Access Authorization

An access authorization or security clearance is an administrative determination that an individual is eligible for access to classified information or special nuclear materials. Section 145(b) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 states that there shall be no access to Restricted Data until the Office of Personal Management (OPM) shall have made an investigation and report on the character, associations and loyalty of the individual. For certain levels of access the Federal Bureau of Investigations performs the role assigned to OPM by this section of this act.

An administrative determination under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, Executive Order 12968, 10 CRF part 710 that an individual is eligible for access to classified matter or is eligible for access to, or control over, special nuclear material.

For purposes of classified visits by individuals from Other Government Agencies (OGA) other than DoD, NASA, and NRC, access may be granted to a cleared individual who has an official government need to access Restricted Data (RD) or Special Nuclear Material (SNM) as defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended. This access does not require conversion of the prospective visitor’s existing security clearance to a DOE L or Q access authorization, provided that: an authorized DOE official has 1) verified the individual’s CSA security clearance through DOE and national-level personnel security electronic databases, and 2) made a need-to- know determination with respect to the specific RD to be disclosed during the visit. The individual has executed an acknowledgement of receipt of a briefing on safeguarding RD, other classified information, and SNM (e.g., DOE F 5631.18, Security Acknowledgement).