What to expect during the security clearance process

If you apply for a security clearance, be ready to air your dirty laundry. Government investigators gather the following information as they determine whether or not you can receive a confidential or secret clearance:

•  You must self-report answers on a standard form, known as an SF-86.
•  Investigators will seek data about you from federal databases, including those run by the military, FBI and IRS.
•  Your credit is checked.
•  Investigators contact local law enforcement agencies where you lived and worked during the last five years.
•  Investigators corroborate your date and place of birth.

For a top-secret clearance, the following additional information is gathered:

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If you apply for a security clearance, be ready to air your dirty laundry. Government investigators gather the following information as they determine whether or not you can receive a confidential or secret clearance:

•  You must self-report answers on a standard form, known as an SF-86.
•  Investigators will seek data about you from federal databases, including those run by the military, FBI and IRS.
•  Your credit is checked.
•  Investigators contact local law enforcement agencies where you lived and worked during the last five years.
•  Investigators corroborate your date and place of birth.

For a top-secret clearance, the following additional information is gathered:

•  Investigators validate your U.S. citizenship.
•  They corroborate educational information, including attendance and degrees earned.
•  They review your employment records and interview workplace references including former supervisors and co-workers.
•  They seek personal references from people who were suggested by you and those who were not.
•  Investigators run a check on your spouse or cohabitant.
•  Interviews are conducted with a former spouse if you have been divorced within the last 10 years.
•  Investigators canvass your neighborhood and verify your residence.
•  They review public records related to bankruptcy, divorce, criminal and civil court cases.
•  You are interviewed to collect data and to resolve inconsistencies. Expect questions about your use of alcohol, illegal drugs and travel to foreign countries.