Gibbs' Rule #1: Never let suspects sit together.
First mentioned in "Yankee White" (Episode 1, Season 1).
Stream episodes of NCIS now on CBS All Access.
Stream episodes of NCIS now on CBS All Access.
Gibbs' Rules: The Complete List From NCIS
Gibbs rules aren't just a list if you work for NCIS, they are a way of life.
Gibbs' Other Rule #1: Never screw over your partner.
First mentioned in "Blowback" (Episode 14, Season 4).
Gibbs' Rule #2: Always wear gloves at a crime scene.
First mentioned in "Yankee White" (Episode 1, Season 1).
Gibbs' Rule #3: Never believe what you are told. Double check.
First mentioned in "Yankee White" (Episode 1, Season 1).
Gibbs' Other Rule #3: Never be unreachable.
First mentioned in "Deception" (Episode 13, Season 3).
Gibbs' Rule #4: Best way to keep a secret. Keep it to yourself. Second best, tell one other person—if you must. There is no third best.
First mentioned in "Blowback" (Episode 14, Season 4).
Gibbs' Rule #5: You don’t waste good.
First mentioned in "Baltimore" (Episode 22, Season 8).
Gibbs' Rule #6: Never say you're sorry.
First mentioned in "Flesh And Bone" (Episode 12, Season 7).
Gibbs' Rule #7: Always be specific when you lie.
First mentioned in "Reveille" (Episode 23, Season 1).
Gibbs' Rule #8: Never take anything for granted.
First mentioned in "Probie" (Episode 10, Season 3).
Gibbs' Rule #9: Never go anywhere without a knife.
First mentioned in "One Shot, One Kill" (Episode 13, Season 1).
Gibbs' Rule #10: Never get involved personally on a case.
First mentioned in "Obsession" (Episode 21, Season 7).
Gibbs' Rule #11: When the job is done, walk away.
First mentioned in "Semper Fidelis" (Episode 24, Season 6).
Gibbs' Rule #12: Never date a co-worker.
First mentioned in "Enigma" (Episode 15, Season 1).
Gibbs' Rule #13: Never involve lawyers.
First mentioned in "Collateral Damage" (Episode 7, Season 6).
Gibbs' Rule #14: Bend the line, don't break it.
First mentioned in "Anonymous Was A Woman" (Episode 4, Season 11).
Gibbs' Rule #15: Always work as a team.
First mentioned in "Leap of Faith" (Episode 5, Season 5).
Gibbs' Rule #16: If someone thinks he has the upper hand, break it.
First mentioned in "Pyramid" (Episode 24, Season 8).
Gibbs' Rule #18: It's better to seek forgiveness than ask permission.
First mentioned in "Silver War" (Episode 4, Season 3).
Gibbs' Rule #20: Always look under.
First mentioned in "The Artful Dodger" (Episode 17, Season 12).
Gibbs' Rule #22: Never, ever bother Gibbs in interrogation.
First mentioned in "Smoked" (Episode 10, Season 4).
Gibbs' Rule #23: Never mess with a Marine's coffee if you want to live.
First mentioned in "Forced Entry" (Episode 9, Season 2).
Gibbs' Rule #27: Two ways to follow someone. First way, they never notice you. Second way, they only notice you.
First mentioned in "Jack-Knife" (Episode 15, Season 7).
Gibbs' Rule #28: When you need help, ask.
First mentioned in "Blood Brothers" (Episode 10, Season 13).
Gibbs' Rule #35: Always watch the watchers.
First mentioned in "Baltimore" (Episode 22, Season 8).
Gibbs' Rules #36: If it feels like you're being played, you probably are.
First mentioned in "Nature of the Beast" (Episode 1, Season 9).
Gibbs' Rule #38: Your case, you're lead.
First mentioned in "Bounce" (Episode 16, Season 6).
Gibbs' Rule #39: There is no such thing as a coincidence.
First mentioned in "Obsession" (Episode 21, Season 7).
Gibbs' Rule #40: If it seems like someone’s out to get you, they are.
First mentioned in "Rule Fifty-One" (Episode 24, Season 7).
Gibbs' Rule #42: Never accept an apology from somebody who just sucker-punched you.
First mentioned in "Psych Out" (Episode 16, Season 9).
Gibbs' Rule #44: First things first, hide the women and children.
First mentioned in "Patriot Down" (Episode 23, Season 7).
Gibbs' Rule #45: Left a mess I gotta clean up.
First mentioned in "Rule Fifty-One" (Episode 24, Season 7).
Gibbs' Rule #51: Sometimes you're wrong.
First mentioned in "Rule Fifty-One" (Episode 24, Season 7).
Gibbs' Rule #62: Always give people space when they get off an elevator.
First mentioned in "Double Back" (Episode 13, Season 11).
Gibbs' Rule #69: Never trust a woman who doesn't trust her man.
First mentioned in "Devil's Triangle" (Episode 7, Season 9).
Stream episodes of NCIS now on CBS All Access.
Stream episodes of NCIS now on CBS All Access.