Federal tactical units differ from local/state units in the scope of the missions they may be required to undertake, their areas of responsibility, the amount of manpower, equipment and resources they have at their disposal, and the amount and type of training they receive.

They are usually not restricted by state boundaries, although they may tend to limit their activities to a specific geographic area. On occasion, they may be called upon to respond to incidents involving US interests overseas, depending on the units specific mission statement.