The Texas Rangers are the country’s oldest law enforcement agency. Texas Rangers, who are part of the Texas Department of Safety, usually investigate major crimes. To become a Texas Ranger, an applicant must meet all of the basic requirements to work for the Texas Department of Safety (TDS) and be hired by the TDS. An applicant must also pass an entrance examination and a background check, as well as have at least eight years of experience in law enforcement investigating major crimes with an excellent service record.
Before becoming a Texas Ranger, an applicant must be employed by the TDS as a Trooper II or higher and have at least eight years of verifiable experience with a law enforcement agency. In addition, the applicant must have extensive experience in major crime investigation. United States citizenship and a valid Texas driver’s license with no restrictions, as well as being at least 20 years old and having the equivalent of at least 90 semester hours of college credit, are all basic requirements for becoming a Texas Ranger. If an applicant lacks the required college credits, they may substitute up to 36 months of military or law enforcement experience.
A candidate for the position of Texas Ranger must also pass a thorough background investigation. The background check must show that the person has a good moral character and good habits. The Texas Rangers selection process is extremely competitive, and an applicant with any red flags on his or her background check is unlikely to be invited to continue. Following that, applicants will take an entrance exam, with the top scorers progressing to an oral interview with the Board.
Training will be required if you are chosen to be a Texas Ranger. Every two years, all Rangers must complete an additional 40 hours of training. Applicants are encouraged to plan ahead and apply early, as the Rangers typically receive far more applications than they need for open positions.
The Texas Rangers were established long before Texas became a state. The first ten Texas Rangers were hired in 1823 after the Mexican government granted permission to form a group to guard the fledgling Texas territory. Since then, the Texas Rangers have grown to about 150 Rangers with responsibilities that include major incident crime, serial, officer involved, and public corruption investigations, as well as border security.