What is this clearance document?
A directory of the forms and notices that appear in a security clearance case. Search by form number or by a phrase from the page in front of you. Each entry says what the document is, whether it is something you normally see, and where the description comes from.
Many of these are routine processing notices between agencies rather than decisions about you. For the correspondence in a contested case — the interrogatory, the Statement of Reasons, the hearing notice, the decision and the appeal — see correspondence in a DOHA case, which covers those in more depth.
Stage
Where it applies
Showing 12 of 45 documents.
Investigation and case status
Mostly agency-to-agency processing notices. Applicants rarely see these, and they are not adverse actions.
Agency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
The investigators’ completed findings, submitted to the sponsoring agency so it can make its determination. It is the evidence base an adjudicator reads.
What you do: Nothing directly. You can request your own records later; see the records section of this page.
Also called: ROI, report of investigation, investigation report
Full entry for Report of Investigation
Source: DCSA — Investigations and Clearance Process — DCSA describes investigators submitting results through a report of investigation which is returned to the sponsoring agency.
Agency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
Confirms to the agency that the requested investigation has been scheduled by DCSA. It is a routine processing confirmation.
Also called: investigation scheduled, scheduled notice
Full entry for Investigation Scheduled Notice
Source: DCSA — Terms and Definitions — DCSA: "Verifies the requested investigation has been scheduled by DCSA."
Agency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
Sent when the type of investigation requested does not match the sensitivity or access information recorded in the request. The investigation has not started, and the paperwork must be corrected and returned.
What you do: Nothing directly, but it is worth asking the security office whether the request has been corrected — this notice means the clock has not started.
Also called: administrative return, case papers returned, returned notice
Full entry for Administrative Return Notice
Source: DCSA — Terms and Definitions — DCSA: case papers returned where the investigation type is inconsistent with the Agency Use Only block; "the investigation has not been initiated".
Unacceptable Case Notice
FIPC 45AAgency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
Sent to the agency when an investigation request is returned as unacceptable, typically because the investigative forms were not completed correctly. It is a paperwork rejection, not a finding about the person.
What you do: Nothing directly. In practice it usually means a form has to be corrected and resubmitted.
Also called: FIPC 45A, unacceptable case, case rejected
Source: DCSA — Terms and Definitions — DCSA: sent when requests "are returned to agencies as unacceptable", where forms "are not completed correctly".
Agency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
The summary that accompanies a completed investigation, setting out what was investigated, the results, and the closing action taken.
Also called: CCT, case closing transmittal, closing package
Source: DCSA — Terms and Definitions — DCSA: "provides a summary of investigated activities and results and indicates one of the following closing actions".
Agency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
A notice in the closing package certifying the level of investigation completed and that a final adjudication was made. It is filed in the personnel folder.
Also called: COI, certification of investigation
Source: DCSA — Terms and Definitions — DCSA: certifies "the level of background investigation that was completed and that a final adjudication was made".
Agency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
Records that the case has been discontinued. Discontinuation is an administrative outcome — commonly the sponsorship ended — and is not itself an adverse determination.
Also called: closed discontinued, discontinued
Full entry for Closed-Discontinued Notice
Source: DCSA — Terms and Definitions — DCSA: "Indicates when the case has been discontinued."
Agency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
Sent when a previously requested fingerprint chart was never received, so the case is closed without completing. It returns with the new chart when that is supplied.
Also called: closed incomplete, incomplete notice
Full entry for Closed-Incomplete Notice
Source: DCSA — Terms and Definitions — DCSA: case papers returned "when DCSA has not received a new fingerprint chart previously requested".
Agency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
An agency request for a determination or an advisory opinion in a federal investigation.
Also called: INV 60, INV-60, request for determination, advisory
Source: OPM — Federal Investigation Forms — Listed by form number and title on OPM’s federal investigation forms page.
Agency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
The request used for a special agreement check, a limited check performed under an agreement with the requesting agency rather than a full investigation.
Also called: INV 86C, special agreement check, SAC
Source: DCSA — Terms and Definitions — DCSA lists INV 86C as the request for special agreement check.
Agency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
The form sent to a current or former employer to verify employment and identify supervisors. This is the mechanism behind "they contacted my old job".
What you do: Nothing. Listing employers accurately on the questionnaire is what makes this step go smoothly.
Also called: INV 41, INV-41, employment verification, supervisor check
Source: OMB information collection 0705-0003 — Named in the approved OMB collection for INV 40-44, which transferred from OPM to DCSA; OPM’s forms page no longer lists these.
Agency-to-agency. You do not normally see this.
The form sent to a law enforcement agency for records about you. Law enforcement participation is required by statute.
Also called: INV 44, INV-44, law enforcement check, police records check
Source: OMB information collection 0705-0003 — Named in the approved OMB collection for INV 40-44; participation required by 5 U.S.C. 9101.
Related services
If the document you have identified is an adverse one, these are the next steps available.
Each entry was checked against the issuing agency’s own published source, and documents that could not be verified against an official source are deliberately not listed. Descriptive research on published procedures. Not legal advice, and not a prediction about any pending case.