Protective orders are legal documents issued by courts to protect individuals from domestic disputes. These orders can be a critical tool in ensuring someone’s safety or the safety of others around you. However, if you have a security clearance, your involvement in a domestic dispute could potentially affect your clearance status and your job prospects.
Security clearances are necessary for individuals who work in certain government or military positions. These clearances allow access to classified information, and individuals with security clearances are expected to maintain a high level of trust and responsibility. Involvement in a domestic dispute can raise concerns about an individual’s judgment and reliability.
One ClearanceJobsBlog subscriber was hoping a restraining order from seven years ago would not affect his eligibility to upgrade from a position of public trust to a high risk top secret level role:
I’m currently employed in the Public Trust position but am interested in applying to an opening with a security clearance requirement listed as Top-Secret Critical Sensitive/High Risk.
Just over 7 years ago I made a poor choice of partner, along with some poor personal choices in a relationship and had an ex take out a civil restraining order on me. There were no related criminal charges. There has been no contact with them and no other similar problems with anyone else ever. Otherwise, my background is very clean.
Would this previous restraining order preclude me from obtaining the required clearance?
Protective Orders, Domestic Disputes, and Your Security Clearance
Protective or restraining orders might involve a significant other, a neighbor or colleague you’re feuding with, or a domestic violence victim. Whether someone enacts the order or if they are on the receiving end, there are a few considerations to be aware of.
If you are involved in a domestic dispute with a restraining or protective order, it is crucial to follow the terms of the order and avoid any further confrontations with the other party.
If you have a security clearance, it is essential to report any involvement in a domestic dispute to your clearance-granting agency or Facility Security Officer (FSO). Failure to report this information could result in revocation of your clearance and potentially even your job. However, reporting the incident and cooperating with any investigations can demonstrate your commitment to honesty and integrity, which are essential qualities for individuals holding security clearances.
Like most issues, passage of time is the greatest mitigating factor for all issues, and because the original poster indicates the restraining order is from 7 years ago, the conduct from the time since then will have significantly more weight than a single incident born out of a domestic dispute. In the absence of any criminal record since and given time is a mitigation factor, the possibility of an upgrade to a Top-Secret Critical Sensitive/High Risk position sounds promising.
Much about the clearance process resembles the Pirate’s Code: “more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” This case-by-case system is meant to consider the whole person, increase process security, and allow the lowest-risk/highest-need candidates to complete the process.
