Federal Enforcement Officers - Qualifications

• Typically, must be appointed prior to their 37th birthday.  See the Age Requirements section.
• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Must undergo pre-employment medical screening and meet the medical requirements.
• Must undergo pre-employment physical fitness testing and receive a passing score immediately prior to attending training.   
• Must pass a pre-employment drug screening. 
• Must pass an initial Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI). 
• Must possess a valid driver's license at the time of appointment.
• Must be legally able to possess and carry a firearm.
• Must be willing to provide sworn statements and testimony in court.
• Must complete an initial online application questionnaire and additional assessment(s).
• Must meet all listed qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

• Must agree to be mobile throughout the locations within the USMS.
• Must remain at your first duty station for a minimum of three years.
• Must sign a memorandum of understanding which outlines employment conditions for the position, including a mobility agreement and a first duty assignment requirement.
• Must successfully complete a rigorous multi-month basic training program conducted at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia.
• Must undergo periodic or as needed medical examination and continue to meet the medical requirements for the position.
• Must complete a bi-annual fitness test.  
• This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) and subject to random drug testing.
• Must successfully pass periodic background reinvestigations.
• Must carry a handgun and must qualify twice a year in the use of multiple firearms.  

Individuals typically must be between the ages of 21 and 36 and must be appointed before their 37th birthday.

This age restriction does not apply to those who have prior federal service in a covered primary law enforcement or firefighter position, or to qualified Veterans’ Preference eligibles regardless of whether they meet the maximum age requirements identified in 5 U.S.C. 3307, unless the hiring agency has determined age is essential to the duties of the job.  

Applicants below the age of 21 years will not be considered for the Federal Enforcement Officer position.

The Federal Enforcement Officer positions may be advertised at various grade levels. Each grade level has specific qualification requirements that must be met in order to be found qualified for the position.

Please carefully review the posted job announcement to find detailed information regarding these and other job requirements.

Typically, the Federal Enforcement Officer position will be posted at grade levels 5 and/or 7. 

The qualifications for these grades are listed below.

Grade 5: To qualify at this grade level, you must meet ONE of the following:

General Experience:  You must have 3 years of progressively responsible experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least a grade 4, that demonstrates the ability to:

1. Analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions;
2. Plan and organize work; and
3. Communicate effectively orally and in writing.

Such experience may have been gained in administrative, professional, technical, investigative, or other responsible work.  Experience in secretarial, clerical, or other support work may be qualifying as long as it provided you with the abilities listed above.  Experience of a general clerical nature such as typing, filing, routine procedural processing, maintaining records, or other nonspecialized tasks, is not qualifying.

OR

Education: You must have completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) a 4-year course of study above high school level leading to a bachelor's degree in any field of study.

OR

Combination of Experience and Education: You may combine successfully completed post-high school education and experience to meet the qualification requirements. To determine if the combination of your experience and education meet the qualifications, complete the following steps: 

(1) Determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required.
(2) Determine your education as a percentage of the education required.  Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree may be combined with experience to qualify at the grade 5 level.  One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. 
(3) Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent. 

For example, an applicant has 9 months of specialized experience and 75 semester hours of college (15 semester hours beyond the second year and the equivalent of 3 months of specialized experience). The applicant meets 75 percent of the required experience and 25 percent of the required education. Therefore, the applicant meets 100 percent of the requirement for 1 year of specialized experience and is qualified for the position.

Grade 7: To qualify at this grade level, you must meet ONE of the following:

Specialized Experience: You must have 1 year of full-time experience which is equivalent to at least the Federal grade 5 level, performing the following duties: 

Supporting cellblock operations to establish and maintain order, discipline, and security, while also prioritizing the safety of both prisoners and detainees while in custody;  adhering to directives, policies, and procedures regarding the cellblock to include monitoring prisoners and/or detainees through closed circuit television as well as visual inspections of the cellblock;  documenting and reporting all violations to the cellblock supervisor to include contraband and sexual assaults according to Prison Rape Elimination Act standards;  processing and enforcing court orders issued by the judiciary to include remands, prisoner releases, and warrants of removal;  supporting and preparing transportation of detained prisoners by use of a prisoner van, aircraft, or bus;  participating in prisoner movements to include prisoner jail movements, processing and preparing prisoner documentation utilizing data bases; properly search prisoners to ensure that no contraband, weapons, and/or any other prohibited items are brought into the cellblock or courtrooms;  properly handcuffing and applying restraints in accordance with applicable regulations;  providing personal protection during courtroom hearings to ensure the safety of the members of the judiciary and the public; and testifying in courtroom hearings.

OR

Education: You must have completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) 1 full academic year of graduate study or law school education related to law enforcement such as Criminal Justice, Criminology, Homeland Security, Forensic Science, Computer Forensics, Psychology, Sociology, Public Administration, Political Science, Intelligence Studies, or Law. This list is not all inclusive.  

OR

Combination of Experience and Education: You may combine successfully completed graduate level education and experience to meet the qualification requirements. To determine if the combination of your experience and education meet the qualifications, complete the following steps: 

(1) Determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required.
(2) Determine your education as a percentage of the education required.  Only graduate level education may be combined with experience to qualify at the GS/GL-07 grade level.  In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. 
(3) Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent. 

For example, an applicant has 7 months of specialized experience and 9 semester hours of graduate work. The applicant meets 58 percent of the required experience and 50 percent of the required education. Therefore, the applicant meets 108 percent of the requirement for 1 year of specialized experience and is qualified for the position.

OR

Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): You must have completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) all requirements for a bachelor's degree with major study in a field related to law enforcement. Related fields include Criminal Justice, Criminology, Homeland Security, Forensic Science, Computer Forensics, Psychology, Sociology, Public Administration, Political Science, or Law. In addition, you must meet ONE of the following:

• A GPA of "B" (a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study;
• A GPA of "B+" (a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study;
• Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; or
• Membership in a national scholastic honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

GPAs are rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. If more than 10 percent of your courses were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honorary society. For more specific details on SAA, click here.

Education

Academic degrees must be granted from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. To determine if a school or program is accredited, refer to the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs.

Foreign Education

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.