Cost of Investigations

You do not have to pay for your security clearance background investigation. Your military branch, federal agency/department or prospective federal agency/department will pay for your security clearance investigation. For DoD contractors, the Defense Security Service (DSS) will be paying for all contractor-related security clearance investigations. Despite the misconception, contracting companies in the NISP do not pay for the security clearance investigations of their employees. DSS pays OPM for all of the requested investigations of contractor personnel in the NISP. In fact, almost 50% of the annual operating budget of DSS is earmarked for payment to OPM for security clearance background investigations of contractor personnel in the NISP.

Don’t let a contractor Facility Security Officer (FSO) tell you that the company won’t pay for your security clearance investigation. They don’t pay for them anyway; the U.S. Government does, specifically, DSS.

Fiscal Year 2016 Prices

Forget about most of the investigations listed above. Most people need only concern themselves with the ANACI, NACLC, SSBI and SSBI-PR.

ANACI - Used for SECRET (S) clearances; Electronic record checks; Interviewed by an OPM investigator (federal or contractor) only if you have issues; CIVILIANS.

NACLC - Used for SECRET (S) clearances; Electronic record checks; Interviewed by an OPM investigator (federal or contractor) only if you have issues; CONTRACTORS and MILITARY.

SSBI - Used for TOP SECRET (TS) clearances; Electronic record checks & numerous interviews of people who know you; You will be interviewed byan OPM investigator (federal or contractor.)

SSBI-PR - 5 year review since your initial TS was granted; If you’ve made some “mistakes,” it could be bye-bye for your clearance; No clearance=No job. It’s game over. You’re on the street!

The SF 86 is the gold standard. Learn the inside tricks that will expedite your clearance. Read the questions very closely. Know what you need to disclose. More importantly, know what you don’t need to disclose.

Recently, OPM has changed their terminology regarding most types of investigations that they offer. It’s pretty much the same types of background investigations but with new names. Every couple of years or so, the brilliant minds at the OPM Policy Department rename or re-label the same investigative product, more or less.

Anyway, investigative products that were formerly referred to as the NACI, NACLC, ANACI, MBI, BI and others will henceforth be referred to as Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4 and Tier 5 investigative products. (See below.)

https://www.dss.mil/documents/psmo-i/Tier_Investigation_News_Update_10052015.pdf