How often must personnel with a security clearance undergo reinvestigation?

The requirement for personnel with security clearances to undergo reinvestigation is dictated by the level of clearance held. For Top Secret clearances, individuals are required to be reinvestigated every five years. For Secret clearances, the reinvestigation interval extends to ten years, while for Confidential clearances, it is set at fifteen years. This structured timeline ensures that the information used to assess an individual's eligibility for access to classified information remains current, allowing for effective risk management and protection of national security.

This approach to reinvestigation frequency reflects the differing levels of risk associated with each clearance level, as information related to Top Secret clearances is considered the most sensitive and potentially damaging if disclosed. Thus, the established intervals for reinvestigation balance the need for ongoing security assessments with the realities of personnel management and the vast number of clearances maintained.