- Complete the Personal Security Questionnaire (SF-86) online.
- Provide your fingerprints and then attend an interview to go over your application. Answer any questions the interviewer has about your history.
- Wait to receive your clearance, which can take 3-4 months. Then, submit a new security package every 5-15 years to renew your clearance.
Applying for a Security Clearance
Identify the clearance level you need. Your employer or the user agency will determine which materials you will need access to and what level of clearance you need. There are three levels of security clearances: confidential, secret, and top secret. Someone other than you will identify which one you need, which determines the depth of the investigation. Confidential. You can access material that could cause measurable damage if improperly disclosed. Most military personnel get this clearance. Secret. You can gain access to material that could cause serious damage to national security if it were disclosed improperly. Top secret. You can access to information or material that could cause exceptionally grave damage to the nation’s security if improperly disclosed. There are many other types of sensitive government or private information that are not officially "classified" (i.e., for protection of national security) and access may require a less detailed background check, such as for "Sensitive But Unclassified" information marked "For Official Use Only", or "Proprietary".
Complete the questionnaire. You will need to complete the Personal Security Questionnaire, SF-86, online. This form will ask for substantial amounts of information, such as where you’ve lived and worked for the past 10 years and your relationship with family members. Answer all questions honestly and thoroughly. Talk to your company’s Facility Security Officer (FSO) for information on accessing the questionnaire. You may prepare your answers by referring to a readily available copy of SF-86 online at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) or the General Services Administration (GSA). It is over 125 pages long to accommodate applicants who have extensive foreign travel or business, employment or other issues to disclose. You should become familiar with the official investigation overview published by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). OPM estimates that it will take an average of 3 hours to complete the form. However, it might take you weeks or months to compile the necessary information to complete the form. Similar applications (such as the SF-85P) may be used for application for clearance in "Public Trust" positions that do not overlap with "national security" access programs.
Choose your references wisely. The application will request work, school, and personal references. References must not be close relatives or others already listed on the form. For personal references, you should name a combination of three people who have known you for at least the past seven years. These people should also know your other friends. It will also ask for the names of neighbors, landlords and roommates, their addresses telephone numbers and email addresses. You may check the boxes to indicate where you do not have such information, but it may slow down the investigation. Review the SF-86 and the next section about Investigations for more details on the types of information you will be required to submit. Your social security number will be shown on each page. Under no circumstances should you intentionally falsify or omit known information that is requested. This is a federal form and there are severe penalties for knowingly submitting falsely certified statements. After you complete the questionnaire online, and coordinate with the FSO, your sponsoring agency will review it and then forward it to the DCSA Consolidated Adjudication Services (CAS) formerly known as the Department of Defense Consolidated Adjudications Facility (DOD CAF). Either your sponsoring agency or the DCSA will then carry out the required investigation.
Undergoing a Background Check
Give fingerprints. A background check must be performed before you can be approved for a clearance. You will be told where to go to give your fingerprints, if required. You may need to go to the police station, or the agency requiring the clearance might fingerprint you. Some agencies will require specific protocols for taking and sending your fingerprints electronically, or properly inked fingerprint cards may be accepted. Your sponsoring agency will instruct you accordingly.
Identify what will be checked. The investigator will perform a criminal record and credit check. They will also send inquiries to employers, schools, and references to confirm information. If you are seeking a Top Secret clearance, then the investigators may also interview employers, family, neighbors, references, and others. Investigators can also look at your social media profiles, such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or even your YouTube postings. Make your profiles private if you don’t want anyone seeing anything embarrassing.
Attend an interview. Within a few weeks of submitting your application, you may be requested to attend an interview with the investigator in person or via telephone. You will go through the information on your application. The interviewer may also ask you to bring supporting documents, such as your Social Security card, passport, or birth certificate. You will also be asked questions about anything from your background check that has raised a security concern. Any omissions or intentionally false information may be used against you in your application, if not also your job. If you have had problems in the past, this is your chance to assure investigators that you are not a security risk.
Show allegiance to the U.S. You’ll raise a security concern if you’ve ever associated with people trying to overthrow the U.S. government, or if you have foreign-national relatives or close ties with non-citizens. For example, you might be currently living with a non-citizen or have a family member who has close ties to a foreign country. You can expect the investigator to ask you questions about these circumstances. You won’t automatically be disqualified from a security clearance for these reasons. For example, you might have been involved in seditious activities mostly out of curiosity and only for a brief period of time. The government might need to investigate any non-citizen you are close with to determine they are not an agent of a foreign power, or have any undue influence upon you, if they were to become compromised by agents of a foreign state.
Discuss any substance abuse issues. Alcohol and substance abuse are red flags for the investigator. You may need to discuss these issues, especially if you’ve been diagnosed as dependent on drugs or alcohol or been convicted of a crime while high or intoxicated. You can lessen the seriousness by showing that your involvement was not recent or that it was an isolated incident. Also let the investigator know if you’ve completed a treatment program, such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
Prove emotional stability. The investigator will look to see whether you have engaged in a pattern of behavior that shows emotional instability. Examples include compulsive sexual behavior, failure to take prescription medications, or high-risk and aggressive behavior. You should explain to the investigator that there is no current problem. Ideally, you will also have a recent opinion from mental health professional stating that your behavior is not likely to occur again. You should also explain if your past behavior resulted from a temporary problem, such as a divorce or the death of a loved one.
Discuss any financial difficulties. Financial difficulties can raise red flags for an investigator, because someone who is financially distressed is more likely to disclose confidential information for money. A history of defaulting on loans will cause concern. You can lessen the seriousness of financial difficulties by pointing out how they were beyond your control. For example, you might have gone into debt because of a medical emergency or unemployment. You can also explain how you made a good faith effort to pay your debts back.
Answer questions about your criminal history. The investigator will closely review your entire criminal history, so be prepared to discuss any crime you have been convicted of or even charged with. Your criminal history is deemed to include any arrests or criminal charges and any summons, citations and even any traffic citation for $300 or more, or involving alcohol or drugs, in the past seven years. Be prepared to provide details on each and every incident. Try to put your criminal history in context. For example, explain if the behavior was isolated and a long time ago. These facts can lessen any security concerns the investigator will have. If you were acquitted, point out that fact. However, you shouldn’t insist you were innocent if you were convicted. That sounds like you are trying to avoid responsibility for the crime. Also explain how you have rehabilitated yourself. For example, point to your solid work history and recent clean criminal record.
Receiving Your Clearance
Receive an interim security clearance. Your hiring office might request that you receive an interim security clearance. They are given only in exceptional circumstances, but you can get one within a few weeks of submitting your complete security package. Your FSO should be able to tell you whether they are seeking an interim security clearance.
Wait for your clearance. DSCA reviews the results of the investigation and forwards the results to the sponsoring agency. They decide to either grant you a clearance or not. It will take at least three or four months to receive your clearance, from start to finish.
Contest a denial. You will receive a Statement of Reasons (SOR) if you are denied. This document will identify every reason that has prevented you from obtaining a clearance. You’ll also be told how to submit a written rebuttal and/or request a hearing. In your rebuttal, you will need to explain or deny each reason stated in the SOR. For example, you might be denied because you have a home in foreclosure. You can provide context by showing how an illness caused you to fall behind on your mortgage payments. Find supporting documentation, such as medical records. Consider hiring an attorney or security clearance consultant to help you respond to the denial. It’s possible to convince the agency that you are qualified for a security clearance, but you’ll probably need expert help.
Maintaining Your Clearance
Undergo periodic investigation. Your clearance is only good for a certain amount of time. Before it expires, you must submit a new security package and have another background check. You will be reinvestigated according to the following timetable: Confidential clearance: every 15 years. Secret clearance: every 10 years. Top secret clearance: every 5 years.
Maintain continuity. If you change jobs, your prior clearance may remain valid for the new sponsoring agency, or you may have to submit to a new investigation. Your clearance may go inactive for a limited time between situations, subject to any updates you may need to submit for the intervening time.
Be prepared for an unexpected request for a new investigation. You should make it a habit to keep an updated file of any information that will need to be added to the SF-86 for any future investigations.
Follow additional rules of the sponsoring agency. Some clearances may require you to obtain permission or file reports any time you leave the country or meet with foreign nationals of specific countries. Additional access programs may require further background checks, if not also signed agreements, or even polygraph examinations.
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