SF 85P is the background investigation questionnaire for federal public trust positions, the moderate and high risk jobs that involve significant responsibility but not access to classified information.
SF 85P, Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions, gathers the information for a public trust suitability investigation. It goes deeper than the SF 85 used for non-sensitive jobs: in addition to residence, education, and employment history, it asks about police records, financial matters such as delinquencies and bankruptcy, illegal drug use, and foreign travel and connections, and it includes the releases that let investigators verify your answers.
Public trust positions include roles with access to sensitive systems, personal data, or significant financial responsibility. As with the other investigative questionnaires, agencies initiate the case and applicants complete it electronically in eApp (the successor to e-QIP); the long PDF serves as a reference and preparation worksheet. DCSA or another authorized provider conducts the investigation and reports to the requesting agency, which makes the suitability decision.
Who files SF 85P?
Applicants and appointees to moderate or high risk public trust federal positions
Contractor personnel whose work on federal systems or data requires a public trust determination
Current employees moving into a position with a higher risk designation
IT staff, financial personnel, and others with access to sensitive but unclassified information
How to fill out SF 85P
Wait for the sponsoring agency to initiate your case in the investigative system; the form is only processed as part of an agency-sponsored investigation.
Assemble your records first: complete addresses, employers, and schools for the coverage period, plus details of any police, financial, or drug involvement the form asks about.
Complete the questionnaire in eApp when invited, answering fully; incomplete answers are a leading cause of delays.
Certify and release the questionnaire electronically and sign the authorization releases.
Cooperate with any follow-up interviews or requests from the investigator, and direct questions about status to the sponsoring agency's security or HR office.
Worth knowing: Agencies initiate SF 85P investigations electronically through eApp. Use the PDF to prepare your answers, and submit on paper only if the sponsoring agency instructs you to.
Quick fill SF 85P on this page
Prefer to see the form itself while you type? Open SF 85P in the editor to fill it on the actual pages, add a signature, and download.
Frequently asked questions
Is a public trust determination the same as a security clearance?
No. A public trust determination addresses suitability for a position of trust; it does not grant access to classified information. Positions requiring access to classified material use the SF 86 and the national security adjudication process.
How far back does SF 85P ask about my history?
Coverage periods vary by section, with residence, employment, and education typically covering the last several years and some questions reaching further. Read each question's stated time frame carefully and answer for exactly that period.
Will financial problems automatically disqualify me?
No single factor is automatically disqualifying. Agencies weigh the whole person, including how issues arose and what you did about them. Honest disclosure matters more than a spotless record; concealing an issue is treated far more seriously than the issue itself.
