The Issue Encyclopedia
The specific issues judges actually decide, arranged under the guideline that governs them. Each figure is computed from decided public DOHA hearing-level decisions, and a case raising several issues counts under each one.
A · Allegiance
About Guideline A and its official conditions
- Sabotage, Espionage, Treason, Terrorism, or Sedition · 1 case1 decided, too few for a rate
- Association or Sympathy with Persons Committing Such Acts · 1 case1 decided, too few for a rate
- Association with a Force/Violence or Unconstitutional-Means Organization · 1 case1 decided, too few for a rate
- Unspecified Allegiance Concern · 1 case1 decided, too few for a rate
B · Foreign Influence
About Guideline B and its official conditions · Decisions by country
- Parent (citizen/resident of foreign country) · 2,286 cases
52% granted · 1,182 granted · 1,104 denied
- Sibling (citizen/resident of foreign country) · 1,752 cases
57% granted · 996 granted · 755 denied
- In-law (citizen/resident of foreign country) · 1,024 cases
52% granted · 528 granted · 495 denied
- Spouse (foreign citizen or dual citizen) · 799 cases
43% granted · 345 granted · 454 denied
- Extended Family (uncle/aunt/cousin) in foreign country · 684 cases
53% granted · 361 granted · 322 denied
- Foreign Real Estate Holding · 501 cases
53% granted · 264 granted · 237 denied
- Financial Support to Foreign Relative · 413 cases
46% granted · 192 granted · 221 denied
- Friend in foreign country · 393 cases
51% granted · 202 granted · 191 denied
- Foreign Bank Account / Investment · 260 cases
57% granted · 149 granted · 111 denied
- Foreign Employment / Pension · 95 cases
51% granted · 48 granted · 47 denied
- Failure to Disclose Foreign Association · 84 cases
42% granted · 35 granted · 49 denied
- Cohabitation with Foreign National · 67 cases
36% granted · 24 granted · 43 denied
- Direct Contact with Foreign Government · 64 cases
41% granted · 26 granted · 38 denied
- Business or Professional Associate in foreign country · 54 cases
69% granted · 37 granted · 17 denied
- Unspecified Foreign Influence · 0 casesNo decided cases yet
C · Foreign Preference
About Guideline C and its official conditions
- Possession or Use of a Foreign Passport · 1,025 cases
49% granted · 501 granted · 524 denied
- Applying for or Acquiring Foreign Citizenship · 686 cases
47% granted · 322 granted · 364 denied
- Unwillingness to Renounce/Surrender Foreign Citizenship or Passport · 574 cases
46% granted · 262 granted · 311 denied
- Unspecified Foreign Preference · 516 cases
56% granted · 285 granted · 225 denied
- Accepting Foreign Benefits, Education, or Entitlements · 169 cases
44% granted · 75 granted · 94 denied
- Voting in a Foreign Election · 164 cases
48% granted · 79 granted · 85 denied
- Service in a Foreign Military or Government · 143 cases
55% granted · 79 granted · 64 denied
D · Sexual Behavior
About Guideline D and its official conditions
- Criminal Sexual Conduct (D-side) · 270 cases
13% granted · 34 granted · 236 denied
- Unspecified Sexual Behavior · 240 cases
21% granted · 50 granted · 190 denied
- Compulsive / Addictive Sexual Behavior · 99 cases
13% granted · 13 granted · 86 denied
- Prostitution or Solicitation · 92 cases
24% granted · 22 granted · 70 denied
- Child Pornography Involvement · 86 cases
16% granted · 14 granted · 72 denied
- Extramarital Relationship with Coercion Risk · 45 cases
16% granted · 7 granted · 38 denied
- Online / Electronic Sexual Misconduct · 37 cases
19% granted · 7 granted · 30 denied
- Workplace Sexual Misconduct · 28 cases
14% granted · 4 granted · 24 denied
E · Personal Conduct
About Guideline E and its official conditions
- Falsification of Security Clearance Application · 3,103 cases
10% granted · 310 granted · 2,790 denied
- Unspecified Personal Conduct · 2,993 cases
26% granted · 788 granted · 2,194 denied
- Omission / Failure to Disclose on Security Form · 2,673 cases
26% granted · 702 granted · 1,969 denied
- Lack of Candor in Interview / Investigation · 1,590 cases
11% granted · 170 granted · 1,419 denied
- Questionable Judgment (general) · 1,431 cases
24% granted · 349 granted · 1,082 denied
- Workplace Rules Violation · 765 cases
20% granted · 151 granted · 612 denied
- Pattern of Dishonesty or Rule Violations · 627 cases
14% granted · 85 granted · 540 denied
- Failure to Self-Report Required Information · 112 cases
20% granted · 22 granted · 90 denied
- Falsification of Non-Security Records · 104 cases
11% granted · 11 granted · 93 denied
- Concealment Creating Vulnerability to Coercion · 88 cases
8% granted · 7 granted · 81 denied
- Misuse of Employer Time or Resources · 66 cases
14% granted · 9 granted · 57 denied
- Failure/Refusal to Cooperate with Security Processing · 57 cases
11% granted · 6 granted · 51 denied
- Association with Persons Involved in Criminal Activity · 48 cases
29% granted · 14 granted · 34 denied
- Violation of a Written Commitment · 44 cases
9% granted · 4 granted · 40 denied
F · Financial
About Guideline F and its official conditions
- Credit Card Debt · 4,757 cases
35% granted · 1,678 granted · 3,075 denied
- Medical Debt · 3,857 cases
34% granted · 1,329 granted · 2,528 denied
- Unpaid Federal/State Taxes · 3,229 cases
26% granted · 853 granted · 2,374 denied
- Auto Loan / Vehicle Repossession · 2,829 cases
29% granted · 816 granted · 2,013 denied
- Utility / Phone / Cable Debt · 2,351 cases
34% granted · 799 granted · 1,552 denied
- Student Loan Debt · 2,242 cases
32% granted · 719 granted · 1,523 denied
- Mortgage / Home Loan Debt · 2,128 cases
41% granted · 869 granted · 1,258 denied
- Failure to File Tax Return · 2,114 cases
22% granted · 467 granted · 1,644 denied
- Civil Judgment Against Applicant · 2,022 cases
25% granted · 503 granted · 1,518 denied
- Bankruptcy Filing · 1,407 cases
33% granted · 468 granted · 939 denied
- Personal Loan / Consumer Loan Debt · 742 cases
32% granted · 239 granted · 502 denied
- Child Support Debt / Arrearage · 701 cases
23% granted · 164 granted · 536 denied
- Financial Fraud / Check Kiting / Embezzlement · 66 cases
15% granted · 10 granted · 56 denied
- Gambling Losses or Compulsive Gambling · 45 cases
22% granted · 10 granted · 35 denied
- Unspecified Financial Issue · 0 casesNo decided cases yet
G · Alcohol
About Guideline G and its official conditions
- DUI / DWI (alcohol-incident dimension) · 1,603 cases
28% granted · 454 granted · 1,145 denied
- Binge / Intoxication Pattern · 1,079 cases
23% granted · 251 granted · 825 denied
- Unspecified Alcohol Incident · 1,001 cases
31% granted · 312 granted · 683 denied
- Alcohol Use Disorder Diagnosed · 758 cases
26% granted · 198 granted · 557 denied
- Continued Use After Treatment · 626 cases
19% granted · 118 granted · 504 denied
- Treatment Non-Compliance · 537 cases
21% granted · 112 granted · 422 denied
- Alcohol-Related Arrest (non-DUI) · 286 cases
28% granted · 80 granted · 206 denied
- Public Intoxication · 178 cases
31% granted · 55 granted · 123 denied
- Intoxication at Work or on Duty · 126 cases
13% granted · 17 granted · 109 denied
- Underage Drinking · 68 cases
38% granted · 26 granted · 42 denied
- Alcohol-Related Hospitalization · 64 cases
16% granted · 10 granted · 54 denied
- Ignition Interlock Violation · 16 cases16 decided, too few for a rate
H · Drug Involvement
About Guideline H and its official conditions
- Marijuana · 3,224 cases
25% granted · 799 granted · 2,424 denied
- Unspecified Drug Involvement · 1,590 cases
23% granted · 362 granted · 1,224 denied
- Cocaine · 714 cases
21% granted · 151 granted · 563 denied
- Drug Distribution / Dealing · 520 cases
17% granted · 89 granted · 430 denied
- Stated Intent to Use Again · 497 cases
15% granted · 75 granted · 422 denied
- Drug Test Failure · 376 cases
16% granted · 59 granted · 316 denied
- Psilocybin / Hallucinogenic Mushrooms · 342 cases
25% granted · 87 granted · 255 denied
- MDMA / Ecstasy · 213 cases
26% granted · 55 granted · 158 denied
- LSD · 199 cases
21% granted · 41 granted · 158 denied
- Prescription Opioid Misuse · 184 cases
31% granted · 57 granted · 127 denied
- Failure to Complete or Abide By Treatment · 170 cases
18% granted · 30 granted · 140 denied
- Prescription Stimulant Misuse · 168 cases
27% granted · 46 granted · 122 denied
- Diagnosed Substance Use Disorder · 157 cases
19% granted · 30 granted · 127 denied
- Methamphetamine · 128 cases
16% granted · 20 granted · 108 denied
- Drug Use After Clearance Granted · 111 cases
11% granted · 12 granted · 99 denied
- Other Prescription Drug Misuse · 87 cases
37% granted · 32 granted · 55 denied
- Drug Possession (charge or arrest) · 86 cases
10% granted · 9 granted · 77 denied
- Benzodiazepine Misuse · 59 cases
28% granted · 16 granted · 42 denied
- Heroin · 53 cases
21% granted · 11 granted · 42 denied
- DMT or other hallucinogen · 37 cases
14% granted · 5 granted · 32 denied
- Ketamine · 28 cases
25% granted · 7 granted · 21 denied
- Inhalant Use · 14 cases14 decided, too few for a rate
- Anabolic Steroid Misuse · 10 cases10 decided, too few for a rate
- Synthetic Cannabinoid · 6 cases6 decided, too few for a rate
I · Psychological
About Guideline I and its official conditions
- Unspecified Psychological Condition · 139 cases
32% granted · 44 granted · 94 denied
- Mood Disorder Diagnosed · 112 cases
25% granted · 28 granted · 82 denied
- Treatment Non-Compliance (Psychological) · 81 cases
25% granted · 20 granted · 59 denied
- Suicidal Ideation or Attempt · 75 cases
24% granted · 18 granted · 57 denied
- Adverse DoD Psychologist Opinion · 53 cases
25% granted · 13 granted · 39 denied
- Psychotic Disorder Diagnosed · 47 cases
9% granted · 4 granted · 43 denied
- Psychiatric Hospitalization · 47 cases
32% granted · 15 granted · 32 denied
- PTSD or Anxiety Disorder Diagnosed · 45 cases
29% granted · 13 granted · 32 denied
- Violent or Aggressive Episode · 16 cases16 decided, too few for a rate
- Dishonesty / Lack of Candor in Psych Evaluation · 6 cases6 decided, too few for a rate
J · Criminal Conduct
About Guideline J and its official conditions
- Unspecified Criminal Conduct · 2,130 cases
22% granted · 475 granted · 1,652 denied
- DUI / DWI (criminal charge) · 1,089 cases
24% granted · 258 granted · 827 denied
- Drug-Related Criminal Charge · 820 cases
19% granted · 152 granted · 667 denied
- Assault or Battery · 596 cases
22% granted · 134 granted · 462 denied
- Fraud or Deception (Criminal) · 526 cases
13% granted · 67 granted · 459 denied
- Theft or Larceny · 431 cases
21% granted · 92 granted · 339 denied
- Domestic Violence · 371 cases
23% granted · 87 granted · 284 denied
- Traffic Offense (Pattern) · 318 cases
20% granted · 64 granted · 253 denied
- Sexual Offense (Criminal) · 229 cases
12% granted · 27 granted · 202 denied
- Probation or Court Order Violation · 167 cases
19% granted · 32 granted · 135 denied
- Trespassing or Burglary · 142 cases
19% granted · 27 granted · 115 denied
- Multiple Arrests / Cumulative Record · 128 cases
17% granted · 22 granted · 106 denied
- Weapons Offense · 101 cases
24% granted · 24 granted · 77 denied
- Vandalism or Property Damage · 63 cases
17% granted · 11 granted · 52 denied
- Homicide · 57 cases
18% granted · 10 granted · 47 denied
- Military / UCMJ Violation · 18 cases18 decided, too few for a rate
- Juvenile Offense Pattern · 2 cases2 decided, too few for a rate
K · Handling Protected Info
About Guideline K and its official conditions
- Failure to Safeguard or Secure · 161 cases
39% granted · 63 granted · 97 denied
- Unspecified Information Handling Failure · 116 cases
57% granted · 66 granted · 49 denied
- Unauthorized Disclosure · 77 cases
30% granted · 23 granted · 54 denied
- Removed Classified Info to Personal Space · 37 cases
54% granted · 20 granted · 17 denied
- Cross-Domain (Spillage) Violation · 29 cases
34% granted · 10 granted · 19 denied
- Improperly Compiled or Used Protected Info · 26 cases
38% granted · 10 granted · 16 denied
- Unauthorized Copying of Information · 15 cases15 decided, too few for a rate
- Ignored Supervisor Security Guidance · 6 cases6 decided, too few for a rate
L · Outside Activities
About Guideline L and its official conditions
- Unspecified Outside Activity · 33 cases
48% granted · 16 granted · 17 denied
- Employment or Service with a Foreign National, Org, or Entity · 26 cases
50% granted · 13 granted · 13 denied
- Failure to Report / Disclose an Outside Activity · 11 cases11 decided, too few for a rate
- Employment or Service with a Foreign Government · 9 cases9 decided, too few for a rate
- Representing a Foreign Interest · 5 cases5 decided, too few for a rate
- Activity Involving Intelligence, Defense, or Protected Technology · 3 cases3 decided, too few for a rate
M · IT Systems
About Guideline M and its official conditions
- Unauthorized Use of an IT System · 102 cases
32% granted · 33 granted · 69 denied
- Unspecified IT Misuse · 92 cases
34% granted · 31 granted · 59 denied
- Pornography / Inappropriate Content on an Employer System · 63 cases
22% granted · 14 granted · 49 denied
- Unauthorized Access / Entry into an IT System · 44 cases
41% granted · 18 granted · 26 denied
- Unauthorized Modification, Destruction, or Denial of Access · 40 cases
20% granted · 8 granted · 32 denied
- Unauthorized Hardware, Software, or Media · 35 cases
23% granted · 8 granted · 27 denied
- Negligent or Lax IT Security Practice · 21 cases
29% granted · 6 granted · 15 denied
- Classified / Protected Information on an Unauthorized System · 13 cases13 decided, too few for a rate
How these numbers are measured
Counts are decided hearing-level cases from the public record, taken from the per-allegation case profiles and matched to the same issue values the search filters use, so a count here and a filtered search always agree. An issue with at least 25 decided cases has its own page; below that the link opens the decided cases instead. † marks a split built on fewer than 20 cases, too few to be reliable.
Reading the statistics
- Granted = access granted or continued; Denied = denied or revoked.
- Grant rate = granted ÷ (granted + denied).
- † marks figures based on fewer than 20 cases, too few to be reliable.
- Hovering any rate shows its statistical range (a 95% confidence interval).
- Figures are descriptive counts over decided, public DOHA ISCR decisions, never predictions or assessments of any pending case.
Where to go from here
Get help with my case
Send us your question, or the Statement of Reasons you received. No charge, and a CASE analyst reads it. Usually five to ten business days.
Ask a question →I do this for clients
Rank every decision by how closely it matches a matter, see how the assigned judge has ruled, and keep it together with cited exports.
For attorneys and firms →Decided public cases: descriptive, never a prediction.