DoD Investigative and Adjudicative Guidance for Issuing the Common Access Card (CAC)

This interim final rule establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes procedures for investigating and adjudicating eligibility to hold the DoD Common Access Card (CAC). The CAC is the DoD personal identity verification (PIV) credential. Individuals appropriately sponsored for a DoD CAC must be investigated and adjudicated in accordance with this part. Prior to this rule, DoD components have been implementing investigative and adjudicative requirements for Homeland Security Presidential Directive--12 (HSPD-12) based solely on broad guidance issued by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This interim final rule elaborates on OPM guidance for component adjudicators who determine, based on review of investigative case files, whether to grant CAC eligibility to individuals who require: Physical access to DoD facilities or non-DoD facilities on behalf of DoD; logical access to information systems (whether on site or remotely); or remote access to DoD networks that use only the CAC logon for user authentication. The adjudicator's role is discussed further in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. The interim final rule provides the adjudicator with conditions that may be disqualifying and circumstances relevant to the determination of whether there is a reasonable basis to believe there is an unacceptable risk.