EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY

To qualify for employment with the FBI, applicants must not violate any of the automatic
employment disqualifiers. They must also follow the FBI’s employment drug policy. Please
ensure you meet these standards before submitting an application. The FBI extensively
researches all of the disqualifiers outlined below during the FBI background investigation
process.

Employment Disqualifiers Employment Drug Policy

The following factors will automatically disqualify The FBI is firmly committed to a drug-free
job candidates from employment with the FBI: workplace. Interested applicants who are currently
using illegal drugs or misusing or abusing legal
• Non-U.S. citizenship
drugs or other substances for illicit purposes at
• A felony conviction the time of the application process will be found
• A domestic violence conviction unsuitable for employment.

• Violating the FBI Employment Drug Policy The FBI balances the needs of the organization and
the importance of maintaining the public integrity
• Defaulting on a student loan insured by the U.S.
necessary to accomplish its law enforcement and
government
intelligence missions by hiring the most qualified
• Failing an FBI-administered urinalysis drug test candidates. The guidelines are used by all entities
• Failing to register with the Selective Service in the hiring process to help determine whether an
System (for applicants who were assigned male at applicant’s prior drug use makes them eligible and/
birth only, exceptions apply – please click here to or suitable for FBI employment.
find out more) A candidate will be found unsuitable for employment
• Knowingly or willfully engaging in acts or activities and automatically disqualified if they deliberately
designed to overthrow the U.S. government by misrepresent their drug history in connection with
force their application for employment. Additionally,
candidates are automatically disqualified under the
• Failing to pay court ordered child support following criteria:
• Failing to file federal, state, or local income tax
returns Marijuana Usage
• Candidates cannot have used marijuana or
cannabis in any form (natural or synthetic) and in
Please note that if any of the
any location (domestic or foreign) within the one
above factors apply to you, you
(1) year preceding the date of their application for
don’t qualify for FBI employment.
employment.
Please make sure you can meet
• Cannabidiol (CBD) or hemp-derived products
FBI employment requirements and
which consist of more than 0.3 percent
pass all disqualifiers before you
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) meet the legal
submit an application.

Last updated April 2024

definition of marijuana.
FBI Background Investigation
• Dronabinol (sold as Marinol, Syndros, or
generic equivalents) is the only pharmaceutical
All FBI employees must undergo an FBI background
drug containing THC that the Food and Drug
investigation to receive an FBI Top Secret security
Administration has approved for lawful use with a
clearance. Once you have received and accepted a
medical prescription.
conditional job offer, the FBI will initiate an intensive
background investigation. You must go through
Other Illegal Drugs
this background investigation, and you must pass,
• Candidates cannot have used any illegal before moving forward with employment. The
drug, other than marijuana, within the ten (10) preliminary employment requirements include a
years preceding the date of the application for polygraph examination; a test for illegal drug use;
appointment. credit and records checks; and extensive interviews
with former and current colleagues, neighbors,
Prescription Drugs/Legally friends, professors, etc. Before applying for any FBI
Obtainable Substances position, please make sure that the FBI Employment
Disqualifiers don’t apply to you.
• Candidates who have misused any prescription
drug within one (1) year preceding the date
of application for employment may be found
unsuitable and disqualified.
• Candidates who have abused any prescription
drug or over-the-counter substance within three
(3) years preceding the date of application
for employment may be found unsuitable and
disqualified.
• Candidates who have abused any legally obtained
substance (e.g., inhalants, solvents, etc.) within
three (3) years preceding the date of application
for employment may be found unsuitable and
disqualified.
• Candidates cannot have used anabolic steroids
without a prescription from a licensed practicing
physician within ten (10) years preceding the date
of the application for employment.