Whether you’ve obtained a security clearance in the past or currently hold one, knowing your clearance status – including issuing agency and other details – is important both for your career progression and your job search.
If you’re currently employed in a cleared position, checking on your clearance is easy – simply request your Facility Security Officer inquire about the status of your clearance. The vast majority of clearance holders are cleared through the National Industrial Security Program (NISP). The Defense Information System for Security (DISS) can be used by your FSO to check your clearance status for Department of Defense security clearance holders. Scattered Castles is the security clearance system of record for Intelligence Community security clearance holders. Unfortunately, the two systems don’t communicate information back and forth, so if you hold a security clearance with multiple agencies and need to verify your status, you may need to have your security officer check multiple systems.
Your Personnel Security Investigation (PSI) may be either active, current, or expired. The transition to Continuous Vetting (CV) as a part of the Trusted Workforce 2.0 overhaul of the personnel vetting process is hoping to create better market elasticity by making it easier for prior clearance holders to onboard. Clearances stay current for three years following a separation in service, meaning the date of your investigation is less important than the last date you held eligibility.
If your security clearance is pending or in progress, currently the only way to verify your clearance is through your current security officer processing the investigation. In the future, candidates may have more ways to verify their clearance status and see where they are at in the journey from initiation to successful adjudication.
Privacy Act Requests
If you’re not currently employed, the process of ascertaining your security clearance status becomes a bit trickier. If you’re on friendly terms with your last employer or security officer, you can make an inquiry of them. If you’re currently working with a cleared recruiter to pursue a new opportunity, they should also be able to verify your security clearance status in DISS or Scattered Castles, but you will need to provide your social security number in order to validate your information.
For the majority of clearance holders, a Privacy Act request through the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency provides the necessary information. DCSA has a form that can be used to ensure all of the required information is provided, and investigation requests can be made through mail, fax, or email.
