Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Flag of the FBI
Seal of the FBI
Incumbent Brian Driscoll since January 20, 2025
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Reports to	Attorney General Director of National Intelligence
Seat	J. Edgar Hoover Building, Washington, D.C.
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	At the pleasure of the President. (10 years by statute), renewable (only by the Senate)
Formation	July 26, 1908
First holder	Stanley Finch
Deputy	Deputy Director

The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the leader of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI is a major law enforcement agency in the United States. The Director is in charge of the FBI's daily work and operations.

The President of the United States chooses the FBI Director. This choice must then be approved by the Senate. The Director serves for a single 10-year term. The FBI is part of the Department of Justice (DOJ). This means the Director reports to the Attorney General.

Since 2004, the Director also reports to the Director of National Intelligence. This is because the FBI is also part of the United States Intelligence Community. This community gathers and uses information to protect the country.

The most recent Senate-approved Director was Christopher A. Wray. He started his role on August 2, 2017. He took over after the previous Director, James Comey, was dismissed.

How long does the FBI Director serve?

The President appoints the FBI Director. Since 1972, the Senate must approve this choice.

J. Edgar Hoover was the longest-serving Director. He led the FBI from 1924 until he passed away in 1972. In 1976, Congress decided to limit the term for future FBI Directors to ten years. This was done to help the Director stay independent from political pressure.

This rule was temporarily changed for Robert Mueller in 2011. He served for twelve years because of important security concerns at that time. Since 1976, Directors usually serve a ten-year term. They can leave earlier if they resign, pass away, or are removed from office.

The President of the United States can remove the FBI Director from office. If a Director is removed, the Deputy Director takes over temporarily. This happens until a new Director is approved by the Senate.

What are the Director's jobs?

The Director works with the Deputy Director. They make sure that all FBI cases and operations are handled correctly. The Director also chooses the leaders for the many FBI offices across the country. These leaders are always qualified agents.

Past FBI Leaders

Chiefs and Directors of the Bureau of Investigation (1908–1935)

When the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) started in 1908, its leader was called the Chief. The title changed to Director of the Bureau of Investigation later. In 1935, the BOI became the FBI, and the title became Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

No.	Image	Name		Start	End	Duration	President(s)
1			Finch, StanleyStanley Finch	July 26, 1908	April 30, 1912	3 years, 279 days		Roosevelt, TheodoreTheodore Roosevelt (1901–1909)
								Taft, William HowardWilliam Howard Taft (1909–1913)
2			Bielaski, A. BruceA. Bruce Bielaski	April 30, 1912	February 10, 1919	6 years, 286 days
								Wilson, WoodrowWoodrow Wilson (1913–1921)
–			Allen, William E.William E. Allen Acting	February 10, 1919	June 30, 1919	140 days
3			Flynn, William J.William J. Flynn	July 1, 1919	August 21, 1921	2 years, 51 days
								Harding, Warren G.Warren G. Harding (1921–1923)
4			Burns, William J.William J. Burns	August 22, 1921	May 10, 1924	2 years, 262 days
								Coolidge, CalvinCalvin Coolidge (1923–1929)
5			Hoover, J. EdgarJ. Edgar Hoover	May 10, 1924	June 30, 1935	11 years, 51 days
								Hoover, HerbertHerbert Hoover (1929–1933)
								Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)

Federal Bureau of Investigation Directors (1935–present)

The FBI became its own service within the Department of Justice in 1935. That same year, its name officially changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). J. Edgar Hoover became the first Director with this new title. Since 1972, the United States Senate must confirm the President's choice for Director.

No.	Image	Name		Start	End	Duration	President(s)
1			Hoover, J. EdgarJ. Edgar Hoover	July 1, 1935	May 2, 1972	36 years, 306 days		Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)
								Truman, Harry S.Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
								Eisenhower, Dwight D.Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961)
								Kennedy, John F.John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)
								Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
								Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (1969–1974)
–			Tolson, ClydeClyde Tolson Acting	May 2, 1972	May 3, 1972	1 day
–			Gray, L. PatrickL. Patrick Gray Acting	May 3, 1972	April 27, 1973	359 days
–			Ruckelshaus, BillBill Ruckelshaus Acting	April 30, 1973	July 9, 1973	70 days
2			Kelley, Clarence M.Clarence M. Kelley	July 9, 1973	February 15, 1978	4 years, 221 days
								Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (1974–1977)
								Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (1977–1981)
–			Adams, James B.James B. Adams Acting	February 15, 1978	February 23, 1978	8 days
3			Webster, BillBill Webster	February 23, 1978	May 25, 1987	9 years, 91 days
								Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (1981–1989)
–			Otto, John E.John E. Otto Acting	May 25, 1987	November 2, 1987	160 days
4			Sessions, William S.William S. Sessions	November 2, 1987	July 19, 1993	5 years, 259 days
								Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
								Clinton, BillBill Clinton (1993–2001)
–			Clarke, Floyd I.Floyd I. Clarke Acting	July 19, 1993	September 1, 1993	44 days
5			Freeh, LouisLouis Freeh	September 1, 1993	June 25, 2001	7 years, 297 days
								Bush, George W.George W. Bush (2001–2009)
–			Pickard, Thomas J.Thomas J. Pickard Acting	June 25, 2001	September 4, 2001	71 days
6			Mueller, RobertRobert Mueller	September 4, 2001	September 4, 2013	12 years, 0 days
								Obama, BarackBarack Obama (2009–2017)
7			Comey, JamesJames Comey	September 4, 2013	May 9, 2017	3 years, 247 days
								Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2017–2021)
–			McCabe, AndrewAndrew McCabe Acting	May 9, 2017	August 2, 2017	85 days
8			A. Wray, ChristopherChristopher A. Wray	August 2, 2017	January 19, 2025	7 years, 171 days
								Biden, JoeJoe Biden (2021–2025)
–			Abbate, PaulPaul Abbate Acting	January 19, 2025	January 20, 2025	1 day
–			Driscoll, BrianBrian Driscoll Acting	January 20, 2025	present	156 days		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2025–present)

Who takes over if the Director can't?

If the FBI Director cannot do their job, there is a specific order of who takes over. This is called the line of succession:

• Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Associate Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Executive Assistant Director of the National Security Branch
• Executive Assistant Director for Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services, Houston, TX
• Assistant Director of Counterterrorism Division
• Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Division
• Assistant Director, Washington Field Office
• Assistant Director, New York Field Office
• Assistant Director, Los Angeles Field Office

When Directors are dismissed

Since the FBI Director position started, only two Directors have been removed from office. These were William S. Sessions in 1993 and James Comey in 2017.

William S. Sessions

In 1993, some concerns were raised about Director William S. Sessions. The Attorney General at the time, Janet Reno, said that Sessions had shown "serious deficiencies in judgment."

Sessions denied doing anything wrong and did not want to resign. So, President Bill Clinton dismissed him on July 19, 1993. This happened five and a half years into his ten-year term. President Clinton said he had lost confidence in Sessions' leadership.

After Sessions was dismissed, Floyd I. Clarke became the acting Director. He served until a new Director, Louis Freeh, was sworn in on September 1, 1993.

James Comey

On May 9, 2017, President Donald Trump dismissed Director James Comey. This decision followed a recommendation from the United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

When Comey was dismissed, Andrew McCabe automatically became the acting Director. He served until Christopher Wray was confirmed as the new Director.

See also

In Spanish: Director del FBI para niños

• Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation
• Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
• Director of the United States Marshals Service
• Director of the United States Secret Service
• Federal law enforcement in the United States