ATC Security Clearance: The ANACI Investigation

Every FAA controller appointment is conditional on a background investigation. The trainee announcement states the requirement in one line: "Security clearance, Access National Agency Check (ANACI), or higher prior to enter on duty required."

Alongside it sit two other conditions from the same list: "Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959" and "Designated or Random Drug Testing required."

Where it fits

The FAA's public summary of hiring puts medical and security together at phase three of five, after the ATSA and before the Academy. Its description of that phase is "fingerprinting, federal background checks, and medical exams".

In practice, security and medical run in parallel against a single deadline. The announcement is specific: "If you do not complete all of the pre-employment requirements within 60 days from the date of the Clearance Instruction Letter (CIL), you will be removed from the hiring process under this announcement." Our tentative offer guide walks through that window, and the medical standards page covers the other half.

What an ANACI actually is

An Access National Agency Check with Inquiries is the standard initial investigation for federal civilian positions requiring access to classified information at the confidential and secret levels. It is more thorough than the basic suitability check used for many federal jobs, and less extensive than the single-scope investigation used for top secret access.

An ANACI combines a National Agency Check — which draws on FBI records, including fingerprint results, and military records — with written inquiries covering:

• Employment history
• Education
• Residence
• References
• Law enforcement agency checks

The announcement's phrase "or higher" matters: the ANACI is the floor, and particular positions or facilities can require a more extensive investigation.

Why your application paperwork comes back to haunt you

The investigation checks employment and residence history against what you declared. This is the practical reason the FAA is so insistent about resume detail at the application stage — exact dates in mm/yyyy format, employer names and addresses, supervisor names and phone numbers, and hours worked per week.

Gaps and inconsistencies are not automatically disqualifying, but they take time to resolve, and time is the scarce resource inside a 60-day window. Getting your own history straight before you apply is worth more than it sounds. Our application guide covers what the FAA asks for.

Drug and alcohol testing

This is a separate, permanent condition rather than a one-off check. The announcement sets out both halves:

"This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a 'testing designated position (TDP)' will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing."

Separately, the medical standards direct examiners to determine "the presence or absence of substance dependency, including alcohol, narcotic, and non-narcotic drugs" using history, records and laboratory examination. These are two different processes reaching the same subject from different directions.

Other conditions in the same list

The announcement's conditions of employment also include US citizenship, the ATSA, medical clearance including psychological screening, the English-language requirement, and a note that a successful candidate "may be required to work irregular duty hours, a nonstandard work week, or tour of duty". It adds that a "position may be subject to a background investigation" and that "a one-year probationary period may be required".

What you can do in advance

• Assemble your own history now. Addresses, employers, dates and contactable references for the period the forms will ask about. Reconstructing this under a 60-day clock is the avoidable version of this problem.
• Check your Selective Service registration if it applies to you. It is a stated condition of employment.
• Keep your documents. The FAA encourages uploading documents to your USAJOBS account so they can be reused on future vacancies.
• Respond quickly to the CIL. The 60 days run from the date of the Clearance Instruction Letter, not from when you get round to starting.

Nothing on this page is a suitability determination. Whether a particular history clears an ANACI is decided by the investigating agency and the FAA, not by a practice site. If you have a specific concern, the FAA's Aviation Careers office is the right place to ask before you apply.

The gate before this one

None of it applies until you pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment — the announcement requires that "all applicants found qualified for the position will be required to complete the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA)", and only Best or Well-Qualified results move forward. Start with our preparation guide, try the free demos, and see pricing for full access.

Frequently asked questions

What security clearance do air traffic controllers need?

The announcement requires an Access National Agency Check (ANACI) or higher before entering on duty.

What does an ANACI check?

A National Agency Check including FBI and military records, plus written inquiries covering employment, education, residence, references and law enforcement checks.

How long does the FAA background check take?

The FAA does not publish a standard duration. What is published is the applicant's own deadline: all pre-employment requirements must be completed within 60 days of the Clearance Instruction Letter.

Are air traffic controllers drug tested?

Yes. Pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening applies to anyone tentatively selected, and people in testing-designated positions are subject to random drug and alcohol testing.

Does a criminal record disqualify you?

There is no published blanket rule. Law enforcement checks form part of the ANACI, and suitability is determined case by case by the investigating agency and the FAA.

Is Selective Service registration required?

The announcement lists it as a condition of employment for males born after 31 December 1959.