§ 147.24 The national agency check.

Quick Answer: What This Section Does

§ 147.24 explains that every security clearance investigation includes a National Agency Check (NAC).

This check reviews:

• federal investigative records
• criminal history databases
• prior clearance and background investigations
• intelligence and national security records

👉 In practice, this section answers a critical question:

“What records does the government actually check when reviewing my background?”

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What This Means in Practice

Most applicants assume a background investigation means:

• talking to references
• checking employment
• verifying addresses

That is only part of the process.

The National Agency Check is where the government reviews:

👉 what already exists about you in federal systems

Adjudicators are not asking:

👉 “What are you telling us?”

They are also asking:

👉 “What do government records already say about you?”

That distinction matters.

Because your case is not built from scratch.

👉 it is built on existing data

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How This Rule Is Actually Used

The National Agency Check is conducted in:

• every initial clearance investigation
• every reinvestigation
• many expanded investigations

It pulls information from:

• federal law enforcement
• prior clearance investigations
• internal government databases
• intelligence and immigration records

👉 This is often where discrepancies are first identified

These discrepancies may then be developed further during the investigation, as explained in what security clearance investigators actually check and how they verify your background information.

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Full Text of § 147.24

§ 147.24 The national agency check.

The National Agency Check is a part of all investigations and reinvestigations. It consists of a review of;

(a) Investigative and criminal history files of the FBI, including a technical fingerprint search;

(b) OPM’s Security/Suitability Investigations Index;

(c) DoD’s Defense Clearance and Investigations Index;

(d) Such other national agencies (e.g., CIA, INS) as appropriate to the individual’s background.

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Why This Matters for Your Case

This section reflects one of the most important principles in clearance law:

👉 the government already has a record on you

Two individuals may submit identical forms:

• one is approved
• one is flagged immediately

Because:

👉 one has prior records in these systems

This is why omissions and inconsistencies are often discovered, as explained in how investigators uncover SF-86 omissions and why applicants are often surprised when issues are found.

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Where Cases Often Go Wrong

Problems most often arise when:

• prior incidents were not disclosed
• records conflict with current statements
• earlier investigations contain different information
• applicants assume older issues are no longer visible

From the applicant’s perspective:

👉 “That was years ago”

From the system’s perspective:

👉 “This is already documented”

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How This Section Connects to the Record

The National Agency Check is one of the primary sources used to:

• verify disclosures
• identify inconsistencies
• build investigative leads
• establish credibility

Once information is identified:

👉 it becomes part of the permanent record

This is why understanding how your security clearance file is built and reused across federal systems is critical.

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How This Section Fits Into the Clearance Process

This provision is part of the investigative framework under the security clearance statutes and regulations governing investigations and adjudication.

It directly affects:

• what investigators review
• what issues are identified
• how cases develop

Those findings are then evaluated through the security clearance adjudication process and how risk is assessed based on the record.

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How This Section Interacts With Other Rules

The National Agency Check works alongside:

• investigation standards (§147.19)
• expansion of investigations (§147.21)
• disclosure requirements (SF-86)

Together, these determine:

👉 what is found
👉 how deeply it is examined
👉 how it affects your case

Return to the full statute list in the Security Clearance Statutes and Regulations resource page, or explore how these rules are applied in practice in the Security Clearance Lawyers Resource Center.

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Why Insight Into the System Matters

Security clearance decisions are not made in a vacuum.

They are made by:

• adjudicators
• administrative judges
• agency decision-makers
• reviewers who rely on the written record

Understanding how these individuals evaluate risk, credibility, and mitigation is not theoretical—it is structural.

At National Security Law Firm, our security clearance lawyers include attorneys who have worked:

• as administrative judges and adjudicators responsible for deciding clearance cases
• inside federal agencies evaluating whether individuals should be approved or denied
• within military legal systems handling sensitive national security matters
• in roles directly applying the adjudicative guidelines to real-world cases

Our cases are not handled by a single attorney working in isolation.

They are reviewed through our internal Attorney Review Board, where multiple experienced attorneys analyze the record, test arguments, and refine strategy before submission.

This mirrors how the government evaluates cases—through layered review and institutional scrutiny.

Clients often come to us after receiving advice that focuses only on:

• legal arguments
• explanations of past conduct

But security clearance cases are not decided that way.

They are decided based on:

👉 how the record will be read, reused, and defended by decision-makers

That is the difference between a response that explains—and a record that supports approval.

You can read what clients say about their experience working with our team in our 4.9-star Google reviews, which reflect both outcomes and the level of strategic guidance we provide throughout the process.

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Speak With a Security Clearance Lawyer Before the Record Works Against You

The most important question is not:

👉 “What will I disclose?”

It is:

👉 “What does the government already know?”

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The Record Controls the Case.