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What Do I Have to Do to Become a Secret Service Agent?

Many people have the mental picture of Secret Service agents as shadowy figures wearing dark sunglasses hovering around the president and other important national and international figures conducting official business and state visits with the United States. The Secret Service has a well-earned reputation for being a glamorous career with an element of excitement. Aspiring members of this elite squad must also meet rigid standards for education training -- and personal character.

  1. Special Agent Job Description

    • Secret Service special agents work as the personal protectors of the president and vice president as well as former presidents and vice presidents, along with their spouses and families. Secret Service special agents are also assigned to visiting heads of state; prominent candidates for president and vice president and their families in the 120 days preceding an election; and other individuals who are judged by executive order to need protection provided by the federal government. The Secret Service also performs investigations of counterfeit schemes, securities fraud, money laundering and high-tech attacks on the country's banking and telecommunications industries.

    General and Educational Requirements

    • To apply for the position of Special Agent, you must be a United States citizen between the ages of 21 and 36 with vision no worse than 20/60, correctable to 20/20. You should have a four-year college degree or its equivalent, and have graduated with either a high overall overall GPA, high grades during your final two years of undergraduate education, excellent grades in your major field of study, placement in the top third of your class or membership in a college honor society. You may also demonstrate high academic aptitude with at least one year of graduate level education from an accredited institution. There are no specific degree requirements; however, many special agents have a background in criminal justice, information technology, law or related subjects.

    Security Clearance

    • One of the most rigorous requirements for becoming a Secret Service agent is obtaining top secret security clearance and passing a polygraph examination. All prospective candidates for the Secret Service must undergo a demanding personal, criminal and financial background check. However, past minor indiscretions may not be an automatic bar to passing the background check. For instance, you may still qualify if you used marijuana more than three years ago or used any illegal drugs no later than age 23, according to the Secret Service website.

    Specialized Training

    • Aspiring agents must also pass the Treasury Enforcement Agent exam and a report writing test. Newly hired Secret service agents receive specialized training for 12 weeks in the Criminal Investigator Training Program at the at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center located in Glynco, Georgia. Upon completing CITP training, new recruits spend 18 more weeks completing the Special Agent Training Course at the Secret Service training academy located outside of Washington, D.C. In addition to special training that includes areas such as anti-counterfeiting techniques, physical protection and emergency, Secret Service agents receive training in marksmanship, water survival skills, control training and general physical fitness.

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