updates via SB 1124), candidates must also hold an active permanent peace officer license or meet specific military/investigator experience alternatives.

Source: Texas Association of Counties

General Eligibility & Residency Qualifications

• Citizenship & Age: Must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years old.

• Residency: Must be a resident of Texas for at least 12 consecutive months and a resident of the specific county for at least 6 consecutive months prior to the filing deadline.

• Voter Status:

   Must be a registered voter in the county.

• Clean Record: Must not have a final felony conviction (unless pardoned) or have been found mentally incapacitated by a probate court. 

  Texas Association of Counties

Licensing and Experience Requirements (Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 85.0011)

A candidate must hold a high school diploma or GED certificate, plus fulfill at least one of these professional criteria: 

the Texas Secretary of State

• Hold an active permanent peace officer license issued by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), OR

• Be eligible for a TCOLE peace officer license and have at least 5 years of experience as a federal special investigator, OR

• Be eligible for a TCOLE peace officer license and be a military veteran with a minimum of 10 years of combined active duty or National Guard service experience. 

Salaries

The average annual salary for an elected or top-level county Sheriff is roughly $105,000, while general Deputy Sheriffs average about $74,000 per year, with exact pay heavily dependent on the specific county's size, budget, and local cost of living. ​

Pension

​Because Texas Sheriffs are county elected officials, they participate in the retirement plan adopted by their specific county Commissioners Court rather than a unified state police pension.

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Sheriff Candidates can be found on their County's page on this site. 

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