United States Secret Service: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

The Secret Service was established on July 5, 1865, originally under the Department of the Treasury, with a mission solely focused on suppressing the counterfeiting of U.S. currency in the aftermath of the Civil War. Over time, the agency's mission expanded to include protection of the president and other high-ranking officials, and it became the nation's first domestic intelligence and counterintelligence agency, with many of its early functions later distributed to agencies such as the FBI and CIA. On March 1, 2003, the Secret Service was transferred from the Treasury Department to the newly created Department of Homeland Security, reflecting its central role in both leadership protection and financial and infrastructure security. The agency is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Today, the Secret Service employs more than 8,300 people and operates more than 150 offices throughout the United States and abroad, including 116 field and resident offices and 20 overseas offices. The agency carries out two primary missions: protection of national and visiting foreign leaders, and criminal investigations, particularly involving financial crimes and cybercrime through its network of Electronic Crimes Task Forces. The Secret Service Uniformed Division, formed in 1977 from the earlier White House Police Force, provides protective policing for secured facilities and venues.

The Secret Service employs special agents who handle protective and investigative duties, Uniformed Division officers who secure facilities and venues, and a Technical Law Enforcement job family supporting both groups with specialized technical capabilities. Given the agency's protective mission, virtually all positions require an extensive federal background investigation and security clearance eligibility.

Organizational culture: The Secret Service emphasizes integrity, discretion, and a high degree of personal accountability, reflecting the sensitive and high-visibility nature of protecting national leaders. The agency operates through close partnerships with local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies and the private sector to carry out its dual protective and investigative missions.

Yes, and the process is far more extensive than a typical civilian employer's screening. As a federal law enforcement agency, the Secret Service conducts a rigorous background investigation for all applicants that goes well beyond the standard Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) process used by most private employers. This investigation typically supports eligibility for a federal security clearance given the sensitive nature of the agency's protective mission.

The Secret Service conducts comprehensive background investigations for all applicants, which can include a polygraph examination, extensive interviews with the applicant's associates, a review of financial history, and a psychological evaluation, in addition to standard criminal history checks.

The hiring process for special agent and Uniformed Division officer positions typically includes a written or online application, a series of interviews and assessments, a polygraph examination, a medical and physical fitness evaluation, a psychological assessment, and a full background investigation before a final hiring decision and security clearance determination.

Federal law enforcement background investigations, including those conducted by the Secret Service, often take significantly longer than standard civilian background checks due to their depth and the security clearance process involved. For a general reference point on civilian screening timelines, see typical background check turnaround times, though Secret Service investigations follow separate federal timelines.

A Secret Service background investigation may include:

Federal security clearance investigations, including those used by the Secret Service, typically review a candidate's entire adult history rather than being limited to a set number of years, unlike standard FCRA-governed civilian background checks that are often limited to seven years for criminal history.

Eligibility depends heavily on the nature and severity of any offense, and certain convictions, particularly felonies or offenses involving dishonesty, can be automatically disqualifying under federal law enforcement hiring standards. This differs substantially from civilian hiring practices and "ban-the-box" laws, which govern private employers rather than federal law enforcement agencies.

Applicants can generally expect to provide extensive personal history information, undergo fingerprinting, consent to a polygraph examination, and complete detailed forms covering financial history, past drug use, and personal associations as part of the federal investigative process.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates how private employers can use background check information in hiring decisions. It generally does not govern federal law enforcement hiring processes like the Secret Service's, which instead follow separate federal investigative and security clearance standards.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what a civilian employer may see during a standard hiring process, helping you address any concerns before you apply. A personal background check can include:

Learn more about Checkr Personal Background Checks and explore your Checkr Profile to see what information may appear in your own background check.

If you're a candidate with a background check in progress through Checkr as part of a civilian job application, you can check your status through the Candidate Portal. For additional support, visit the Checkr Help Center.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information is for general informational purposes only. Checkr does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. This article may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader. Checkr does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites and disclaims any affiliation with the organizations mentioned in this article unless otherwise stated.