Gibbs’ rules (NCIS)

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs lives his life by a set of rules that took root from the first day he met Shan­non. Over time, Gibbs added to the rules. He instills these rules in every­one in his team. Of the fifty-one rules only twen­ty-three have been revealed.

• Rule 1: Nev­er let sus­pects stay togeth­er. (Yan­kee White, 1.01)
• Rule 1: Nev­er screw over your part­ner. (Blow­back, 4.14)
• Rule 2: Always wear gloves at a crime scene. (Yan­kee White, 1.01)
• Rule 2: Unknown at this time
• Rule 3: Don’t believe what you’re told. Dou­ble check. (Yan­kee White, 1.01)
• Rule 3: Nev­er be unreach­able. (Decep­tion, 3.13) ; (Rule Fifty-one, 7.24 in the back­ground when open­ing the box)
• Rule 4: The best way to keep a secret? Keep it to your­self. Sec­ond best? Tell one oth­er per­son — if you must. There is no third best. (Blow­back, 4.14)
• Rule 6: Nev­er apol­o­gize. It’s a sign of weak­ness. (Specif­i­cal­ly men­tioned in Flesh and Blood, 7.12)
• Rule 7: Always be spe­cif­ic when you lie. (Reveille, 1.23)
• Rule 8: Nev­er take any­thing for grant­ed. (Pro­bie, 3.10)
• Rule 9: Nev­er go any­where with­out a knife. (One Shot, One Kill, 1.13 ; Miss­ing, 1.20) Some­times as “Nev­er leave home with­out a knife.”
• Rule 10: Nev­er get per­son­al­ly involved in a case (Obses­sion, 7.21)
• Rule 11: When the job is done, walk away. (Sem­per Fidelis, 6.24)
• Rule 12: Nev­er date a cowork­er. (Enig­ma, 1.15)
• Rule 13: Nev­er, ever involve a lawyer. (Rule Fifty-one, 7.24; Col­lat­er­al Dam­age, 6.07)
• Rule 15: Always work as a team. (Leap of Faith, 5.05)
• Rule 18: It’s bet­ter to seek for­give­ness than ask per­mis­sion. (Sil­ver War, 3.04)
• Rule 22: Nev­er, ever both­er Gibbs in inter­ro­ga­tion. (Smoked, 4.10)
• Rule 23: Nev­er mess with a Marine’s cof­fee if you want to live. (Forced Entry, 2.09)
• Rule 27: There are two ways to fol­low some­one. — First way they nev­er notice you. — Sec­ond way they only notice you. (Rule Fifty-one, 7.24; Jack Knife, 7.15)
• Rule 38: Your case, your lead. (Bounce, 6.16)
• Rule 39: There is no such thing as coincidence.(Obsession, 7.21)
• Rule 40: If it seems some­one is out to get you, they are. (Bor­der­land, 7.22)
• Rule 44: First things first, hide the women and chil­dren. (Rule Fifty-one, first men­tioned in Patri­ot Down, 7.23)
• Rule 45: Clean up the mess that you make. (Rule Fifty-one, 7.24).
• Rule 51: Some­times — You’re wrong (Rule Fifty-one, 7.24)
• Num­ber not Revealed: In my coun­try, on my team, work­ing my cas­es, my peo­ple don’t bypass the chain of com­mand. (Switch, 3.05)