DHS Form 11000-25 is the Department of Homeland Security’s Contractor Fitness/Security Screening Request Form, and it exists to match a contractor employee’s role to the level of background investigation DHS requires before granting access to sensitive or classified information.1USCIS. USCIS Security Requirements If you are being brought onto a DHS contract, expect to complete this form before you touch any restricted systems or data. It initiates screening. It does not, by itself, impose confidentiality obligations — that is the job of a separate form, DHS Form 11000-6.
Who Has to Complete It
Any contractor employee working under a DHS contract who will access sensitive but unclassified or classified information needs a completed Form 11000-25 on file before that access is granted.1USCIS. USCIS Security Requirements That covers applicants, temporary workers, part-time staff, and replacement employees added to an existing contract. The contracting company, not the individual worker, is generally responsible for making sure the form gets submitted through the right channels.
The threshold is lower than many people assume. The form is not limited to classified national security work. It also applies to roles that touch sensitive but unclassified data: For Official Use Only communications, law enforcement details, and protected infrastructure records.2Department of Homeland Security. Non-Disclosure Agreement If your assigned work involves any of those categories, the form is in your future.
Where to Get the Current Version
Your Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will usually hand you the form as part of the contract onboarding packet. A fillable PDF is also available through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers website.3FLETC. DHS Form 11000-25 Check the revision date printed in the lower corner and confirm with your contracting officer that you have the current version. An outdated form is one of the fastest ways to stall the whole screening process.
Filling Out the Form
The form collects identifying information about you, about the contract you are working under, and about how sensitive your position is. Most of it is straightforward. A few fields cause almost all the delays.
Enter your full legal name exactly as it appears on your government-issued identification. Any mismatch between the form and your ID will bounce the submission back. Identify the organization or employer associated with the contract, so DHS can trace the chain of responsibility for your screening. Use the actual date you complete the form on any date field.
The position sensitivity section is where mistakes hurt most. This field tells DHS whether your role needs a basic fitness screening or a deeper background investigation for classified access, and it drives both the scope and the timeline of your check. Do not guess. Your contracting officer knows the sensitivity level designated for your position and should give it to you directly.
Sign the form by hand or with an authorized digital signature. Some DHS components also require a witness signature and date, especially when the form is executed in person. Before you hand it off, read it against your ID. Security officials will reject incomplete or illegible submissions outright.
Submitting It and What Happens Next
The completed form goes to your COR or to the DHS component’s credentialing office. Contractors are generally required to keep signed copies of all security forms for their employees as a compliance record and to provide copies to the COR within two business days of execution.4DHS Acquisition Gateway. DHS ECFS RFQ Most offices accept hard copies delivered in person or by secure courier. Some components accept fillable PDFs through internal electronic channels; the exact method depends on the component.
Once security officials receive it, they verify that every field is complete and cross-check your information against personnel databases. If it clears that review, DHS opens the background investigation appropriate to your position sensitivity level. You will not get access to restricted systems or information until the investigation clears. Timelines depend on investigation type and current backlog: routine screenings may finish in a few weeks, while higher-sensitivity investigations can take months.
The Companion Non-Disclosure Agreement
Form 11000-25 starts the screening. It does not create confidentiality obligations. Those come from DHS Form 11000-6, the Sensitive But Unclassified Information Non-Disclosure Agreement, which contractor employees also sign as a condition of access.5Department of Homeland Security. Management Directive 11042.1 – Safeguarding Sensitive But Unclassified (For Official Use Only) Information The NDA covers Protected Critical Infrastructure Information, Sensitive Security Information, and other Sensitive But Unclassified data. By signing, you agree not to disclose any of it without authorization, during your engagement and after it ends.
The NDA also requires you to return all sensitive materials in your possession when your duties conclude, when an authorized individual demands them, or when DHS determines you no longer need access, whichever comes first.2Department of Homeland Security. Non-Disclosure Agreement Violations can result in cancellation of access, denial of future access to classified information, and administrative, civil, or criminal penalties depending on the severity of the disclosure.
Penalties for False Information
Everything you write on Form 11000-25 and on the companion NDA is a statement to a federal agency. Knowingly false statements or fraudulent documents in that context are a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1001, punishable by up to five years in prison, or up to eight years if the false statement involves domestic or international terrorism.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1001 – Statements or Entries Generally Fines for an individual can reach $250,000 under the general federal fines statute, and can go higher if the false statement causes a financial gain or loss.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 3571 – Sentence of Fine Misrepresenting your identity, qualifications, or any other detail on the form is treated the same as lying to a federal agent during an investigation.
Whistleblower Rights the NDA Does Not Waive
Signing a DHS non-disclosure agreement does not give up your right to report waste, fraud, or abuse. Federal law prohibits contractors and agencies from retaliating against employees who disclose evidence of gross mismanagement, gross waste of federal funds, abuse of authority, dangers to public health or safety, or violations of law connected to a federal contract.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 41 U.S. Code 4712 – Enhancement of Contractor Protection From Reprisal for Disclosure of Certain Information These protections cannot be waived by any agreement, policy, or condition of employment, including an NDA. Complaints within the department go through the DHS Office of Inspector General.9Office of Inspector General. Whistleblower Protection One limit worth knowing: these protections do not authorize disclosure of classified information outside the approved reporting pathways.