Question: I separate from the military later this year but my polygraph will expire before my separation. Will I have a hard time finding a defense industry or government job if I have an expired polygraph?
Answer
Polygraphs do not have an expiration date like a security clearance does. Polygraphs have recommended ‘retake’ or ‘refresh’ dates.
The more important issue to be concerned about is when was your last five-year update to your background investigation?
If you have a Department of Defense security clearance then your clearance is normally good for 24 months from the date of its last use, even if the five year update is past due. That is the normal situation (90 percent of more of the time with employers). There are some few employers and government agencies that will insist upon your ‘update’ being up to date as they will place you immediately into situations where a normal update is not possible.
So the simple answer is to not worry about your polygraph. Make sure that you have your security clearance well documented and that you are aware of when your last ‘update’ was updated — this information should be mandatorily be made available to you in writing by your military security officer. Some of this information will also appear on your DD-214 documentation of military service form BUT the most important document is a separate document from your security officer that concerns only your clearance history. This is normally received when you debrief, read off, or turn in your security badge with your organization.
Best regards,
Bill Golden
CEO IntelligenceCareers.com
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