No person shall be eligible to receive an original appointment to a police department, as a police officer, subject to the civil service laws of this state, unless the person has reached the age of twenty-one and has, not more than one hundred twenty days prior to the date of such appointment, passed a physical examination, given by a licensed physician, a physician assistant, a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife, certifying that the applicant is free of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, and showing that the applicant meets the physical requirements necessary to perform the duties of a police officer as established by the civil service commission having jurisdiction over the appointment. The appointing authority shall, prior to making any such appointment, file with the Ohio police and fire pension fund a copy of the report or findings of the licensed physician, physician assistant, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse practitioner, or certified nurse-midwife. The professional fee for such physical examination shall be paid by the civil service commission. Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person is eligible to receive an original appointment when the person is thirty-five years of age or older, and no person can be declared disqualified as over age prior to that time. The maximum age limitation established by this section does not apply to a city in which an ordinance establishes a different maximum age limitation for an original appointment to the police department or to a civil service township in which a resolution adopted by the board of trustees of the township establishes a different maximum age limitation for an original appointment to the police department.

Nothing in this section shall prevent a municipal corporation or a civil service township from establishing a police cadet program and employing persons as police cadets at age eighteen for the purposes of training persons to become police officers. The board of trustees of a civil service township may establish by resolution such a cadet program. A person participating in a municipal or township police cadet program shall not be permitted to carry or use any firearm in the performance of the person's duties, except that the person may be taught the proper use of firearms as part of the person's training.

Effective Date: 11-02-1999.