Clearance line generator for your resume
Put your clearance at the top of your resume, directly under your name and contact info. Include level, active or inactive status, polygraph type if applicable, and investigation or continuous vetting info. Use the formatter below for a copy-ready line.
Reviewed by the Good to Go team · Last updated 2026-10-21 · Sources: GSA CALC+, O*NET
Build your clearance line
TS/SCI | ActiveTS/SCI (Active)Hiring tip · Add Continuous Vetting only if you are enrolled. It tells a contractor your investigation is current without waiting on a periodic reinvestigation.
Share link encodes only level, status, polygraph, and year. No names or sensitive details.
Where to put your clearance on a resume
- Resume: the line directly under your name and contact info.
- LinkedIn: headline or the first line of About, level and status only.
- Not in the skills list, the footer, or the last line.
What to include when you list TS/SCI or Secret on a resume
- Level: Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI.
- Status: Active or Inactive.
- Polygraph type if applicable: CI or Full Scope.
- Investigation or continuous vetting: year closed, or enrolled in Continuous Vetting.
- Break in access: the date access ended, if inactive.
Clearance on resume examples: Secret, TS, TS/SCI, active and inactive
Secret | Active | Adjudicated 2022Top Secret | Active | Investigation closed 2023 | Enrolled in Continuous VettingTS/SCI | Active | Investigation closed 2023 | Enrolled in Continuous VettingTS/SCI with CI Polygraph | Active | Polygraph completed 2022TS/SCI with Full Scope Polygraph | Active | Polygraph completed 2023Secret | Inactive | Access ended 2024 | Eligible for reinstatementTS/SCI | Inactive | Last investigation 2021 | Access ended 2024 | Eligible for reinstatementSecret | Interim | Final adjudication pending (employer-sponsored)Hiring tip · Safe wording is level, status, and investigation timing only. If you are unsure whether something is public-safe, leave it off.
Common clearance mistakes on a resume
- Burying TS/SCI in a skills list or on page two.
- Writing "active" when your clearance is inactive or lapsed.
- Listing program names, compartments, sponsors, or agencies.
- Leaving out status, so a recruiter cannot tell active from inactive.
- Copying detail from your SF-86 or investigation paperwork.
- Using different clearance wording on your resume and LinkedIn.
Clearance on a resume: questions answered
How do I list my security clearance on a GovCon resume?
Put it on its own line directly under your name and contact info. Use level, status, and investigation timing, for example "TS/SCI | Active | Investigation closed 2023 | Enrolled in Continuous Vetting." Never list programs, compartments, sponsors, or agencies.
Should I put TS/SCI or just Secret?
List the highest level you currently hold or are eligible to have reinstated. If you hold TS/SCI, write TS/SCI. Do not downgrade it to Secret, because contractors search and filter on the exact level when they screen cleared candidates.
What does active vs inactive vs reinstatable mean to a contractor?
Active means your access is current and a contractor can put you on a program now. Inactive means your access ended but the investigation may still be valid. Reinstatable means the break in access is short enough, generally under 24 months, that a contractor may be able to have it reinstated. Write the status that is true.
Where should clearance status appear on the resume?
At the very top, immediately under your name and contact info. Recruiters screen for clearance before anything else, so it should be visible in five seconds. Not in the skills list, the footer, or page two. Mirror the same wording on LinkedIn.
Do I need to list polygraph status?
Yes, if you hold one. Add "with CI Polygraph" or "with Full Scope Polygraph" to the clearance line, because many contractor roles require a specific polygraph. Do not name the agency or program that gave it to you.
How do I list a clearance that is inactive or that I held as a military or federal civilian?
State Inactive and the date your access ended, and add "eligible for reinstatement" only if that is true. It does not matter whether you held it in the military or as a federal civilian. Level, status, and dates are what a contractor needs.
What each step is, for service members and federal employees moving into GovCon
Here is what each part of the process does for your clearance, labor category, and quantified experience.
- Intake
- Your MOS or federal job series, clearance status, and target labor category in one place, so your reviewer sees clearance, scope, and fit fast.
- Expert Review
- The founder reviews your draft and returns 8 specific fixes for clearance formatting, scope, and labor-category language.
- Deliverable
- Your finished GovCon resume or LinkedIn profile, with clearance on top and MOS duties translated into quantified bullets.
- Keep Live
- Monthly refreshes keep clearance wording, labor category keywords, and quantified experience current while you search.
Got your clearance line? Now translate the rest of your resume
The guided translator puts your clearance on top and scores the result.
Start translatingTranslate the rest of your resume.
Clearance at the top, translated experience below.
Pages for Secret, TS/SCI, polygraph, inactive, DOE, and more.
The full walkthrough.
What to cut and what to move up.
More questions on clearance and resumes.