Security Clearance Application Process
All employees whose positions require access to sensitive information or restricted areas are required to complete an application form known as the Standard Form 86 Questionnaire for National Security Positions (SF-86) or Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP). Providing information in the SF-86 or e-QIP is voluntary; however, completing the form truthfully is critical to the process of successfully obtaining a security clearance. Once a security clearance application is completed, it is generally submitted to the Defense Security Service (DSS), the individual federal agency’s security clearance review office, or the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for a review and determination.