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{{Short description|American title for a criminal investigator}}
{{hatgrp|{{distinguish|secret agent}}
{{redirect|Special Investigator|the 1936 film|Special Investigator (film){{!}}''Special Investigator'' (film)|other uses|special agent (disambiguation)}}}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2014}}
{{Law enforcement in the United States}}
In the [[United States]], a '''special agent''' is an official title used to refer to certain [[detective|investigators or detectives]] of federal, military, tribal, or state agencies who primarily serve in [[criminal investigation|criminal investigatory]] positions. Additionally, some special agents operate in [[criminal intelligence]], [[counterterrorism]], or [[counterintelligence]]-based roles as well, with one or all of these roles occasionally taking precedence over criminal investigatory tasks. 

Within the American [[Federal law enforcement in the United States|federal law enforcement system]], dozens of federal agencies employ federal [[law enforcement officers]] (LEOs), each with different criteria pertaining to the use of the titles ''special agent'' and ''agent''. Most criminal investigators employed by the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]] and its component departments typically utilize the title of "special agent."

Most people holding the title of "special agent" are LEOs under state and/or federal law (with some also being dual intelligence operatives such as with the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Laub |first=Zachary |title=The FBI’s Role in National Security {{!}} Council on Foreign Relations |url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/fbis-role-national-security |access-date=2025-06-26 |website=www.cfr.org |language=en}}</ref> These LEOs are distinctly empowered to conduct both major and minor criminal investigations and hold arrest authority. While not all federal LEOs are "special agents," nearly all special agents – with very few exceptions – are duly-sworn LEOs. This holds true at the state-level, as well, with nearly all special agents of state agencies being sworn LEOs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Assembly |first=Colorado General |title=C.R.S. 16-2.5-147 – Federal special agents |url=https://colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_16-2.5-147 |access-date=2025-06-26 |website=Colorado.Public.Law |language=en}}</ref>

In intelligence usage, "agent" may also refer to a human source or human "asset" who is recruited, trained, controlled, and employed to obtain and report information.<ref>North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO Standardization Agency [http://standard.di.mod.bg/pls/mstd/MSTD.blob_upload_download_routines.download_blob?p_id=281&p_table_name=d_ref_documents&p_file_name_column_name=file_name&p_mime_type_column_name=mime_type&p_blob_column_name=contents&p_app_id=600 "AAP-6 - Glossary of terms and definitions"], p. 47.</ref> However, within law enforcement agencies, these types of sources are often referred to as [[informant]]s, confidential informants (CI—not to be confused with counterintelligence), or confidential human sources (CHS).

==Federal government==
Within the U.S. government, the title of Special Agent primarily designates the Criminal Investigator [[General Schedule (US civil service pay scale)|GS]]-1811 series position.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Special Agent Blog|url=https://www.specialagents.org/|access-date=2021-11-26|website=www.specialagents.org|language=en}}</ref> However, the title is also concurrently used for General Investigator GS-1810 job series and the intelligence specialist in the GS-0132 job series according to the [[United States Office of Personnel Management|Office of Personnel Management]] (OPM) handbook. The vast majority of special agents are GS-1811 (or equivalent) Criminal Investigators. Special agents typically have at a minimum an [[Undergraduate education#United States system|undergraduate]] degree.

* 1811: Criminal Investigator (Primary Special Agent occupation within the federal government)
*1810: General Investigator
* 0132: Intelligence
* 2501: Foreign Service Criminal Investigator (Department of State's [[Diplomatic Security Service]])

===Federal agencies===
Most federal agencies, including the following, employ some type of special agent, investigator or background investigator:

* [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA)
** [[Central Intelligence Agency Office of Inspector General|CIA Office of Inspector General]]
* [[United States Department of Agriculture|Department of Agriculture]] (USDA)
** [[United States Forest Service]]
*** [[United States Forest Service#Law Enforcement .26 Investigations|Law Enforcement and Investigations]]
** Office of Inspector General (USDA OIG)
* [[United States Department of Commerce|Department of Commerce]] (USDOC)
** [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] (NOAA)
** [[Office of Export Enforcement]] (OEE)
** Office of Inspector General (DOC OIG)
** Office of Security (OSY)
* [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] (DOD)
** [[Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations]] (DAFOSI)
** [[Defense Finance and Accounting Service]] (DFAS)
** [[Defense Security Service|Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency]] (DCSA)
** [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] (DIA)
** [[Defense Logistics Agency]] (DLA)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dla.mil/HQ/InspectorGeneral.aspx|title=DLA Office of the Inspector General |publisher=www.dla.mil|access-date=25 August 2017}}</ref>
*** [[Defense Logistics Agency#DLA Police|DLA Police]]
*** Office of the Inspector General
** [[National Security Agency]] (NSA)
*** NSA Office of Inspector General
** [[Naval Criminal Investigative Service]] (NCIS)
** [[Department of Defense Office of Inspector General]] (DoD OIG)
*** [[Defense Criminal Investigative Service]] (DCIS)
** [[Pentagon Force Protection Agency]] (PFPA)
** [[United States Army Counterintelligence]] (Army CI)
** [[United States Army Criminal Investigation Division]] (CID)
** [[United States Marine Corps Criminal Investigation Division]] (USMC CID)
* [[United States Department of Education|Department of Education]] (ED)
** Office of Inspector General (ED OIG)
* [[United States Department of Health and Human Services|Department of Health and Human Services]] (HHS)
** [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA)
*** [[Office of Criminal Investigations]] (OCI)
** Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG)
* [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Department of Homeland Security]] (DHS)
** [[Coast Guard Investigative Service]] (CGIS)
** [[United States Citizenship and Immigration Services|Citizenship and Immigration Services]] (USCIS)
** [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection|Customs and Border Protection]] (CBP)
** [[Federal Protective Service (United States)|Federal Protective Service]] (FPS)
** [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] (ICE)
** [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|Homeland Security Investigations]] (HSI)
** [[Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General|Office of Inspector General]] (DHS-OIG)
** [[Transportation Security Administration]] (TSA)
** [[United States Secret Service]] (USSS)
* [[United States Department of the Interior|Department of the Interior]] (DOI)
** [[Bureau of Indian Affairs Police]] (BIA)
** [[Bureau of Land Management]] (BLM)
** [[National Park Service]] (NPS)
*** [[United States Park Police]] (USPP)
** Office of Inspector General (DOI OIG)
** [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service]] (USFWS)
* [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] (DOJ)
** [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]] (ATF)
** [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] (DEA)
** [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI)
** [[Federal Bureau of Prisons]] (BOP)
** [[United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General|Office of Inspector General]] (DOJ OIG)
** [[United States Marshals Service]] (USMS)
* [[United States Department of Energy|Department of Energy]] (DOE)
** [[National Nuclear Security Administration]]
* [[United States Department of Labor]] (DOL)
** [[U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General|Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General]] (DOL OIG)
* [[United States Department of State|Department of State]]
** [[Diplomatic Security Service]] (DSS)
** Office of Inspector General (STATE OIG)
* [[United States Department of Transportation|Department of Transportation]] (DOT)
** [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA)
** [[Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration]] (FMCSA)
** [[Office of Inspector General for the Department of Transportation]] (DOT OIG)
* [[United States Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury]]
** [[Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau]] (TTB)
** [[Bureau of Engraving and Printing#BEP Police|Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police]]
** [[IRS Criminal Investigation]] (IRS-CI)
** [[Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration]] (TIGTA)
** [[United States Mint]]
*** [[United States Mint Police]]
* [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA)
** [[Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance]] (OECA)
** Office of Inspector General (EPA OIG)
* [[NASA|National Aeronautics and Space Administration]] (NASA)
** Office of Inspector General
** Office of Protective Services
* [[United States Office of Personnel Management|Office of Personnel Management]]
** Office of Inspector General (OPM OIG)
* [[United States Postal Service]] (USPS)
** [[United States Postal Inspection Service]] (USPIS)
** [[United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General|Office of Inspector General]] (USPS OIG)
* [[Federal Reserve|Federal Reserve System]]
** [[Federal Reserve Police]]
* Other
** All 73 federal [[Office of Inspector General (United States)|Offices of Inspector General]] (OIG), including those listed individually above

===Training for the federal criminal investigator===
Federal [[law enforcement]] [[training]] can be divided into various categories, the most common being basic, agency-specific basic (ASB), advanced/specialized, and agency-advanced/specialized. To operate safely and effectively, U.S. Special Agents and criminal investigators must possess skills and knowledge regarding criminal and civil [[law]] and procedure, enforcement operations, physical techniques, and technical equipment, to mention a few. They must also be physically fit. While possession of a college degree can aid in obtaining employment in this profession, only extensive training provided at specialized facilities, combined with on-the-job training, can provide the skills and knowledge needed to perform the duties of a federal criminal investigator. As of 2012, there were 13,913 [[FBI]] agents, as of 2016, there were approximately 6,500 ICE-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, and as of 2011, there were 4,890 [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] agents in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Careers for Students of Criminology and Criminal Justice |url=http://online.ccj.pdx.edu/resources/infographics/top-careers-for-students-of-criminology-and-criminal-justice-ig/ |publisher=Portland State University |access-date=2015-01-28}}</ref>

===Criminal investigators and the use of the term special agent===
Not all federal criminal investigators are called special agents. Some federal agencies entitle their investigators as criminal investigators but use the term interchangeably with special agent. Other federal agencies use different titles for the same 1811 criminal investigative job series. Series 1811 criminal investigators for the U.S. Marshals are entitled Deputy Marshals. Series 1811 criminal investigators for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are called postal inspectors. These inspectors were originally called surveyors and received a title change in 1801 to Special Agent. In 1880, the U.S. Congress created the position of Chief Postal Inspector and renamed these special agents to postal inspectors. The first special agents in the United States were appointed in 1791 when the [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury]] was authorized to employ "Special Agents" for the purpose of examining the accounts and books of the Collectors of Customs. The position of Special Treasury Agent was created, and until 1860 submitted reports to the [[United States Department of Treasury|Department of Treasury]], through the Collectors of Customs in the Customs District in which they were employed.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Department of Treasury|url=https://home.treasury.gov/|access-date=May 16, 2020}}</ref>

==State, county, municipal, and tribal governments==
The terms "special agent" and "agent" are also used by various specialized state level law enforcement agencies to refer to their officers, including the [[North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation]] (NCSBI),<ref>{{Cite web |title=NCSBI - Careers |url=https://www.ncsbi.gov/Careers |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=www.ncsbi.gov}}</ref> the [[Kentucky Department of Criminal Investigation]] (DCI), the [[Washington State Gambling Commission]], many agencies inside the [[California Department of Justice]] such as the [[California Bureau of Investigation]], the [[California Bureau of Firearms]], the [[California Bureau of Gambling Control]], the California Bureau of Forensic Services and the California Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud & Elder Abuse,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-16 |title=Become a DOJ Special Agent |url=https://oag.ca.gov/special-agent-recruitment |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General |language=en}}</ref> the 
[[Tennessee Bureau of Investigation]] (TBI),<ref>{{Cite web |last=DeVine |first=Josh |date=2022-07-28 |title=NOW HIRING: TBI Special Agent/Criminal Investigator |url=https://tbinewsroom.com/2022/07/28/now-hiring-tbi-special-agent-criminal-investigator-4/ |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=TBINewsroom.com |language=en}}</ref> the [[Arkansas State Police]] (ASP) Criminal Investigations Division<ref>{{Cite web |title=Criminal Investigations |url=https://dps.arkansas.gov/law-enforcement/arkansas-state-police/divisions/criminal-investigations/ |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=Arkansas Department of Public Safety |language=en-US}}</ref> and many others. These agencies may be a part of a State Bureau of Investigation (which is usually a part of an [[State attorney general|Attorney General's Office]] or a state level Government Department) or a State Police Agency (which is again itself a part of a state [[Department of Public Safety]] or a [[Department of Justice]]).

Also, [[Maryland]] has criminal investigators who are employed by the state attorney. These investigators are called ''special investigators''. As with special agents, these special investigators are authorized to conduct investigations, make arrests, carry firearms or other weapons, and carry a metallic badge.<ref>{{Cite web|title=View Document - Maryland Code and Court Rules|url=https://govt.westlaw.com/mdc/Document/N069FCF4046E311DD9F7F861DD0D5F5CC?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=StatuteNavigator&contextData=(sc.Default)|access-date=2021-12-26|website=govt.westlaw.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Worcester County, MD: State's Attorney|url=https://ecode360.com/14009308|access-date=2021-12-26|website=Worcester County, MD Code|language=en-US}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
{{pop culture|section|date=March 2025}}
* Special agents, particularly those within the FBI, have been depicted in [[Federal Bureau of Investigation portrayal in media|popular entertainment]] for years.
* The title "Assistant Special Agent in Charge" and its acronym "ASAC" ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|eɪ|s|æ|k}}) are stated frequently throughout the TV series ''[[Breaking Bad]]''. For example, in [[Breaking Bad (season 1)|Season 1]] through [[Breaking Bad (season 4)|Season 4]], both [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] Special Agent [[Hank Schrader]] and local entrepreneur [[Gus Fring]] are shown to be friendly with Hank's boss, ASAC [[George Merkert]], and in Season 4 Episode 12 "[[End Times (Breaking Bad)|End Times]]", [[Steve Gomez]] tells [[Dennis Markowski|Dennis]] the "ASAC" is being pressured to search Gus's laundry for drugs. In Season 5, Hank – who is proud to have been promoted to the job vacated by his ousted boss – repeatedly chants "ASAC Schrader" to his baby niece [[List of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul characters#Holly White|Holly]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Breaking Bad: Season 5, Episode 5 script {{!}} Subs like Script |url=https://subslikescript.com/series/Breaking_Bad-903747/season-5/episode-5-Dead_Freight |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=subslikescript.com}}</ref>
* In the TV series ''[[White Collar (TV series)|White Collar]]'', [[List of White Collar characters#Peter Burke|Peter Burke]] is the "Special Agent in Charge" (promoted from assistant Special Agent in Charge at the end of Season 6) and the head of the Manhattan White Collar Division.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}
* In the TV series ''[[Criminal Minds]]'' several of the [[List of Criminal Minds characters|Behavioral Analysis Unit]] members are Supervisory Special Agents.
* In the TV series ''[[The X-Files]]'', the title "Special Agent" is given to both [[Fox Mulder]] and [[Dana Scully]] of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The title is referenced by them numerous times throughout each episode.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}
* The main character from the TV series ''[[Twin Peaks]]'', is FBI Special Agent [[Dale Cooper]], and also, other FBI special agents make numerous cameos throughout the series, and its prequel movie, ''[[Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me]]''.
* "[[Dick Barton]] - Special Agent" was the subject of radio programs in the 1940s and later TV and film productions.
* In the TV series ''[[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]]'', the character Special Agent [[Anthony DiNozzo]] constantly introduces himself as "Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo" in an attempt to be charming.
* In the TV series ''[[Mr. Robot]]'' the character Dominique "Dom" DiPierro, the FBI "ASAC", appeared in the final three seasons.

==See also==
{{Portal|United States}}
{{div col}}
* [[List of United States federal law enforcement agencies]]
* [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]]
* [[Detective]]
* [[Drug Enforcement Administration]]
* [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]
* [[Central Intelligence Agency]]
* [[Inspector]]
* [[Investigator (disambiguation)]]
* [[IRS Criminal Investigation]]
* [[Law enforcement agency]]
* [[Police rank]]
* [[Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation]]
* [[State bureau of investigation]]
* [[State police]]
* [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]]
* [[United States Marshals Service]]
* [[United States Secret Service]]
* [[Espionage|Spy agent]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Fictional espionage navbox}}

[[Category:American law enforcement officials]]
[[Category:Detectives]]
[[Category:Legal professions]]
[[Category:Police ranks]]
[[Category:Positions of authority]]
[[Category:Spies by role]]