How to become a Texas Ranger?

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To become a Texas Ranger, applicants must have at least 8 years of law enforcement experience, pass an entrance exam and background check, and complete additional training. The Texas Rangers investigate serious crimes and were formed in 1823 to guard the Texas territory.

The Texas Rangers is America’s oldest law enforcement agency. As part of the Texas Department of Security, the Texas Rangers typically investigate serious crimes. To become a Texas Ranger, an applicant must meet all of the basic requirements to be employed by the Texas Department of Security (TDS) and indeed be employed by TDS. In addition, the candidate must have at least eight years of law enforcement experience investigating serious crimes with an excellent service record, in addition to passing the entrance exam and background check.

Before a candidate can become a Texas Ranger, he or she must be employed by the TDS with a status of at least a Trooper II and have at least eight years of verifiable experience with a law enforcement agency. The applicant must also demonstrate extensive experience in the investigation of serious crimes. Basic requirements to become a Texas Ranger also include citizenship of the United States and a valid unrestricted Texas driver’s license, as well as being at least 20 years old and having the equivalent of at least 90 semester hours of college credit. . If a candidate does not have the required college credit, up to 36 months of military or law enforcement experience may be substituted.

A candidate aspiring to become a Texas Ranger must also pass a thorough background check. The background check should reflect good character and moral habits. The selection process for the Texas Rangers is very competitive and it is unlikely that a candidate with any questions on their background check will be asked to continue in the process. Candidates will be subjected to an entrance examination, with those obtaining the highest score continuing to an oral interview before the Council.

If selected to become a Texas Ranger, training will be required. Additionally, all Rangers must complete an additional 40 hours of training every two years. Applicants are encouraged to plan ahead and apply early as there are typically far more applicants than are needed for positions that become open with the Rangers.

The Texas Rangers were formed before Texas was part of the United States. The original 10 Texas Rangers were employed in 1823 after permission was granted by the Mexican government to form a group to guard the fledgling Texas territory. Since then, the Texas Rangers has grown to include approximately 150 carefully chosen Rangers whose duties include serious incident crime, serial, officer involved and public corruption investigations, as well as border security.




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