Symbols of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
| Seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation | |
|---|---|
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| Details | |
| Armiger | Federal Bureau of Investigation |
| Adopted | January 1, 1941 |
| Escutcheon | Set of scales, five alternating red and white horizontal bands |
| Motto | Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity |
| Use | To represent the organization and to authenticate certain documents |
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|
| Use | Other 
|
|---|---|
| Proportion | 3:5 |
| Design | The seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation set against a blue background. |
| Designed by | Federal Bureau of Investigation |
The Seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the symbol of the FBI. It is used by the FBI to represent the organization and to authenticate certain documents that it issues. The term is used both for the physical seal itself, and more generally for the design impressed upon it.
The current version of the seal has been in use since 1941. Designed in 1940 by FBI Special Agent Leo Gauthier, it derives its design from the FBI's flag and symbolizes the values, standards and history of the Bureau through the various elements incorporated in the design. It should not be confused with the FBI badge, which is older and has a different design.
The seal's usage is regulated by U.S. federal law, under which it is a criminal offense to make unauthorized commercial or otherwise inappropriate use of the seal and name of the FBI. The FBI actively polices the use of its seal and has taken action against commercial vendors using it without authorization. The FBI has, however, also given approval to third party publishers to convey messages endorsed by the Bureau, such as campaigns against drug abuse and copyright infringement.
The colors and symbol of the seal of the FBI represent the values and standards of the FBI and the United States and allude to the history of both the organization and the country. The center of the seal depicts a shield bracketed by two laurel branches, with an inscribed scroll below, set against a blue field. A gold-outlined strip occupies the circumference of the field, bearing the words "DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE" and "FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION" below. A circle of thirteen golden stars surrounds the shield and laurels, representing unity of purpose and the original thirteen founding states of the United States. The laurel branches represent academic honors, distinction and fame. The two branches depict a total of 46 leaves, standing for the number of U.S. states when the FBI was founded in 1908.
The blue field behind the central shield represents justice, as do the stripes set on a golden field at the shield's top. Five parallel vertical red and white stripes make up the rest of the shield, echoing the colors of the Flag of the United States. As with the flag, there is one more red stripe than white. The stripes symbolize the values of the FBI; the red stripes stand for courage, valor, and strength, while the white ones represent light, cleanliness, and truth.
Below the wreath and shield is a scroll bearing the words "Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity". This slogan, which was devised in 1935 by FBI Inspector W.H. Drane Lester, describes the high moral standards and high level of motivation the FBI expects from its staff. It also reflects the Bureau's own initials as a "backronym" of sorts. However a NEWSWEEK article from 2008 credits Edward Allen Tamm, once a top aide to J. Edgar Hoover who regularly briefed President Franklin Roosevelt on domestic intelligence matters with the invention of the motto: "He's credited in some bureau histories with inventing (in 1935) not only the bureau's name, but its official motto: Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity."
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