Which periodic reinvestigation is required for continued Secret clearance?
A Tier 3 Reinvestigation (T3R) is required for continued Secret (and Confidential) clearance eligibility. Traditionally it was conducted every 10 years, with subjects now enrolled in continuous vetting rather than waiting for a fixed reinvestigation cycle.
The answer
Continued eligibility for a Secret clearance requires a Tier 3 Reinvestigation (T3R). In the federal personnel-vetting tier system, the investigation level is matched to the sensitivity of the position and the clearance level. Confidential and Secret clearances — and non-critical-sensitive/moderate-risk positions — fall under Tier 3, so the periodic reinvestigation that keeps a Secret clearance current is the Tier 3 Reinvestigation, not a Tier 1 or Tier 5 product.
Historically, a Secret clearance was reinvestigated on a fixed schedule of roughly every 10 years (Top Secret was every 5). Today the government has shifted from that periodic-reinvestigation model toward continuous vetting (CV), in which cleared personnel are enrolled in automated record checks that flag issues in near-real time rather than waiting years for the next scheduled review. Under CV, subjects may also refresh their SF-86 information on a shorter cycle. But when a question asks which reinvestigation product corresponds to a Secret clearance, the answer is the Tier 3 Reinvestigation.
Why the other options are wrong
Tier 1 (T1). Tier 1 is the lowest level — used for low-risk, non-sensitive positions and HSPD-12 credentialing (physical/logical access), not for national-security clearances at all. It cannot support a Secret clearance, so it is not the reinvestigation for one.
Tier 2 / Tier 4. These tiers cover public trust positions (moderate-risk T2 and high-risk T4 public trust), which are about suitability for trusted non-sensitive jobs, not access to classified national-security information. A Secret clearance is a national-security determination, so a public-trust tier is the wrong track.
Tier 5 (T5) / T5R. Tier 5 is the highest investigation, required for Top Secret and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access. Using a T5R for a Secret clearance would be over-investigating; the tiers are meant to align investigation depth to sensitivity. Secret sits at Tier 3, so T5R belongs to Top Secret, not Secret.
The bigger picture: matching tiers to clearances
The cleanest way to remember this is a small crosswalk. Tier 1 — low-risk/non-sensitive and credentialing. Tier 2 — moderate-risk public trust. Tier 3 — non-critical-sensitive, and Confidential/Secret national-security clearances. Tier 4 — high-risk public trust. Tier 5 — critical-sensitive, and Top Secret/SCI clearances. The reinvestigation product simply carries an 'R': a Tier 3 initial becomes a T3R at reinvestigation, and a Tier 5 becomes a T5R.
The modern wrinkle is continuous vetting. Rather than every clearance holder sitting idle until a 5- or 10-year clock runs out, agencies now enroll them in Trusted Workforce 2.0 continuous vetting, which continuously checks criminal, financial, and other records. This makes clearances more current and, in many cases, reduces the need for a full scheduled reinvestigation. Still, the tier that defines a Secret-level investigation — and its reinvestigation — remains Tier 3.
| Tier 1 | Low-risk, non-sensitive; HSPD-12 credentialing | Tier 1 (re-check) | ~5 years (credential) |
| Tier 2 | Moderate-risk public trust | T2R | ~5 years |
| Tier 3 | Confidential / Secret national-security clearance | T3R (Tier 3 Reinvestigation) | ~10 years |
| Tier 4 | High-risk public trust | T4R | ~5 years |
| Tier 5 | Top Secret / SCI | T5R (Tier 5 Reinvestigation) | ~5 years |
Frequently asked
How often is a Secret clearance reinvestigated?
Traditionally a Secret clearance was reinvestigated about every 10 years via a Tier 3 Reinvestigation. Under the current Trusted Workforce 2.0 model, most holders are enrolled in continuous vetting, which monitors records continuously rather than waiting for a fixed reinvestigation cycle.
What is a Tier 3 Reinvestigation?
A Tier 3 Reinvestigation (T3R) is the periodic background investigation used to renew eligibility for Confidential and Secret clearances and non-critical-sensitive positions. It updates the subject's record checks and SF-86 information to confirm continued suitability for access to classified information.
What is continuous vetting?
Continuous vetting (CV) is an automated, ongoing review of a cleared person's records — criminal, financial, and others — that flags concerns in near-real time. Part of Trusted Workforce 2.0, it replaces the old model of waiting years between scheduled reinvestigations.
How long does a Secret clearance last?
Under the traditional schedule a Secret clearance was valid for about 10 years before requiring a reinvestigation. With continuous vetting now standard, eligibility is maintained through ongoing monitoring, so the fixed 10-year clock is largely superseded for enrolled personnel.
What tier is required for Top Secret?
Top Secret and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access require a Tier 5 investigation, the most thorough level. Its reinvestigation product is the Tier 5 Reinvestigation (T5R), traditionally conducted about every 5 years.