Commission
The Civil Service Commission consists of three volunteer members, who are appointed by the County Executive for a six year term, subject to ratification by the County Council. Commissioners must reside in Pierce County, and have been a resident of the County for a minimum of two years prior to appointment. Commissioners must be United States citizens and registered to vote in Pierce County.

The Civil Service Commission meets once monthly, currently the second Tuesday of each month, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Meetings vary in length, usually lasting one half hour to two hours long. The Meeting Notice and Agenda is published on-line prior to each meeting. After the meeting, the Meeting Minutes are complied by the Chief Examiner and published on-line.

Current Civil Service Commissioners are:
- Richard Sokolowski, Chair
- Gail Merritt-Smith
- Linda Thomas

• Applications for Civil Service positions are available only when the position is open.
• Civil Service openings are listed on Pierce County Jobs.
• Applicants are encouraged to apply online.
• Applicants should submit a completed application packet along with answering all supplemental questions and questionnaires.
• A resume is lieu of an application is not acceptable.
• All Civil Service applicants must be U.S. citizens and have the ability to read and write the English language as required by RCW 41.14.100.

• Applicants should read the position announcement completely for important testing information.
• On all entry-level Civil Service examinations applicants must pass with a score of 70% or higher.
• Applicants are then placed on the ranked eligibility register based on their examination scores.

Prior to actual appointment to a position, an applicant must successfully complete a thorough Sheriff's Department background investigation. The background investigation may consist of, but is not limited to, the following:

- Sheriff's Department Interview
- Formal Oral Board Interview
- Employment History Check
- Neighborhood Check
- Reference Checks
- Behavioral Characteristics Assessment
- Polygraph Examination
- Post Offer Medical Examination including Drug Screen
- Criminal, Driving, and Financial History Check

Failure to successfully pass or complete any phase of the Sheriff's Department background investigational process is cause for removal from the employment register.

Each employment application packet for Civil Service has a Self-Screening Questionnaire. The questionnaire is designed to give each applicant the opportunity to see if they meet the minimum background requirements for the position that they are applying for.