What are FBI disqualifiers?
Asked by: Destini Volkman | Last update: February 13, 2026Score: 4.1/5 (61 votes)
Based on FBI hiring guidelines updated as of February 2025, several factors will automatically disqualify an applicant from employment. These include issues with citizenship, criminal history, drug usage, financial responsibility, and personal conduct.
What are disqualifiers for the FBI?
Automatic disqualifiers to becoming an FBI agents
- Failure to file local, state, or federal income tax returns.
- Failure to pay court-ordered child support.
- Engagement in treasonable acts.
- Failure to register with the Selective Service System, if applicable.
- Failure to pass a urinalysis drug test administered by the FBI.
What would make you fail an FBI background check?
FBI background investigations disqualify candidates for automatic reasons like non-U.S. citizenship, felony or domestic violence convictions, and violating their strict drug policy (recent illegal drug use, especially controlled substances or prescription abuse). Other major disqualifiers include dishonesty on applications, failing to register for Selective Service (males), severe financial issues, foreign ties compromising loyalty, and failing polygraphs or tests for illegal drug use. The process evaluates the "whole person" using 13 guidelines, weighing negative factors with mitigating circumstances like honesty and positive change.
What will disqualify you from federal employment?
Federal employment disqualifiers often involve dishonesty on applications, serious criminal history (especially recent felonies, DUIs, or drug offenses), significant financial mismanagement, or current illegal drug use, but decisions are made case-by-case using the "whole person concept," weighing negative factors against mitigating circumstances like rehabilitation or honesty. Specific roles have stricter rules, but common red flags include falsifying documents, recent major crimes (like fraud, kidnapping, assault), severe financial distress (delinquent taxes, loans), and ongoing substance abuse.
What do FBI background checks look for?
An FBI background check reveals a person's comprehensive criminal history from national databases, including arrests, charges, convictions, and incarcerations, matched via fingerprints to ensure accuracy, and can also flag outstanding warrants, certain financial details like bankruptcies, and even include other records like sex offender registry status or terrorist watchlists, depending on the type of check (e.g., for federal jobs vs. gun purchases). It provides a deep dive into legal interactions, focusing on significant events rather than minor infractions, though expunged records are usually excluded.
10 FBI Agent Applicant Disqualifiers (Part 1 of 2)
What disqualifies you from clearance?
What can disqualify you?
- You are not a U.S. citizen.
- You were dishonorably discharged from the military.
- You are currently involved in illegal drug use.
- You have been judged as mentally incompetent or mentally incapacitated by a mental health professional.
- You have had a clearance revoked for security reasons.
What causes a red flag on a background check?
Red flags on a background check are inconsistencies or negative findings like criminal history (especially violent or financial crimes), employment/education discrepancies (lying about degrees or dates), poor credit, failed drug tests, or unprofessional social media that raise concerns about a candidate's integrity, judgment, or suitability for a role. Major red flags include criminal records, dishonesty, financial irresponsibility (for financial roles), and substance abuse issues.
What will fail a federal background check?
Federal employment background checks disqualify candidates for issues like serious criminal history (especially felonies, treason, espionage), dishonesty (lying on applications), financial irresponsibility (major debt, loan defaults, tax issues), recent illegal drug use, and sometimes concerning foreign contacts or mental health conditions that affect job performance, with specific bans for severe offenses like domestic violence (affecting firearm possession) or terrorism. Disqualification depends on the job's sensitivity, with some crimes leading to permanent bans, while others are reviewed case-by-case.
What is the hardest background check to pass?
The hardest background checks are typically US government security clearances (especially Top Secret/SCI) and those for high-level law enforcement, involving deep dives into criminal, financial (credit), employment, and personal history (interviews with associates) via extensive forms like the SF-86, far exceeding standard employment screening. These checks scrutinize all life aspects for integrity, reliability, and potential security risks, often requiring disclosure of past drug use, financial issues, and undisclosed criminal records, making them incredibly difficult to pass if issues exist.
Is it hard to get hired by the FBI?
We hire only a tiny percentage of applicants. The year I started, they hired 400 out of 58,000 applicants. I became a police officer only to get into the FBI. I did law enforcement for 6 years, worked as a cop full time while I was still working on my bachelors' degree.
What looks bad on a background check?
Things that look bad on a background check include criminal records (especially job-related offenses), significant inconsistencies on resumes (like falsified degrees or job titles), frequent job hopping, unexplained employment gaps, poor credit (for financial roles), negative social media activity (hate speech, unprofessionalism), and failed drug/driving tests, all suggesting dishonesty, instability, or risk to the employer.
What is the most common reason for failing a background check?
The most common reasons for failing a background check are criminal history, inaccuracies on your resume (like faking education or experience), and failing a drug test, with other frequent issues including a poor driving record, bad credit, or unverifiable information. A criminal record, especially for theft, violence, or fraud, is a major disqualifier, as are lies about your past, but many minor offenses from long ago may be overlooked.
Can people with ADHD join the FBI?
Persons with disabilities bring persistence, problem solving ability, creativity, and adaptability to the table. These skills, paired with their unique perspectives, make persons with disabilities invaluable assets to the FBI's mission. We actively recruit persons with disabilities for all roles within the FBI.
What happens if you fail a FBI background check?
Note: Based on the information obtained during this process, you can be disqualified and removed from consideration for employment with the FBI.
Who pays more, CIA or FBI?
It's complex, but the FBI often offers higher starting salaries for new agents due to law enforcement pay scales (LEAP), while the CIA can potentially offer more for specialized, senior roles in technical or paramilitary fields, with overall earnings depending heavily on the specific job, experience, location, and bonuses. Entry-level FBI special agents can start around $78k-$80k, while senior CIA roles with high-demand skills might reach $200k+, though the CIA's structure and bonuses make direct comparisons tricky.
How fast do you have to run the 1.5 mile for FBI?
For the FBI 1.5-mile run, male candidates need a minimum of 12:24 (score of 1) and females 13:59 (score of 1) to pass, but to score higher, males aim for under 9:00 and females under 10:35 for top scores, with detailed score breakdowns for each point value. Passing requires at least one point in all four fitness test components, with times varying significantly by age and fitness level.
What will disqualify you on a background check?
Disqualifying offenses in background checks typically involve serious crimes like violent offenses (murder, assault, kidnapping), sexual offenses (child molestation, sexual assault), major drug felonies (trafficking, manufacturing), and financial crimes (fraud, money laundering), especially for roles involving vulnerable populations or federal security, but can also include poor credit, drug use, domestic violence, and inconsistent application info, depending on the job and state laws. Federal and state laws mandate disqualifications for specific offenses, while employers often have their own criteria, considering the nature, recency, and relevance of the offense to the job.
What is the biggest red flag to hear when being interviewed?
The biggest red flags in an interview involve toxic culture indicators like an interviewer badmouthing former employees, being rude or disrespectful (distracted, interrupting, condescending), or showing a lack of transparency about the role or company, often signaled by vague answers, high turnover, or pressure to accept quickly; these suggest a poor environment where you won't be valued or supported.
How do you find out why you failed a background check?
If the background check uncovered adverse information that disqualifies you from the hiring process, potential employers are required by law to send you a notice of adverse action detailing the reasons why they're rejecting your application, along with a copy of the report and a summary of your rights under the Fair ...
What are 5 employment disqualifiers of the FBI?
Employment Eligibility
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Public record must be in good standing with no felony or domestic violence convictions.
- Cannot have used marijuana or cannabis in any form in the last year; cannot have used any other illegal drug in any other form in any location in the last ten years.
How far does an FBI background check go?
Criminal background checks typically go back 7 to 10 years, but this can vary based on state laws and the type of job. For instance: In states like California, criminal background checks go back seven years. However, some states allow a deeper look into your past if the job pays a higher salary (usually over $75,000).
What are some red flags on a background check?
Red flags on a background check are inconsistencies or negative findings like criminal history (especially violent or financial crimes), employment/education discrepancies (lying about degrees or dates), poor credit, failed drug tests, or unprofessional social media that raise concerns about a candidate's integrity, judgment, or suitability for a role. Major red flags include criminal records, dishonesty, financial irresponsibility (for financial roles), and substance abuse issues.
When to worry about a background check?
Multiple issues can cause you to fail a background check, including relevant criminal convictions, misrepresentations made on your resume or during your interview, a failed drug test, poor credit record, poor driving history, bad references, and unexplained employment gaps.
What are 5 red flag symptoms?
Here's a list of seven symptoms that call for attention.
- Unexplained weight loss. Losing weight without trying may be a sign of a health problem. ...
- Persistent or high fever. ...
- Shortness of breath. ...
- Unexplained changes in bowel habits. ...
- Confusion or personality changes. ...
- Feeling full after eating very little. ...
- Flashes of light.
What are the three most common reasons for rejecting candidates?
The three most common reasons for rejecting candidates center on skills/qualifications mismatch, poor cultural fit/attitude, and significant communication breakdowns or unprofessional behavior (like poor interviewing skills, lack of preparation, or being late), often highlighted by a more qualified candidate being available. Other frequent issues include salary expectations, weak references, or discrepancies between the resume and interview performance.