Standard Form 85P
Revised December 2017
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
5 CFR Parts 731, 732, and 736
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR
PUBLIC TRUST POSITIONS
Form approved:
OMB No. 3206 0258
Page 1
This form will be used by the United States (U.S.) Government in conducting
background investigations and reinvestigations of persons under
consideration for, or retention of, public trust positions as defined in 5 CFR
731. This form may also be used by agencies in determining whether a
subject performing work for, or on behalf of, the Government under a contract
should be deemed eligible for logical or physical access when duties to be
performed by an employee of a contractor are equivalent to the duties
performed by an employee in a public trust position. For applicants, this form
is to be used only after a conditional offer of employment has been made.
This form is not to be used for National Security sensitive positions.
Providing this information is voluntary. If you do not provide each item of
requested information, however, we will not be able to complete your
investigation, which will adversely affect your eligibility for a public trust
position or your ability to obtain or retain Federal or contract employment, or
logical or physical access. It is imperative that the information provided be
true and accurate, to the best of your knowledge. Any information that you
provide is evaluated on the basis of its currency, seriousness, relevance to
the position and duties, and consistency with all other information about you.
Withholding, misrepresenting, or falsifying information may affect your
eligibility for a public trust position, or your ability to obtain or retain Federal or
contract employment. In addition, withholding, misrepresenting, or falsifying
information may affect your eligibility for physical and logical access to
federally controlled facilities or information systems. Withholding,
misrepresenting, or falsifying information may also negatively affect your
employment prospects and job status, and the potential consequences
include, but are not limited to, removal, debarment from Federal service, or
prosecution.
This form is a permanent document that may be used as the basis for future
investigations, suitability or fitness for Federal employment, fitness for
contract employment, or eligibility for physical and logical access to federally
controlled facilities or information systems. Your responses to this form may
be compared with your responses to previous SF 85P questionnaires.
The investigation conducted on the basis of information provided on this form
may be selected for studies and analyses in support of evaluating and
improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the investigative and
adjudicative methodologies. All study results released to the general public
will delete personal identifiers such as name, social security number, and date
and place of birth.
Purpose of this Form
Follow instructions completely or your form will be unable to be processed. If
you have any questions, contact the office that provided you the form.
Some investigations will include an interview with you as a routine part of the
investigative process. The investigator may ask you to explain your answers
to any question on this form. This provides you the opportunity to update,
clarify, and explain information on your form more completely, which often
assists in completing your investigation. It is imperative that the interview be
conducted as soon as possible after you are contacted. Postponements will
delay the processing of your investigation, and declining to be interviewed
may result in your investigation being delayed or canceled.
For the interview, you will be required to provide photo identification, such as
a valid state driver's license. You may be required to provide other documents
to verify your identity, as instructed by your investigator. These documents
may include certification of any legal name change, Social Security card,
passport, and/or your birth certificate. You may also be asked to provide
documents regarding information that you provide on this form, or about other
matters requiring specific attention. These matters include (a) alien
registration or naturalization documents; (b) delinquent loans or taxes,
bankruptcies, judgments, liens, or other financial obligations; (c) agreements
involving child custody or support, alimony, or property settlements; (d)
arrests, convictions, probation, and/or parole; or (e) other matters described
in court records.
Your Personal Interview
Background investigations for public trust positions are conducted to gather
information to determine whether you are reliable, trustworthy, of good
conduct and character, and loyal to the U.S. The information that you provide
on this form and your Declaration for Federal Employment (OF 306) may be
confirmed during the investigation. The investigation may extend beyond the
time covered by this form, when necessary to resolve issues. Your current
employer may be contacted as part of the investigation, although you may
have previously indicated on applications or other forms that you do not want
your current employer to be contacted. If you have a security freeze on your
consumer or credit report file, then we may not be able to complete your
investigation, which can adversely affect your eligibility for a public trust
position or your ability to obtain Federal or contract employment. To avoid
such delays, you must request that the consumer reporting agencies lift the
freeze in these instances.
In addition to the questions on this form, inquiry also is made about your
adherence to security requirements your honesty and integrity, falsification,
misrepresentation, and any other behavior, activities, or associations that
tend to demonstrate a person is not reliable, trustworthy, or loyal.
After a suitability /fitness determination is made, you may also be subject to
continuous vetting which may include periodic reinvestigations to ensure your
continuing suitability for employment.
The Investigative Process
Depending upon the purpose of your investigation, the U.S. Government is
authorized to ask for this information under Executive Orders, 13764, 10577,
13467, and 13488; sections 3301, 3302, 7301, and 9101 of title 5, United
States Code (U.S.C.); parts 2, 5, 731, and 736 of title 5, Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), and Federal information processing standards.
Your Social Security Number (SSN) is needed to identify records unique to
you. Although disclosure of your SSN is not mandatory, failure to disclose
your SSN may prevent or delay the processing of your background
investigation. The authority for soliciting and verifying your SSN is Executive
Order 9397, as amended by EO 13478.
Your spouse's SSN is needed solely to allow the investigative service
provider to make inquiries regarding whether there is relevant conduct on
your part as a result of your relationship with your spouse. Your spouse is not
subject of the investigation.
Authority to Request this Information
All questions on this form must be answered completely and truthfully in
order that the Government may make the determinations described below on
a complete record. Penalties for inaccurate or false statements are discussed
below. If you are a current civilian employee of the federal government:
failure to answer any questions completely and truthfully could result in an
adverse personnel action against you, including loss of employment; with
respect to Sections 21, 25, and 27, however, neither your truthful responses
nor information derived from those responses will be used as evidence
against you in a subsequent criminal proceeding.
Note: If you complete the SF 85P, an Authorization for Release of Medical
Information Pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA) will be provided to you only in the event information arises in an
investigation that requires further inquiry for resolution, and only to resolve
such issues. This release authorizes an investigator to ask your health
practitioner(s) only the questions specified on the release concerning mental
health consultations of which the practitioner might be aware. If you are
completing the SF 85P with the supplemental SF 85P-S, this release will be
provided to you if you respond "yes" to the question regarding Your Medical
Record. You may also be asked to complete a specific release if more
detailed information is needed from your provider.