Name Checks

National Name Check Program

National Name Check Progam chief Mike Cannon

Mission: The mission of the National Name Check Program (NNCP) is to disseminate information from FBI files in response to name check requests received from federal agencies, including offices within the FBI; components within the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the federal government; and friendly foreign police and intelligence agencies for the purpose of protecting the United States from espionage and terrorism.

Purpose: The NNCP has its genesis in Executive Order 10450, issued during the Eisenhower Administration. This executive order addresses personnel security issues and mandates National Agency Checks (NACs) as part of the pre-employment vetting and background investigation process. The FBI is part of the NAC conducted on all U.S. government employees. Since September 11, 2001, name check requests have grown, with more and more customers seeking background information from FBI files on individuals before bestowing a privilege—whether that privilege is government employment or an appointment, a security clearance, attendance at a White House function, a green card or naturalization, admission to the bar, or a visa to visit the United States. More than 70 agencies regularly request FBI name checks. In addition to serving federal government customers, the NNCP conducts numerous name searches in direct support of the counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and homeland security efforts of the FBI.

Function: The employees of the NNCP review and analyze potential identifiable documents to determine whether a specific individual has been the subject of or mentioned in any FBI investigation(s), and if so, what (if any) relevant information may be disseminated to the requesting agency. It is important to note that the FBI does not adjudicate the final outcome; it just reports the results to the requesting agency.

Source of Data: The NNCP conducts manual and electronic searches of the FBI’s Central Records System (CRS) Universal Index (UNI). The CRS encompasses the centralized records of FBI Headquarters, field offices, and legal attaché offices. The CRS contains all FBI investigative, administrative, personnel, and general files.

NNCP Process Step-by-Step:

• Agency/entity submits name checks to the FBI’s NNCP for processing.
• Electronic “batch” submissions are searched against the UNI. The majority of the batch names are electronically returned as “no record” within 48-72 hours. A “no record” indicates that the UNI database contains no identifiable information regarding a particular individual. The UNI is searched for main files (files where the name of an individual is the subject of an FBI investigation) and for reference files (files where the name being searched is just mentioned in an investigation).
• A secondary manual search of residuals from the batch run identifies an additional number of names as a “no record” response.
• The remaining paper files and/or electronic files are reviewed to ensure they are responsive to the name check request.
• Identifiable files are then analyzed for relevant or derogatory information that may be disseminated to the requesting agency/entity. Approximately 1 percent of the requests are determined to contain possible derogatory information. If applicable, the NNCP forwards a summary of the information to the submitting agency/entity.

Name Check Program Processing Volumes: The volume of name checks processed varies from year to year. Prior to fiscal year (FY) 2008, the NNCP had substantial backlogs and delays. The NNCP currently processes most requests within 30 days, with the remaining requests processed within 90 days.

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIPA) vs. Name Check: Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIPA) requests are sometimes confused with name check requests. FOIPA provides copies of FBI files relevant to a specific FOIPA request. For FOIPA, the FBI search uses the name or information as provided in the FOIPA request. A FOIPA search determines whether there is an investigative file associated with an individual—a “main file” search. For a name check, “main files” and “reference files” are both checked, in addition to searching a name in a multitude of combinations.

Major Contributing Agencies: The FBI’s NNCP Section provides services to more than 70 federal government agencies and entities. Although most name checks are conducted for each agency on a first-come, first-served basis, the contributing agency determines the order of resolution for priority, project, or expedited cases. The following are the major contributing agencies to the NNCP:

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services—Submits name check requests on individuals applying for the following benefits: asylum, adjustment of status to legal permanent resident, naturalization, and waivers.
• Office of Personnel Management—Submits name check requests in order to determine an individual’s suitability and eligibility in seeking employment with the federal government.
• Department of State—Submits FBI name check requests on individuals applying for visas. Not all visa matters require FBI name checks.