Public Trust vs. security clearance: what is the difference?

How to read a federal job announcement

Do not infer the requirement from a title, agency, contractor, building, or the word “sensitive.” In a USAJOBS announcement, read these fields separately and use the agency contact when they appear inconsistent:

Is Public Trust the same as Secret clearance?

No. Public Trust is not a classification or clearance level, so it does not sit above Confidential or below Secret. Secret corresponds to classified information whose unauthorized disclosure could cause serious damage to national security. Public Trust terminology instead describes vetting connected to the risk and duties of a position.

A job seeker should therefore list the exact determination or eligibility reflected in an authorized record instead of relabeling Public Trust as “a clearance.” If an application asks whether you hold an active Secret clearance, a favorable Public Trust determination is not a “yes.”

Can a job require both?

Yes, federal personnel vetting is not a single ladder. OPM explains that most federal positions require at least one trust determination and many require two or more. A person may need credentialing for facility or system access, a suitability or fitness decision, national-security eligibility, and—when duties require it—classified access.

Having one favorable determination does not let an applicant assume every other requirement is satisfied. The agency designates the position, reviews current records, and determines what additional investigation or adjudication is necessary.

Does Public Trust transfer to a security clearance?

Public Trust does not automatically convert into Secret or Top Secret eligibility, and a security clearance does not automatically answer every suitability or fitness question for another position. They are different determinations made for position-specific requirements.

Prior federal investigations or adjudications may sometimes be recognized or reused under reciprocity rules. OPM's hiring guidance directs agency personnel to check whether a current investigation or adjudication can satisfy the new requirement before initiating another one. That review belongs to authorized HR and security staff; an applicant-facing website cannot promise transfer, upgrade, or reuse.

SF-85, SF-85P, and SF-86 are different forms

The form follows the position designation and the sponsoring agency's request—not the label an applicant prefers. USAJOBS says a Public Trust job may use SF-85 or SF-85P depending on the job, while a security-clearance job uses SF-86. Each form has its own questions, instructions, and timeframes.

How long does Public Trust take, and how do you check status?

There is no reliable universal completion time for an individual Public Trust case. The position's risk and sensitivity, the requested investigation, submitted information, record availability, follow-up, agency review, and adjudication can all affect timing. A fast fingerprint or credential step is not proof that every determination is final.

DCSA directs federal applicants to the hiring agency's Security Officer or Human Resources representative for investigation status. Contractors should use the sponsoring company or agency contact identified for their case. Do not post questionnaire details, case identifiers, or personal records in a public forum to obtain a timeline estimate.

Where to search for each kind of job

Cleared Colorado intentionally excludes Public Trust-only postings. The public inventory requires an employer source to name Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI and to say whether that requirement is active or obtainable. This prevents Public Trust, background-check, CUI, facility-access, and citizenship language from being misclassified as a security clearance.

Current Colorado jobs where a clearance may be obtainable

Cleared Colorado currently has 518 direct-employer listings across 14 employers whose source explicitly allows the required Secret-or-higher clearance to be obtainable. These are not Public Trust jobs, and obtainable timing does not guarantee hiring, initiation, interim eligibility, final eligibility, access, or a start date.