Standard Form 85 – Fill Out and Use This PDF

Purpose of this Form

The U.S. Government conducts background investigations to establish that applicants or incumbents either employed by the Government or working for the Government under contract, are suitable for the job. Information from this form is used primarily as the basis for this investigation. Complete this form only after a conditional offer of employment has been made.

Giving us the information we ask for is voluntary. However, we may not be able to complete your investigation, or complete it in a timely manner, if you don’t give us each item of information we request. This may affect your placement or employment prospects.

Authority to Request this Information

The U.S. Government is authorized to ask for this information under Executive Order 10577, sections 3301 and 3302 of title 5, U.S. Code; and parts 5, 731, and 736 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.

Your Social Security Number is needed to keep records accurate, because other people may have the same name and birth date. Executive Order 9397 also asks Federal agencies to use this number to help identify individuals in agency records.

The Investigative Process

Background investigations are conducted using your responses on this form and on your Declaration for Federal Employment (OF 306) to develop information to show whether you are reliable, trustworthy, and of good conduct and character. Your current employer must be contacted as part of the investigation, even if you have previously indicated on applications or other forms that you do not want this.

Instructions for Completing this Form

1.Follow the instructions given to you by the person who gave you the form and any other clarifying instructions furnished by that person to assist you in completion of the form. Find out how many copies of the form you are to turn in. You must sign and date, in black ink, the original and each copy you submit.

2.Type or legibly print your answers in black ink (if your form is not legible, it will not be accepted). You may also be asked to submit your form in an approved electronic format.

3.All questions on this form must be answered. If no response is necessary or applicable, indicate this on the form (for example, enter "None" or "N/A"). If you find that you cannot report an exact date, approximate or estimate the date to the best of your ability and indicate this by marking "APPROX." or "EST."

4.Any changes that you make to this form after you sign it must be initialed and dated by you. Under certain limited circumstances, agencies may modify the form consistent with your intent.

5.You must use the State codes (abbreviations) listed on the back of this page when you fill out this form. Do not abbreviate the names of cities or foreign countries.

6.The 5-digit postal ZIP codes are needed to speed the processing of your investigation. The office that provided the form will assist you in completing the ZIP codes.

7.All telephone numbers must include area codes.

8.All dates provided on this form must be in Month/Day/Year or Month/Year format. Use numbers (1-12) to indicate months. For example, June 10, 1978, should be shown as 6/10/78.

9.Whenever "City (Country)" is shown in an address block, also provide in that block the name of the country when the address is outside the United States.

10.If you need additional space to list your residences or employments/self-employments/unemployment or education, you should use a continuation sheet, SF 86A. If additional space is needed to answer other items, use a blank piece of paper. Each blank piece of paper you use must contain your name and Social Security Number at the top of the page.

Final Determination on Your Eligibility

Final determination on your eligibility for a position is the responsibility of the Office of Personnel Management or the Federal agency that requested your investigation. You may be provided the opportunity personally to explain, refute, or clarify any information before a final decision is made.

Penalties for Inaccurate or False Statements

The U.S. Criminal Code (title 18, section 1001) provides that knowingly falsifying or concealing a material fact is a felony which may result in fines of up to $10,000, and/or 5 years imprisonment, or both. In addition, Federal agencies generally fire, or disqualify individuals who have materially and deliberately falsified these forms, and this remains a part of the permanent record for future placements. Your trustworthiness is a very important consideration in deciding your suitability. Your prospects of placement are better if you answer

all questions truthfully and completely. You will have adequate opportunity to explain any information you give us on the form and to make your comments part of the record.

Disclosure of Information

The information you give us is for the purpose of determining your suitability for Federal employment; we will protect it from unauthorized disclosure. The collection, maintenance, and disclosure of background investigative information is governed by the Privacy Act. The agency which requested the investigation and the agency which conducted the investigation have published notices in the Federal Register describing the systems of records in which your records will be maintained. You may obtain copies of the relevant notices from the person who gave you this form. The information on this form, and information we collect during an investigation may be disclosed without your consent as permitted by the Privacy Act (5 USC 552a(b)) and as follows:

1.To the Department of Justice when: (a) the agency or any component thereof; or

(b) any employee of the agency in his or her official capacity; or (c) any employee of the agency in his or her individual capacity where the Department of Justice has agreed to represent the employee; or (d) the United States Government, is a party to

litigation or has interest in such litigation, and by careful review, the agency determines that the records are both relevant and necessary to the litigation and the use of such records by the Department of Justice is therefore deemed by the agency to be for a purpose that is compatible with the purpose for which the agency collected the records.

2.To a court or adjudicative body in a proceeding when: (a) the agency or any component thereof; or (b) any employee of the agency in his or her official capacity; or (c) any employee of the agency in his or her individual capacity where the

Department of Justice has agreed to represent the employee; or (d) the United States Government is a party to litigation or has interest in such litigation, and by careful review, the agency determines that the records are both relevant and necessary to the litigation and the use of such records is therefore deemed by the agency to be for a purpose that is compatible with the purpose for which the agency collected the records.

3.Except as noted in Question 14, when a record on its face, or in conjunction with other records, indicates a violation or potential violation of law, whether civil, criminal, or regulatory in nature, and whether arising by general statute, particular program statute, regulation, rule, or order issued pursuant thereto, the relevant records may

be disclosed to the appropriate Federal, foreign, State, local, tribal, or other public authority responsible for enforcing, investigating or prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing or implementing the statute, rule, regulation, or order.

4.To any source or potential source from which information is requested in the course of an investigation concerning the hiring or retention of an employee or other personnel action, or the issuing or retention of a security clearance, contract, grant, license, or other benefit, to the extent necessary to identify the individual, inform the source of the nature and purpose of the investigation, and to identify the type of information requested.

5.To a Federal, State, local, foreign, tribal, or other public authority the fact that this system of records contains information relevant to the retention of an employee, or the retention of a security clearance, contract, license, grant, or other benefit. The

will be made unless the information has been determined to be sufficiently reliable to support a referral to another office within the agency or to another Federal agency for criminal, civil, administrative, personnel, or regulatory action.

6.To contractors, grantees, experts, consultants, or volunteers when necessary to perform a function or service related to this record for which they have been engaged. Such recipients shall be required to comply with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended.

7. To the news media or the general public, factual information the disclosure of which would be in the public interest and which would not constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

8.To a Federal, State, or local agency, or other appropriate entities or individuals, or through established liaison channels to selected foreign governments, in order to enable an intelligence agency to carry out its responsibilities under the National Security Act of 1947 as amended, the CIA Act of 1949 as amended, Executive Order 12333 or any successor order, applicable national security directives, or classified implementing procedures approved by the Attorney General and promulgated pursuant to such statutes, orders or directives.

9.To a Member of Congress or to a Congressional staff member in response to an inquiry of the Congressional office made at the written request of the constituent about whom the record is maintained.

10. To the National Archives and Records Administration for records management inspections conducted under 44 USC 2904 and 2906.

11. To the Office of Management and Budget when necessary to the review of private relief legislation.

Form approved: OMB No. 3206-0261

-If you are a "Jr.," "Sr.," "II," etc., enter this in the box after your middle name.

2DATE OF BIRTH

Month Day Year

3PLACE OF BIRTH - Use the two letter code for the State.

State Country (if not in the United States)

4SOCIAL SECURITY

Naturalization Certificate (Where were you naturalized?)

State

Certificate Number

Month/Day/Year Issued

Citizenship Certificate (Where was the certificate issued?) City

State

Certificate Number

Month/Day/Year Issued

Name of School

Degree/Diploma/Other

State

Month/Year Awarded

ZIP Code

Name of School

Degree/Diploma/Other

State

Month/Year Awarded

ZIP Code

Name of School

Degree/Diploma/Other

State

Month/Year Awarded

ZIP Code

Month/Year Month/Year

To

To

To

Type of Substance

Explanation

Signature (Sign in ink)

Date