Why clearances get denied or revoked.
You should never be in the dark regarding the cause of a security clearance denial or revocation. A Statement of Reasons (SOR) outlines the reasons for a security clearance denial. The SOR is a preliminary decision to deny or revoke a security clearance. It provides an individual to deny, refute or mitigate any adverse information.
The top issues resulting in clearance denial are generally the same from year to year:
ADJUDICATIVE GUIDELINE (2015/2016)
- Guideline F: Financial Considerations (499/864)
- Guideline E: Personal Conduct (225/257)
- Guideline H: Drug Involvement (122/102)
- Guideline B: Foreign Influence (87/78)
- Guideline J: Criminal Conduct (70/61)
- Guideline G: Alcohol Consumption (59/47)
- Guideline C: Foreign Preference (41/45)
- Guideline K: Handling Protected Information (8/16)
- Guideline M: Use of IT Systems (4/8)
- Guideline D: Sexual Behavior (8/7)
If it has been a number of years since your clearance denial, you may want to request a copy of your clearance background investigation to determine the issues that caused denial.