For the incredibly honest, over-worriers or detail-oriented among us, there is a common phenomenon the moment you hit the final ‘submit’ button on your SF86 and send it over for adjudicative review. Panic. You’ll wake up in the middle of the night, sweating because you suddenly remembered a traffic ticket or summer job you failed to disclose.
Should you call back the investigator or your facility security officer to rectify the mistake? Before you break into a cold sweat, you might want to read the fine print on your ticket.
A recent comment on the ClearanceJobsBlog asks:
I filled out my SF85P yesterday online for a job as subcontractor for IRS and then last night remembered a traffic ticket from last year (paid a fine and no points on license). I said “no” to the police record question but dig some digging and saw that the ticket was $125 and plus fees made it $160. (the question states disclose any traffic offense over $150) I REALLY want this job (as most of us do) so reached out to my hopefully new boss, the IRS agent that sent me the email, and called some helpline.
In this case, the last minute worry is unfounded for two reasons. The government really isn’t worried about your traffic violations or driving issues (unless you’ve received multiple DUIs or reckless driving citations). And in the case above, the fine print is key – the fine was $125, and that’s the figure to consider when you’re determining if a citation needs to be listed.
ClearanceJobs contributor and security clearance attorney Sean Bigley wrote the following in an article on speeding violations and your security clearance:
…the key is to carefully read the relevant language on the SF-86 form. That document states that you may lawfully not report a traffic infraction where the “fine” is under $300. In many states – California in particular – the vast majority of the amount that a driver actually pays to the court is various “fees” that are tacked on by the courts and the state legislature. Examples include “court construction fees,” “disability access fees,” and “victim compensation fund” fees. The important thing to understand is that, legally speaking, “fees” are not the same as “fines.” Too many security clearance holders create needless problems for themselves by simply reporting the entire amount they paid a court. Upon request, most courts will provide a breakdown of what the driver is paying on a particular citation.
It’s key to remember it’s generally not bad to over-report a minor issue like a traffic ticket. But it’s also not something to lose sleep over.
