Employees who occupy national security positions and have access to classified information are expected to self-report changes or incidents that may impact their clearances. The Adjudicative Guidelines in 5 CFR 731 202 and Security Executive Agent Directive (SEAD) 4 are a valuable tool in determining if a life-event or situation might result in a need to self-report. Self-reporting, while mandatory, is also a question of personal integrity and certainly preferable to the incident or change being discovered. 

Even if you do not have a clearance, your agency may still require you to report to your security office certain changes and information about yourself. Please contact your agency’s security office with any questions regarding your specific situation.

Each agency may have different Self-Reporting Procedures and if you need to self-report you should contact your agency’s security office; However, the issues required to be reported are the same across the federal government. Please see separate tabs to learn how to self-report, depending on who you are.

Listed below are some incidents and life events where self-reporting is expected or may be appropriate, however, this list is not all encompassing and if you are unsure of whether report or not, please speak to your agency’s security office. Personnel cleared for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) or selected Special Access Programs (SAPs) may have additional requirements.

• Change in Personal Status - Marital status (marriage, divorce), cohabitation (living in spouse-like relationship, intimate relationship, or becoming engaged), change of name
• Foreign Travel – A security briefing before any foreign travel, whether for personal or business reasons, clearance for travel to hazardous countries for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)-cleared individuals
• Foreign Contacts – Contact with individuals of any foreign nationality, either within or outside the scope of your official duties, in which illegal or unauthorized access to classified or otherwise sensitive information is sought, personal concern that you are a target of an attempted exploitation, all close and continuing relationships between SCI-cleared individuals and foreign nations
• Loss or Compromise of Information – Inadvertent or accidental loss or compromise of classified or other sensitive information because the first priority in such a situation is to regain control of the classified material
• Financial Problems – Filing for bankruptcy, garnishment of wages, having a lien placed on your property for failing to pay a creditor, eviction from a residence for failure to pay rent, or simply your inability to meet all your financial obligations
• Arrests – Any arrest, regardless of whether or not charges were filed, other involvement with the legal system (such as being sued), any circumstance where you were sworn under oa
• Psychological or Substance Abuse Counseling – When counseling is needed, you are encouraged to seek assistance from your employer-sponsored Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or other counseling service. Counseling for certain situations need not be reported if you sought the counseling on your own initiative to help you cope. Counseling must be reported if you were advised to seek counseling because of work performance or other undesirable behavior

Seeking help for life stressors does not reflect adversely on an individual’s judgment. Instead, it may be viewed as a positive sign that an individual recognizes that a problem exists and is willing to take steps toward resolving it.

• Outside Activities – Any planned or actual outside employment or volunteer activity
• Media Contacts – Any media inquiries about your job or organization should be reported: ongoing personal contacts with media representatives who cover your organization or your subject are specialty should be cleared with security.
• Pre-Publication Review – Any technical paper, book, magazine article, or newspaper article that you prepare for publication or for posting on the Internet, or lecture or speech that you prepare to give, must be cleared in advance if it contains information or knowledge you gained during your current or any previous job.

Self Reporting as a DCSA Employee

If you have experienced an incident or life events where self-reporting is expected, or if you are unsure of whether to self-report, please check DCSA’s intranet (Intelink) for DCSA employees only for the correct contact.

Self Reporting as a Member of the Military

If you have experienced an incident or life events where self-reporting is expected, or if you are unsure of whether to self-report, please talk to your recruiter or Security Officer at your service duty station.

Self Reporting as a Federal Civilian

If you have experienced an incident or life events where self-reporting is expected, or if you are unsure of whether to self-report, please talk to your agency’s Security Officer or Human Resources office for guidance on to whom you should report.

Self Reporting as a DoD Contractor

If you have experienced an incident or life events where self-reporting is expected, or if you are unsure of whether to self-report, please talk to your company’s Facility Security Officer.

Self Reporting as a Contractor

Your security officer, Facility Security Officer, hiring official or recruiter should know what the specific self-reporting procedures are within your agency, command or company. Please contact them for guidance on how and where to report any changes or incidents that may impact your clearance.