Do you need police experience to join the FBI?
Sarah Garza
Updated on March 29, 2026
A four-year degree will still be required. Diversified candidates need to have a four-year degree in any major and three years of work experience or a graduate degree with at least two years of experience. Most often, these candidates are former police officers or those with past investigative experience.
Can you join the FBI without military experience?
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must successfully undergo a rigorous background investigation, including a personal security interview, a polygraph examination and drug testing. Military experience is not a requirement for application, but male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service System.
What does the FBI look for when hiring?
What kind of background check is required? Everybody who works at the FBI has a top-secret security clearance. The background check is pretty robust for any employee. It includes a polygraph, drug test, credit check, interviews with friends, neighbors, your babysitter, and a wide range of people who know you.
What qualities does the FBI look for?
7 FBI traits that will make you a better leader
- Confidence. Boosting confidence is the primary goal of the FBI Academy—before they send agents out with a gun and badge.
- Humility.
- Good Values.
- Kindness.
- Tough.
- Listening Skills.
- Emotional Intelligence.
Do FBI agents have time for family?
Do FBI Special Agents Have Time for Family? FBI Special Agents do have to work long hours, which can lead to missing out on quality family time. As an FBI Special Agent, you may not always have a lot of free time to spend with your friends and family.
Do FBI agents get days off?
As such, the FBI offers the following time off programs: Annual Leave – FBI employees earn days of annual leave at a rate determined by their total years of federal government service (this includes civilian and most military service, with exceptions).
Can FBI agents have tattoos?
The FBI does have strict rules on physical appearance, especially during training, but they don’t specifically ban all tattoos.
How old is the youngest FBI agent?
Richard Wershe Jr. (born July 18, 1969), known as White Boy Rick, became a Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) informant when he was 14 to 16 years old….
| Richard Wershe Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Status | Released on July 20, 2020 |
| Known for | F.B.I. informant at age 14. Spending 27 years in prison for a drug offence committed when he was 17. |
How long is the FBI Academy?
approximately 20 weeks
The Basics The training includes over 800 hours, including a variety of web-based courses, in four major concentrations: academics, case exercises, firearms training, and operational skills. Currently, new agent training lasts approximately 20 weeks.
What are the FBI core competencies?
To become an FBI special agent, you must develop proficiency in the necessary skills and demonstrate mastery of the bureau’s eight core competencies:
- Collaboration.
- Communication.
- Flexibility and Adaptability.
- Initiative.
- Interpersonal Ability.
- Leadership.
- Organizing and Planning.
- Problem-Solving and Judgment.
What kind of experience do you need to become an FBI agent?
The average work experience required for a potential FBI special agent position is three years in a field related to his or her degree. The FBI seeks candidates with specific critical skills, including knowledge of accounting, engineering, law, the military, science, or foreign languages, so professional full-time work in these areas is preferred.
How to get an internship with the FBI?
1 Try to land an internship with the FBI ‘s main office in Washington D.C. 2 Attend any local FBI seminars that may take place on nearby college campuses 3 Get a job as a police officer or working some type of security [2-4 years should be sufficient] 4 Serve in the military to gain valuable leadership/tactical experience
How often do you have to take PFT to become FBI special agent?
The initial PFT must be attempted within 14 days of passing the Phase 2 Test. Candidates can take the PFT as many as three times over a one-year period in an attempt to pass, but failure to pass within that timeframe would disqualify a candidate from being eligible for the Special Agent position.
Do you need a foreign language to become an FBI agent?
Although the knowledge of a foreign language is not an absolutely necessary requirement for how to become a federal agent, it can help to distinguish an individual’s FBI application even if one’s bachelor’s degree did not focus on language study. A key part of how to get into the FBI involves work experience.
