(a) Any person employed or certified as a peace officer shall:

(1) Be at least 18 years of age;

(2) Be a citizen of the United States;

(3) Have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent;

(4) Not have been convicted by any state or by the federal government of any crime the punishment for which could have been imprisonment in the federal or state prison or institution nor have been convicted of sufficient misdemeanors to establish a pattern of disregard for the law, provided that, for the purposes of this paragraph, violations of traffic laws and other offenses involving the operation of motor vehicles when the applicant has received a pardon shall not be considered;

(5) Be fingerprinted for the purpose of conducting a fingerprint based search at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine the existence of any criminal record;

(6) Possess good moral character as determined by investigation under procedure established by the council and fully cooperate during the course of such investigation;

(7) Be found, after examination by a licensed physician or surgeon, to be free from any physical, emotional, or mental conditions which might adversely affect his or her exercise of the powers or duties of a peace officer; and

(8) Successfully complete a job related academy entrance examination provided for and administered by the council in conformity with state and federal law. Such examination shall be administered prior to entrance to the basic course provided for in Code Sections 35-8-9 and 35-8-11. The council may change or modify such examination and shall establish the criteria for determining satisfactory performance on such examination. The provisions of this paragraph establish only the minimum requirements of academy entrance examinations for peace officer candidates in this state; each law enforcement agency is encouraged to provide such additional requirements and any preemployment examination as it deems necessary and appropriate. Any person with a degree from a postsecondary institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education shall be deemed to have met the requirements of this paragraph.

(b) Any person authorized to attend the basic training course prior to employment as a peace officer shall meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this Code section.

(c) The executive director of the council, or his or her designee, shall promulgate a form which shall be available to any person seeking election to the office of sheriff. Such form shall provide for the attestation and certification by the executive director that the person seeking such form is a certified peace officer who is not under revocation by the council.