SF 181 Form – Fill Out and Use This PDF

Updated: Nov 11, 2026

The SF 181 form, titled "Ethnicity and Race Identification," is a document used by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. It serves a vital role in ensuring equal employment opportunities across the federal government by collecting voluntary self-reported information on an individual's ethnicity and race. The completion of this form, which influences neither employment status nor opportunities, is a crucial step in facilitating a diverse and inclusive workforce. If you're ready to contribute to this important effort, click the button below to fill out your form.

Get Form Now Download PDF

How to Fill Out Form SF 181

Form SF 181 at a glance

What it is: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management Guide to Personnel Data Standards ETHNICITY AND RACE IDENTIFICATION form; read the Privacy Act Statement and instructions before completing it.

A filled-in Form SF 181 example: an employee identifies ethnicity and race

Form SF 181 example filled out, example: an employee identifies ethnicity and race — Jane Sample fills out Standard Form 181 with her name and Birthdate. She checks Asian and White in Question 2. Question 1 stays empty because the file has no named field for it; every value in it is made up.

How to fill out Form SF 181, box by box

Question 2. Racial category

Question 2. Please select the racial category or categories with which you most closely identify by placing an X in the appropriate box. Check as many as apply.

American Indian or Alaska Native: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Black or African American: a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

White: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

More rules for Form SF 181

The two questions are designed to identify your ethnicity and race. Regardless of your answer to question 1, go to question 2. Question 1: Are You Hispanic or Latino? Yes or No.

Ethnicity and race information is requested under the authority of 42 U.S.C. Section 2000e-16 and in compliance with the Office of Management and Budget's 1997 Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity. Providing this information is voluntary and has no impact on your employment status, but in the instance of missing information, your employing agency will attempt to identify your race and ethnicity by visual observation.

This information is used as necessary to plan for equal employment opportunity throughout the Federal government.

Social Security Number (SSN) is requested under the authority of Executive Order 9397. Providing this information is voluntary and failure to do so will have no effect on your employment status. If SSN is not provided, however, other agency sources may be used to obtain it.

Sources

[1] Standard Form 181 (Revised August 2005), U.S. Office of Personnel Management (the Official source link on this page).

SF 181 Form PDF Details

In today's increasingly diverse workplace, understanding and embracing the richness of cultural backgrounds is more important than ever, especially within the federal government. The SF-181 form, known as the Ethnicity and Race Identification form, plays a pivotal role in this process. Issued by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, it serves as a guide to the Personnel Data Standards, seeking to gather employee ethnicity and race information under the authority of 42 U.S.C. Section 2000e-16, in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget's 1997 Revisions to the Standards for Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity. The form is voluntary, emphasizing that providing this information will not affect an individual's employment status but is vital for planning equal employment opportunities across the federal workforce. It details specific categories for ethnicity and race, allowing individuals to identify with one or more groups, thereby contributing to a more accurate planning for diversity and inclusivity. Additionally, while the form requests the Social Security Number (SSN) under the authority of Executive Order 9397 for uniform administration of personnel records, it stresses that not providing one's SSN will not impact employment status. Through these measures, the SF-181 form embodies a comprehensive approach to embracing diversity within the federal government, ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to be recognized and valued for their unique background.

Question	Answer
Form Name	SF 181 Form
Form Length	1 pages
Fillable?	No
Fillable fields	0
Avg. time to fill out	15 sec
Other names	where to send sf 181 package, sf 181 form pdf, sf 181 fax number, sf 181 form