FBI drops automatic hiring ban on applicants with past sex worker encounters under new recruitment policy

The FBI has quietly scrapped its blanket ban on hiring applicants who have previously paid for or engaged with sex workers, replacing it with a case-by-case review. The change, made via internal guidance issued this spring, comes as the bureau scrambles to replenish its ranks after years of mass departures. Current and former agents have raised alarm about what they see as a broader loosening of recruitment standards across federal law enforcement.

Automatic disqualification still applies to applicants whose sex-worker encounters happened within the last decade, numbered three or more, or took place while they held a public safety role.

The FBI said the change accounts for service members who may have visited prostitutes in countries where it is legal, and for candidates who were themselves victims of sexual abuse.

The bureau previously relaxed its bar on past marijuana use — agents now fear prostitution policy is the latest in a string of weakened vetting standards.