Requirements for Security Clearance for Federal Job

by Chiara Sakuwa

Federal positions involving access to classified information require incumbent employees to hold a security clearance. The three most common security clearance levels, which vary based on the sensitivity of the designated classified information, are confidential, secret and top secret. Due to special sensitivity and security concerns surrounding different types of classified information, candidates for certain federal positions must meet the necessary citizenship, background, employment and need-to-know requirements to be granted a security clearance.

U.S. Citizenship

Classified information secured within federal agencies can yield grave consequences if exposed to conflicting entities. To reduce the likelihood of unauthorized exposure, federal agencies require all candidates for security clearances to hold U.S. citizenship. You will need to submit proof of your citizenship, such as your U.S. passport or your birth or naturalization certificate at the time you apply for your clearance. If you are in the naturalization process, you must wait until your process is complete prior to applying.

Government Sponsorship

You must be employed or sponsored by a federal entity to obtain a security clearance. Only the federal government is authorized to issue security clearances. Clearances cannot be obtained or paid for individually or privately. Once you are hired by a federal agency, your hiring authority will guide you through the security clearance process and pay the costs.

Background Investigation

You will need to successfully pass a full-scale background investigation according to the type of clearance your federal position requires. For example, for a confidential clearance, you will only be required to indicate five years of personal history; but for a top secret clearance, you will need to provide information dating back to your 18th birthday. You will need to complete the National Security Questionnaire (SF-86) fully and accurately. Investigative periods often vary, depending on the length, depth, scope and accuracy of the information given. A federal investigating agency will then run checks on your credit, criminal record, employment history, foreign activities and personal references. Some clearances also require a polygraph exam. This is most common with top secret clearance investigations.


To obtain the appropriate security clearance for your federal job, your agency needs to verify that you have a certain level of need-to-know to access certain classified information. As classified information is safest when handled by the fewest people or entities, the requirements and duties inherent in your position should be able to justify your need to access designated classified information. If, for example, you are a special agent and therefore need access to highly classified computer databases and human source intelligence to do your job properly, you have the need-to-know required for a top secret clearance.

About the Author

Chiara Sakuwa has been a writer since 2005. Her work has appeared in publications such as the "Liberty Champion" newspaper and "The New World Encyclopedia" project. She is also the author of the novel "The Lady Leathernecks." She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences from Campbell University and a Master of Criminal Justice from Boston University.

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