r/SecurityClearance

I’m currently in the Army going through a security-clearance-related psychological evaluation tied to a Statement of Reasons (SOR). I was told I’m not taking a polygraph, but instead some kind of “test” that they couldn’t explain much about because apparently explaining it too much could invalidate it. He told me it’s not a polygraph but something similar where they’ll know if I’m lying or not. I have no idea what this means. Can anybody provide some insight? He said it’s protocol.

On April 30th, The Congressional Research Service (CRS) put out the following legal interpretation of the medical marijuana rescheduling from I to III:

"Under the CSA, a controlled substance that is a prescription drug may only be dispensed via a valid prescription. Generally, pharmaceutical controlled substances in Schedule III are prescription drugs, but marijuana is not. Under current medical practice, state-legal medical marijuana is not dispensed by prescription but instead based on a certification from a medical provider. The rescheduling order provides that such certifications are sufficient to permit dispensing of medical marijuana to users as long as the certifications satisfy certain requirements. Thus, the order appears to authorize end users to possess marijuana for medical use without a CSA-compliant prescription."

I understand that authorization will always be agency dependent, but this is a major shift in the legal interpretation of schedule III medical marijuana.

Source: https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11424

Excuse my ignorance, but after a psychological evaluation is completed, does the evaluator send the final report to the FSO/SMO, who then forwards it to DCSA? Or does the evaluator submit the final report directly to DCSA?

I am going through the SF-85 process for persec. I previously was granted a secret clearance 3-5 years ago and a few months after reneged the offer at a defense contractor due to another offer. I reneged a few months prior to starting. What are my chances of being granted a persec?

Hi all, I’ve searched around but haven’t found much guidance specific to attorneys seeking a security clearance. For the SF-86, who is most appropriate to list under “Supervisor” when working at a law firm? I work for 10+ partners and also receive assignments and supervision from more senior associates, but I don’t have a single traditional direct supervisor.

Would HR be the most appropriate contact for employment verification purposes, or can I list any partner/associate more senior?

Hi all,

I apologize first of all if this isn't the right place to post this but my research has brought me here so I figured it was worth a shot.

I recently switched careers. For the past 5 years or so, I have been trying to get a personal training business off the ground (self-employed), it never really amounted to much and I largely had to live off of savings and the little I was making during this time. I never made it an LLC. Things started off just making a few hundred bucks here and there through friends I was helping and eventually I made between $15,000-$30,000 per year, not much but it was something. I did not pay income taxes on this during this time (please reserve your judgement, I was really struggling financially but I'm trying to make it right. I'm still struggling financially).

Fast forward to last year, I went back to school. I recently got a verbal offer within my state government, where I will be dealing with social security info and I will need to get a "suitability determination through the Social Security Administration". Based on my research, this will involve getting my tax info checked. My background check will come out clean on everything except this.

Anyone have any advice on making this right? I did file my 2025 taxes last night, but obviously have to pay into that still/set up a payment plan + the other years. I've read similar threads on reddit where people say as long as you can prove you're working toward correcting things, it may be looked past. I am absolutely broke right now and I don't know how payment for tax services works or if that's a viable method.

Thank you.

Hello,

I was granted favorable TS/SCI determination by DCSA last month. It is with the Navy.

I will be going through clearance process with the Coast Guard which is part of DHS. They require Secret clearance.

Can Coast Guard use my current TS/SCI from DCSA for me to start working right away?

I currently worked for a bank, and I am currently in a ongoing TS clearance process. My current employer is firing me due to my investigator contacting them.

Is this normal? Is this legal?

Today I received suitability from the DHS!

I started the process and signed my offer letter in November and today, May 2026 I finally received my approval email!

Hang in there everybody, Waiting is hard, trust me I understand. Praying for everybody.

I had about 70k in credit card debt but everything was current and never missed a payment.

Can some just get Security Clearance (Special Sensitive with Sensitive Compartmented Information - SCI) without any prior TS or Secret clearance. Employer requesting just SCI.

Hello all, I(38yo) am a civillian in the trades and am seeking advice to prepare for trying to get a job for a sub that works for a government contractor. It would requure a q clearance.

Ive been immature and exercised poor judgment throughout my adult life and have realized that this lifestyle is holding me back. I have used marijuana since about 18yo until about a week ago. For a long time it was pretty much daily, but the last 6onths i tapered down to weekend use and occasional week nights. I also dont remember exact timeframe but i sold marijuana to some coworkers a few times when i was like 19 or 20(i honestly dont remember at this point it was so long ago). Also was arrested(charges got dropped) at the age of 19 for possession of marijuana and paraphernelia. Beyond that a few years ago I had the genius idea to grow some psyliocybin mushrooms and consume them. I did it a few times back then i dont remember how many times but i think less than 10. And about a month ago i did it on two seperate occasions.

All that to say I have recently passed up the best job oppurtunity i may ever have because i dont believe the government would tolerate this behavior being that it occured so recently. And I may never be eligeable. I refuse to lie on the background checks. However, this realization inspired me to completely stop all illegal drug use for good. I now have a daughter so priorities have changed and I want to be a good role model and also mot have to worry about this behavior getting me in trouble anymore. Looking back i cant believe I had such poor judgment to think this behavior wouldnt eventually affect my job prospects or personal life in some way beyond being a bit of a space cadet.

The experience caused me to re-evaluate my ethical conduct as well. Things like going 80 in a 65 or rolling a stop sign... i want to correct my behavior because im better than some of my actions represent. What Ive listed is 100% of everything bad...

So, I'm here looking for advice or input from people who have experience or if you're in the know so that I can prepare myself to go for that job in the future if the oppurtunity were to present itself again. Thank you

Edit: I plan on waiting for a year before i take a real crack at it. Im looking for advice on how to prove that this phase of my life is done and i have complerely moved on and would be a solid go for a q.

Something I’ve noticed while lurking in this subreddit is that it seems requesting a congressional inquiry into the status of your clearance is generally frowned upon except for extreme cases. I guess I’m just curious as to why that is?

So I disclosed that I was fired for performance deficiency

Part of the letter as follows

“The following information is required to render an adjudicative determination:
• Please provide any documentation you received regarding your disciplinary action from your current/previous employer (i.e., Human Resources, supervisor, etc.)
• A signed and dated statement disclosing all circumstances and nature that lead to the incidents.
You have fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of this letter, to furnish a written response addressing the issues indicated herein. In addition to your written, signed and dated response, you should provide any documentary evidence in support of your comments/explanations that you wish to be considered. Formal documentation should be provided to correct/update any disputed information of record.
Your responses will become a documented part of the official review/determination and will be validated against any other investigative information that may be obtained, to include information from other federal agencies.
You are not required to respond to this letter; however, if you fail to reply within the given timeframe, this office will render a pre-appointment determination based on the information we currently have available, which may result in an unfavorable pre-appointment determination, and rescindment of your tentative offer.”

From my last job - I was let go out of the blue. I’ve never received any written counseling, warnings, performance reviews, etc…just “performance deficiency”.

I have also requested for a personnel file from HR shortly after I was fired but they never responded. Should I ask HR again while showing this letter? Or should I just type up what happened and send them the documents?

Im deciding between two offers right now and need clear folk opinion.

Offer 1 - Gives a TS. Pay cut, Close commute (5-20 minutes). They lean more towards getting an interim, but if i don't get the interim, I get 12 months to get the TS. The job is more first come first serve too, so whoever gets their clearance first gets it.

Offer 2 - Gives a TS. Same pay, Far commute (1hr to 1hr 30 minutes). They dont even sponsor interims, they just sponsor for fhe clearance.

Ive been trying to get into the cleared line of work for a while and have no clue what an interim really consists of. Isn't it like a high denial rate for the smallest of issues? I was dropped from my last contractor due to not passing the infamous test. So I'm thinking the second option will be the best.

But what would you do?

I’m currently a federal employee, my job does not require anything other than public trust. I have held a secret clearance in the past, and I was hired recently to go back into a position that will require a secret clearance. I also had a recruiting opportunity reach out to inform me that a position would be opening, it would require a TS. I have nothing negative on my credit, my credit score is in the 700s, the only thing I have is that I am on a current tax plan and I’m paying a significant amount to get it paid off. I was told by a treasury employee that even if you’re on a tax plan that has always been current, it’s considered delinquent. Wondering if anyone has had this experience and would it keep me from getting the TS. Also, if the position required the OGE 450 would the tax plan that is current ,cause an issue with that

I’m looking for advice on how to handle this honestly during the clearance process.

Last year, while I was overseas, unemployed, and not holding an active security clearance, I took on a significant amount of credit card debt, roughly $120k, to purchase watches that I used as inventory to help build a legitimate business. The business was real, documented, and profitable. I later sold my shares in the business for a profit.

I previously held a Secret clearance with no issues, but I was not employed in a cleared role and was not holding an active clearance at the time I took on this debt. I now have a referral for a position that would require a TS clearance, and my biggest concern is how this debt will be viewed.

I do not want to lie or hide anything. I want to disclose everything accurately and be prepared to explain the situation clearly. The debt came from a business decision that I knew was risky, but it was not gambling, fraud, or an attempt to avoid repayment. That said, I understand the amount of debt may still raise concerns.

A few questions:

1. Would this type of debt be viewed differently if it was tied to a documented business venture rather than personal overspending?

2. Does it matter that I was unemployed and not holding an active clearance when I took on the debt?

3. Is it better from a clearance perspective to pay the debt in full, set up a payment plan, or negotiate a settlement for less than the full amount?

4. If I settle the debt for less, could that be viewed negatively, even if the creditor agrees to it?

5. What kind of documentation should I gather before the investigation? For example: business records, sale agreement, proof of profit, credit card statements, payment history, settlement offers, etc.

6. How much does intent matter? I did intend to repay the debt when I took it on, but I also recognize it was a high-risk financial decision.

7. Would it be smart to speak with a clearance attorney before submitting paperwork or before an interview?

I’m not looking for ways to hide the debt. I’m trying to understand the best way to resolve it responsibly and explain it honestly if asked.

Hello all so i'll start this off by saying I have done a clearance before however It was when I was much younger and less established i.e. no credit etc. Now as a olderish person i was wondering what gets checked as I have to renew my clearance soon

So I know the SF85 asks about criminal history for the past 5 years. Which I have none. But when I was younger and dumber (15 years ago but not a teenager) I did get in trouble one time and did deferred adjudicated probation. Is it possible to still get a job that requires an SF85 (Not SF85P)?

Good afternoon,

I am super stressed about my reinvestigation that’s coming up in October for my secret clearance. I am about 60k in debt (20k credit card, 15k personal loan, and 25k car loan). I’ve never been late on any payments whatsoever, never had anything charged off or in collections. I will be paying approximately 3k of my credit cards off at the end of the month.

I’ve never been in any trouble and I have already contacted the banks to try and get on a payment plan. I just recently came a single income household and I got into a really bad accident causing my previous car to be totaled.

Any insight would be helpful!

Hello! :)

Anyone here got approved with debt issues caused by being laid off? I'm on month 7-8 of waiting for my clearance and haven't heard any news... I know they say no news is good news... but it's taking a while :(

Also for context this is just a follow up on my previous post: Security clearance long process.. any thoughts? I disclosed everything and anything even with proof and still trying to keep my finances on track.

I also submitted a congressional inquiry to see if I get any updates...

My new employer is telling me that they only get an alert once the clearance gets approved...and for them it is still showing as "Adjudication Pending".

Any insight?