GBI Special Agent

Job Summary:
Special Agents are classified as certified Georgia Peace Officers, and they enforce the criminal laws of the State of Georgia. Performs felony investigations, including murder, narcotics, and white-collar crime. Assists local law enforcement in criminal investigations.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Trained to conduct criminal investigations of all types, to assist local law enforcement in criminal investigations.
  • Conducts criminal investigations as part of on-the-job training, including interviewing victims, suspects, and witnesses, gathering pertinent information, and conducting arrests, searches, and seizures.
  • Testifies in court.
  • Prepares case reports of criminal investigations; and performs other duties in compliance with established GBI and work unit policies. 

Essential Job Functions:

  • Successful completion, to the satisfaction of the GBI, of a pre-employment physical examination, psychological examination, and pre-employment drug screening. 
  • Successfully complete the Physical Ability Test (PAT) requirement implemented by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST).
  • Complete successfully Georgia Basic Law Enforcement Mandate Course.
  • Must successfully complete GBI High Liability Course.
  • Will be required to successfully complete the GBI Basic Agent Course (BAC).
  • Operating a state vehicle is required. The applicant must have a valid Georgia driver’s license. 
  • Required to work on-call rotation as needed to include overnight. Respond to calls when not on-call rotation as well.
  • Must be willing to accept a job assignment anywhere in the state.
  • Required to establish residency in their area of assignment or reside within a twenty-five (25) miles radius of your assigned regional boundary for statewide assignments.

Notes:

  • Required to remain in initial assigned location for three (3) years before requesting a transfer.
  • Crime Scene Specialist Special (CSS) Agent must be in the CSS program for a minimum of five (5) years.

Minimum Qualifications:

Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university, a passing score on the Special Agent Test, at least 21 years of age, and a citizen of the United States.
Necessary legal requirement: incumbents in this job are by law considered to be peace officers. Therefore, applicants must meet the standards prescribed by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (P.O.S.T.).

Entry Salary: $64,976.51 Annually - Non-negotiable (The GBI follows the State Personnel Board Rules)

SELECTION PROCESS FOR GBI SPECIAL AGENT

The hiring process for the GBI Special Agent position is intended to evaluate an applicant's suitability for a career with a state law enforcement investigative agency. The position must be posted to apply. 

The initial phase of the hiring process includes the following: 

  • Apply and certify for the position
  • Sign up and Take the Special Agent test
  • Meet the established cut-off score

Once all the tests have been administered and scored, then each applicant will receive notification of the results. Applicants that meet the established cut-off score on the test will move forward to the initial interview phase of the hiring process. 

Next phase, the initial interview consists of the following:

Note: The assessment is an in-person assessment held in Forsyth, GA.

Applicants must meet the established cut-off rating for the interview to advance to the background phase of the hiring process. 

The background phase consists of successful completion of the following:

  • GBI administered polygraph examination
  • Intelligence check (includes credit check via Equifax)
  • Fingerprinting
  • Background investigation

Applicants that successfully complete the background investigation will move forward to the final interview phase. 

Command Staff Interview consists of:

  • Interview with Deputy Director's Interview Board (Command Staff).

Note: The Command Staff Interview is held at GBI Headquarters in Decatur, GA.

Command Staff Candidates that meet the cut-off rating will go on the Special Agent eligible list for hire. 

 

FAQs for Special Agent Hiring Process

  • How long is the Special Agent hiring process?

    The Special Agent hiring process could take up to six (6) months to complete from application to Special Agent eligible list for hire.

  • Are there study guides for the Special Agent Test?

    No. There are no study materials available for the test. The Special Agent test subject areas are:

    • Observation/memory (video based)
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Reasoning/problem-solving/decision-making
  • How long is the Special Agent (SA) eligible list good for?

    The list will be good for up to a year or until the list exhausts, whichever comes first. This means if a position comes open during that timeframe, then candidate may be an offered a position.

  • Are there any more requirements, if offered a Special Agent position?

    Yes. Special Agents are required to meet rigid medical standards. The required medical examination will be at the expense of the applicant.

    The requirements consist of the successful completion of:

    • A Psychological examination
    • A Pre-employment Physical examination (at your own expense)
    • Pre-employment drug screening
    • GA P.O.S.T. requirements
    • Physical Ability Test (PAT)
  • Are there vision standards?

    Vision Requirements:

    • Distant vision - minimum vision of 20/20 in one eye and 20/40 in the other eye, corrected (with glasses or contact lenses), and minimum of 20/200 in each eye, uncorrected (without glasses or contacts).
    • Near vision- minimum of 20/40, corrected or uncorrected in each eye.
    • Adequate depth perception and the ability to distinguish colors.
    • Peripheral vision- at least 70 degrees in each eye.
  • Will I know my assignment or locale before accepting a job offer for the Special Agent position?

    Candidates will know their assignment at the time a position is offered and can consider this before accepting an offer.

  • What happens if an SA candidate declines an SA job offer and still wants to be considered for future positions?

    The candidate will remain on the current List of Eligible Applicants until the expiration or exhaustion of the current list.

  • What if I am not a Georgia P.O.S.T. BLE certified officer?

    Non-certified applicants who are offered and accept positions of employment will be placed in a basic law enforcement mandate academy to become P.O.S.T. certified officers.

    The cost will be covered by the GBI.

  • How long is the Basic Mandate Law Enforcement program?

    Basic Law Enforcement Training is currently twenty (20) weeks, which consists of 784 course hours to complete.

    Monitor the Georgia Public Safety Training Center’s website for any possible changes/updates to the Basic Mandate Law Enforcement program at Basic Law Enforcement Training Program - GPSTC.

  • What are the training requirements if I am already Georgia P.O.S.T. Basic Law Enforcement certified?

    Special Agents must successfully complete the 16-week GBI Basic Agent Course at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) in Forsyth, Georgia. 

    Specialized and advanced training is provided at planned intervals throughout a Special Agent's career.

  • Will I have to attend Georgia P.O.S.T. mandate school if I am a certification as a police officer from another state or with the federal government?

    Please visit the Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council for information on their Equivalency of Training (EOT) options.

Employment Disqualifiers

Please contact GBI Office of Human Resources if reasonable accommodation is needed in the employment process.

 

The GBI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.