Security Clearance Duration Statistics

In this post, we explore the various statistics surrounding security clearance durations, shedding light on the timelines and processes involved in obtaining and renewing different levels of clearances within governmental departments and agencies. From average processing times to backlogs and renewal requirements, these statistics provide valuable insights into the world of security clearances.

Statistic 1

"Approximately 3 – 6 months is the typical duration to obtain a confidential or secret security clearance."

Statistic 2

"Top Secret security clearances can take 6 -18 months to obtain."

Statistic 3

"The Department of Justice's security clearances usually take about 25 days for Secret and 79 days for Top Secret clearances."

Statistic 4

"For the Department of Defense, the timeline is around 33 days for Secret and 79 days for Top Secret clearance."

Statistic 5

"Secret clearance renewals happen every 10 years."

Statistic 6

"Top Secret clearance must be renewed every 5 years."

Statistic 7

"In 2019, it took 234 days to process an initial Secret clearance."

Statistic 8

"As of the first quarter of 2020, processing times for Secret clearance have improved to 97 days on average."

Statistic 9

"The backlog of pending security clearances federal wide dropped to just over 200,000 in 2020."

Statistic 10

"71% of all security clearance processing is for Department of Defense military, civilian, and contractor personnel."

Statistic 11

"By 2019, approximately 83% of all initial secret-level clearance requests were processed within 90 days"

Statistic 12

"For top-secret security clearances, around 32% were processed within 120 days for the defense industry and agencies by 2019."

Statistic 13

"48% of periodic reinvestigations (PRs) still exceed 180 days."

Statistic 14

"The Performance Accountability Council has set a standard that by the end of 2023, 90% of secret security clearance requests will be processed within 20 days."

Statistic 15

"Top-secret security clearance processing is targeted to take no more than 20 days in 90% of cases by 2023."

Statistic 16

"The Department of State shows average processing times of approximately 134 days for Top Secret clearances."

Statistic 17

"As of December 2020, the clearance backlog for Department of Defense stood at about 190,000 cases."

In conclusion, the duration to obtain security clearances varies significantly depending on the level of clearance and the government agency involved. Overall, the process can range from as short as 25 days for a Secret clearance with the Department of Justice to as long as 18 months for a Top Secret clearance. The statistics indicate improvements in processing times, with some clearances now being processed in under 100 days on average. Renewal timelines also vary, with Secret clearances being renewed every 10 years and Top Secret clearances every 5 years. Despite progress, there are still challenges, as shown by the backlog of pending clearances in 2020. Efforts are being made to streamline processing times, with targets set for even quicker clearances by 2023.