HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Educational Qualifications, and Physical Standards

The Himachal Pradesh Home Guards Department has released the official notification for 700 Home Guard volunteer posts under Advertisement No. 01/2026. Candidates who wish to serve the state and build a disciplined career must carefully understand the HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026 before submitting their application.

Many aspirants prepare seriously but often miss small eligibility conditions related to age, education, or physical standards. This leads to rejection during document verification or physical tests. It is important to read every detail clearly and plan accordingly to avoid such issues.

This article explains the complete HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026. Check age limit, educational qualification, physical standards for male and female candidates, technical trade qualifications, and other important instructions.

HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026 Overview

HP Home Guard Recruitment 2026 is being conducted to fill 700 vacant posts of Home Guard Volunteers in Himachal Pradesh. The posts include General Duty (Men and Women), Drivers, Bandmen, and Technical Tradesmen.

Check the overview of the recruitment and HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026 for candidates in the table below:

HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026

The official notification clearly mentions that candidates must fulfill all educational and physical standards before applying.  Below is the HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026 in detail under different sections.

Educational Qualification

Education is the first and most important condition under the HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026.

The following are the educational requirements for General Duty Home Guards:

• Candidates must have passed 10+2 (Higher Secondary) from a recognized School Board or University.

• The institution must be recognized by the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education or UGC.

The following are the educational requirements for Technical Company/Platoon:

• Candidates must have passed Matriculation (10th) from a recognized board.

• In addition to Matriculation, technical trade certificate from an I.T.I recognized by the Himachal Pradesh Government is required (for specific trades).

Candidates must upload certificates of essential qualification and matriculation certificate as proof of age before the last date.

Age Limit

Age is calculated as per the official rules mentioned in the HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026. The following is the age limit:

• Minimum Age: 18 Years

• Maximum Age: 50 Years

The date for determining age eligibility is 1st January of the year in which recruitment is being conducted.

Candidates must ensure that they fall within the prescribed age bracket. Those outside the limit will not be considered eligible.

HP Home Guard Physical Standards

Physical fitness plays a very important role in the selection process. Candidates must carefully check the height and chest measurements (for males) before applying under the HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026. The required standards for General and SC/ST categories are given below.

Check the physical standards for General Duty posts in the table below:

Check the physical standards for Technical Company/Platoon posts in the table below:

HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Technical Company/Platoon

Candidates applying under Technical Company must meet additional trade-specific qualifications under the HP Home Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026.

The following is the minimum educational requirement:

• Matriculation (10th pass) is mandatory.

• Trade certificate must be from I.T.I recognized by the Himachal Pradesh Government.

Candidates can check the table below for Technical Trades and Qualifications:

For Armourer trade, merit will be based on marks obtained in Matriculation.

Candidates must note that higher qualifications in trade will only be accepted if the course is completed from a government-recognized institute.