Which letter did you get?
Every letter in a security-clearance case has a specific job, and many carry a deadline. Pick the one you received: what it means, where it sits in the process, and what the decided record shows, in plain English. The deadline printed in your own letter always controls.
Before any decision
The government’s case
Decision and appeal
Other tracks and good news
Statement of Reasons
What it is
The government’s written case against eligibility: numbered allegations organized under the adjudicative guidelines, stating an intent to deny or revoke unless the concerns are resolved. For contractors it arrives through your company’s facility security officer in a sealed envelope, and you sign a dated receipt. That signature starts the clock. The package includes a cover letter and a one-page election form (hearing or written record) ending in a notarized signature block.
The deadline
Your written answer, under oath, is due about 20 days from receipt. Extensions of 20 to 30 days are routinely granted, but ask before the deadline. No response at all is treated as an automatic denial.
The deadline printed in the letter you received always controls. Work out your exact dates with the deadline calculator.
What happens next
Your answer admits or denies each numbered allegation and elects either a live hearing before a DOHA Administrative Judge or a decision on the written record. About 70% of people who respond choose the hearing.
What the record shows
Across 26,656 decided hearing-level cases in the public record, 9,143 were granted (34%) and 17,513 were denied or revoked. Search decisions like yours.
Holding an SOR right now? Case Prep compares each allegation against similar decided cases.
Descriptive research on the public record and published procedures. Not legal advice, and not a prediction about any pending case. For exact dates from your letter, use the deadline calculator.