Government & Defense Credential Verification
How to Verify a Security Clearance
Security clearances are not publicly verifiable like professional licenses. Access to clearance records is restricted to authorized government agencies and contractors. However, there are legitimate steps employers can take — and important limits they must understand — when hiring cleared candidates.
Key point
Security clearance status cannot be verified by the general public or by employers without proper government system access. Civilian employers with a Facility Security Clearance (FCO) and an authorized Facility Security Officer (FSO) can verify clearance status through the Defense Information System for Security (DISS). Private employers without cleared facility status cannot directly confirm a candidate's clearance.
Security clearance levels
U.S. government security clearances are classified into three standard levels, with additional access designations beyond the basic clearance:
Confidential
Lowest levelGrants access to information that could reasonably cause damage to national security if disclosed. Reinvestigation required every 15 years. Common in lower-sensitivity military and government positions.
Secret
Mid-levelGrants access to information that could cause serious damage to national security. Reinvestigation every 10 years. The most common clearance level in federal contracting, defense, and intelligence support roles.
Top Secret (TS)
High-levelGrants access to information that could cause exceptionally grave damage to national security. Requires a Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI). Reinvestigation every 5 years.
Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI)
Access designationSCI is not a clearance level itself — it is an access designation layered on top of a Top Secret clearance. SCI access is granted by an intelligence community sponsor and requires polygraph in many programs. TS/SCI is the de facto standard for intelligence community work.
Who can verify a security clearance
| Entity | Can verify? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Cleared defense contractors (FCO-holding firms) | Yes | Via DISS — Defense Information System for Security (access.dss.mil) |
| U.S. government agencies | Yes | DISS and agency-specific systems |
| General public / commercial employers | No | No public access — clearance data is classified |
| Background check companies (commercial) | No | Cannot access DISS or classified clearance records |
DISS: the authoritative clearance system
The Defense Information System for Security (DISS), managed by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), replaced JPAS (Joint Personnel Adjudication System) as the primary clearance management system for DoD contractors and agencies. DISS is accessible only to authorized government users and cleared employers with approved access.
For cleared defense contractors, the Facility Security Officer (FSO) at your organization manages DISS access. The FSO can:
- › Verify that a candidate holds an active clearance at the required level
- › Confirm the investigation type and date of the most recent investigation
- › Initiate a Personnel Security Investigation (PSI) for new hires who need to be sponsored
- › Transfer a clearance from the candidate's prior employer
If your organization is not a cleared contractor but needs to hire a candidate with a clearance, contact the contracting government agency sponsoring the work. The government agency (not the contractor) ultimately controls clearance access.
What to ask cleared candidates during hiring
Even without direct DISS access, there are legitimate questions you can ask and information candidates can provide to substantiate their clearance claims:
Ask for the clearance level and current status
Ask the candidate their clearance level (Secret, TS, TS/SCI), whether it is currently active, and what organization or agency currently holds or last held their clearance record. An inactive clearance that has been out of scope for more than 24 months may require a new investigation.
Confirm the "in scope" date
A clearance is considered "in scope" if the most recent background investigation was completed within the periodic reinvestigation timeframe (5 years for TS, 10 years for Secret, 15 years for Confidential). An out-of-scope clearance requires a new SSBI or periodic reinvestigation before the individual can access classified material.
Ask about polygraph requirements
Many IC (intelligence community) programs require a full-scope polygraph or a counterintelligence polygraph as a condition of SCI access. Ask whether the candidate has completed the polygraph required for the specific program you are hiring for — polygraph coverage varies by agency and program.
Do not accept self-certification as final
A candidate claiming a clearance should be verified through DISS before being assigned to a classified contract. Self-reporting of clearance status is not a substitute for official verification. False claims of clearance are a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1001.
ClearanceJobs and commercial clearance job boards: what they can confirm
Commercial job boards like ClearanceJobs (clearancejobs.com) allow cleared professionals to post their clearance status on their profiles. However:
- › ClearanceJobs does not independently verify clearance status — it relies on candidate self-reporting
- › Profiles on commercial platforms are a screening tool only, not a verification tool
- › Final verification must go through DISS via your FSO or the sponsoring agency
Clearance and education fraud: a compounding risk
Cleared positions frequently require degrees, and degree fraud compounds clearance risk. A candidate who fabricates a degree from an accredited institution — or who holds a degree from a diploma mill — has provided false information on their SF-86 (Standard Form 86, the security clearance application).
Diploma mills and security clearances
The SF-86 requires applicants to list all colleges and universities attended. Listing a diploma mill as an educational credential — particularly one without regional or national accreditation — can raise adjudicative concerns during the background investigation. Verifying the accreditation status of all listed institutions is a standard part of cleared candidate due diligence.
Verify accreditation before the SF-86 is submitted
Cleared hiring pipelines benefit from early verification of educational credentials. Use VerifyED to confirm that all institutions listed by a candidate are legitimately accredited — and catch diploma mill credentials before they appear on a security clearance application.
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