Billing Rates & Resources

About Our Billing Rates

We fund our investigative mission through fee-for-service fully reimbursable billing rates. We apply case billing rates according to:

  • The case type and service type ordered
  • The date the complete investigation request is received by DCSA
  • The effective published billing rates for that fiscal year 

Additional Fees and Adjustments

We may apply additional fees and adjustments depending on any optional extra coverage requested or required expanded coverage in accordance with published billing rates.

Required Forms and Fields

DCSA customer agencies are required to complete an FS Form 7600A and FS Form 7600B to do business with DCSA. These forms record the agreement between the customer agency and DCSA for Intragovernmental Reimbursable, Buy/Sell Activity in accordance with TFM Volume 1, Part 2, Chapter 4700, Appendix 6, Section 9.

In the event that the FS Form 7600B Order Tracking Number (Field 11) is not provided during the initial case submission process and there is uncertainty regarding what Order Number the case submission is associated with, a member of our team will contact the associated customer agency FS Form 7600B points of contact for resolution. We will continue to require other office and financial identifiers within e-QIP to minimize manual corrections, such as the Submitting Office Number (SON), Security Office Identifier (SOI), and Intra-Governmental Payment and Collection (IPAC) Agency Location Code (ALC).

G-Invoicing Orders

G-Invoicing is the long-term solution for Federal Program Agencies (FPAs) to manage their intragovernmental (IGT) Buy/Sell transactions. DCSA customers that have transitioned to G-Invoicing will be required to adhere to the program requirements established by the Department of Treasury.  G‑Invoicing helps (or will help) agencies and their trading partners:
  • Negotiate and accept General Terms and Conditions (GT&C) agreements
  • Broker orders
  • Exchange performance information
  • Validate settlement requests through IPAC

Billing Rates

FY 2023 – FY 2024 Billing Rates

FIN 22-02: Rescission of FIN 22-01, FY 2023 & FY 2024 Investigations Reimbursable Billing Rates

FY 2023 Investigation Base Rates Table

Case Type Case Type Code Case Service
Standard Priority

NAC

National Agency Check

06

$140

N/A

T'1

Tier 1

63

$180

N/A

T2

Tier 2

55

$420

$455

T2R

Tier 2 Reinvestigation

56

$380

$410

T3

Tier 3

64

$420

N/A

T3R

Tier 3 Reinvestigation

65

$380

N/A

T4

Tier 4

66

$4,095

$4,425

T4R

Tier 4 Reinvestigation

67

$2,530

2,730

T5

Tier 5

70

$5,410

5,845

T5R

Tier 5 Reinvestigation

71

2,965

3,200


Note: For case types T2s/T2Rs, T4/T4R and T5/T5R, priority services (Case Service Code “A”) is available at a higher base price, which will prioritize the processing of your request ahead of standard service cases. All other case types are only available in standard service.

 

Future Fiscal Year Pricing

FIN 23-01, Final FY 2024 Investigations Reimbursable Billing Rates

FY 2024 Initial Vetting Tiered Background Investigations Table

Case Type

Case Service

Standard

Priority

LT       Low Tier

$148

N/A

MT Moderate Tier

$585

$630

HT High Tier

$4,255

$4,595

FY 2024 Other Background Investigation Products Table

Case Type

Billing Rate

NAC National Agency Check

$115

eFP Electronic FBI Fingerprint Classification Check

$20

FY 2022 – FY2023 Billing Rates

FIN 21-02

FY 2022 Investigation Base Rates Table

Case Type

Case Type Code

Case Service

Standard

Priority

NAC

National Agency Check

06

$140

N/A

T'1

Tier 1

63

$180
 

N/A
 

T2

Tier 2

55

$420

$455

T2R

Tier 2 Reinvestigation

56

$380

$410

T3

Tier 3

64

$420

N/A

T3R

Tier 3 Reinvestigation

65

$380

N/A

T4

Tier 4

66

$4,095

$4,425

T4R

Tier 4 Reinvestigation

67

$2,530

2,730

T5

Tier 5
 

70

$5,410
 

5,845

T5R

Tier 5 Reinvestigation

71

2,965

3,200

FY 2021 – FY2022 Billing Rates

FIN 20-04

FY 2021 Investigation Base Rates Table

Case Type

Case Type Code

Case Service

Standard

Priority

NAC

National Agency Check

06

$145

Not Available

T'1

Tier 1

63

$185
 

Not Available
 

T2

Tier 2

55

$425

$460

T2R

Tier 2 Reinvestigation

56

$385

$415

T3

Tier 3

64

$425

Not Available

T3R

Tier 3 Reinvestigation

65

$385

Not Available

T4

Tier 4

66

$4,135

$4,465

T4R

Tier 4 Reinvestigation

67

$2,555

2,755

T5

Tier 5
 

70

$5,465
 

5,895

T5R

Tier 5 Reinvestigation

71

2,995

3,225

 

FY 2018 throughout FY 2020 Billing Rates

DCSA and its predecessor, the National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB), were able to maintain the rates published in 17-04: FY 2018 Investigations Reimbursable Billing Rates Effective October 1, 2017 throughout FY 2020.

FIN 17-04: FY 2018 Investigations Reimbursable Billing Rates
FIN 18-06: FY 2019 Pricing Increase Deferment
FIN 19-05: FY 2020 Pricing Deferment

FY 2018 throughout FY 2020 Investigation Base Rates Table

Case Type

Case Type Code

Case Service

Standard

Priority

NAC

National Agency Check

06

$140

Not Available

T'1

Tier 1

63

$180
 

Not Available

T2

Tier 2

55

$420

$1,647

T2R

Tier 2 Reinvestigation

56

$380

1,362

T3

Tier 3

64

$420

Not Available

T3R

Tier 3 Reinvestigation

65

$380

Not Available

T4

Tier 4

66

$4,218

$4,555

T4R

Tier 4 Reinvestigation

67

$2,646

2,858

T5

Tier 5
 

70

$5,596
 

6,043

T5R

Tier 5 Reinvestigation

71

3,065

3,310

Billing Resources

Billing Support Team

For general question about DCSA products and services, receiving access to invoice support details on NP2, questions regarding pricing and billing policies, and specific questions regarding Background Investigation (BI) case billing details.


724-794-5612, ext. 4490

Customer Agreements Team

For questions about your agreement(s) and/or to request a new/modified agreement(s).

Continuous Vetting (CV) & Other Non-BI Agreements


Line 1: 703-261-3927
Line 2: 240-409-5366

Billing Disputes Team

For questions about your IPAC payments/processing or to dispute an IPAC/payment/case. Also, for questions about the LOA (line of accounting) associated with your orders or to update the agreement obligating document number (ODN)/LOA information associated with a specific order.


703-261-5786
703-268-8019

Providing Valid Financial Codes and Agency Identifiers

Customer agencies are required to ensure that accurate Submitting Office Number (SON), Security Office Identifier (SOI), Agency Location Code (ALC), Obligating Document Number (FS Form 7600B Order Tracking Number)Line of Accounting, and any other internally required billing information are provided during the initial investigative submission to DCSA.

Submitting Office Number (SON)

The SON is required to investigative requests. DCSA assigns a unique four-character alphanumeric code, known as the Submitting Office Number (SON), to each office that requests investigations from DCSA. The SON identifies the office that initiates the investigation and is recorded in the appropriate Agency Use Block (AUB) of the standard form. 

Security Office Identifier (SOI)

The SOI is required for all investigative requests. Each security office is issued a unique alphanumeric four-character identifier from DCSA, the Security Office Identifier (SOI), which is used to identify the appropriate agency official who will receive case results, data, or other information from DCSA.

Agency Location Code (ALC)

The ALC is required for all investigative requests. This code comes from the FS Form 7600B (Field 6 – Agency Location Code). The ALC is assigned to your agency by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The ALC is used within the IPAC system and supports a standardized interagency fund transfer mechanism for Federal Program Agencies (FPAs). IPAC facilitates the intragovernmental transfer of funds, with descriptive data from one FPA to another. The IPAC is also commonly referred to as the ALC.

Obligating Document Number (ODN)

The ODN is required for all investigative requests (17-character limit). This code comes from the FS Form 7600B (Field 11 - Order Tracking Number). This field will allow DCSA to track orders against the FS Form 7600B agreement.

A graphic showing how to convert a G-invoicing Order to e-QIP/eAgency ODN. The top row shows a G-Invoicing Order/Line/Schedule Format. All orders start with the letter O. The next four numbers show year and month the order was created in G-invoicing. The next three numbers are for the buyer-side agency identifier (AID). The next three numbers are for the seller-side agency identifier (AID). The next six numbers are for new orders created in G-invoicing. These 6 numbers reset monthly. The next two numbers show line number of the order (1 to 99). To get the ODN, you omit the

Treasury Account Symbol (TAS)

The TAS is used to identify the submitting agencies fund account that will be used to pay for the requested background investigation.  DCSA will invoice to the TAS identified and agreed-to within the associated customer agency’s established funding document(s).  If the TAS field is populated during the initial case submission process, it can assist DCSA with identifying the appropriate funding document to invoice against if a valid ODN is not provided.

Accounting Data and/or Agency Case Number

The accounting data field is an optional field (25-character limit). This block can be used by the requesting agency to note any information that the agency needs for its own internal processes, such as an internal case number, line of accounting, or any other specific agency identifier. This field will appear on your monthly invoice and can be useful for internal invoice reconciliation.

Cost

The cost of an electronic fingerprint-only Special Agreement Check (SAC) is $20.

Special note on electronic fingerprint - only case submissions made to DCSA Fingerprint submissions must be sent to DCSA before requesting an associated higher-level investigation that requires fingerprints. Special Agreement Check (SAC) results can be used (and have historically been used by some agencies) to satisfy fingerprint requirements for a higher-level investigation request for up to 120 days.

DCSA Billing Policy for Electronic Fingerprint- only SAC

When an electronic fingerprint-only SAC is submitted, DCSA will hold off on billing for 120 days. If a higher-level case is submitted, the agency will not receive a separate bill for the SAC. As a result, the higher-level case will also no longer receive a corresponding fingerprint SAC credit.  If no higher-level case is submitted within 120 days, the SAC will be billed to the agency as a standalone charge.

For there to not be a separate charge for fingerprints, the agency must:

  • Submit the eFP SAC at least one day, but no greater than 120 days in advance of the higher-level investigation

  • Include FIPC code "I" (letter i) on the higher-level investigation

Including Agency Specific Details within Fingerprint Submissions

Since not all electronic fingerprint machines contain an accounting field, the Attention Indicator, "ATN" field, can be used as an alternative method on most machines.  Populated ATN field details will return in the "ACCOUNT BLOCK" field within the monthly invoices.  This process can be used as an effective alternative to provide agency required accounting or requesting official contact details that are otherwise not commonly available with fingerprint submissions.  Additionally, the Occupation, "OCP" field, can be used to return agency, requesting office, and/or subject specific identifiers. Populated OCP field details will return in the "POSITION" field on monthly invoices.  Agencies using GSA shared enrollment (USAccess) centers may not have the ability to populate the ATN and OCP fields.  Agencies using USAccess should address their concerns regarding this and/or issues with "missing" accounting details on their invoice(s) directly with GSA.  The field requirements for the ATN field are: populated with greater than 3 characters; truncated at 30 characters; and cannot contain any dot or "special" characters.  The only field requirement for the OCP field is that it will be truncated at 50 characters.

Unclassifiable Fingerprints

Requirements for Submitting Reprints when Prints are Unclassifiable.  When the FBI is unable to make a classifiable determination due to illegible fingerprints, the FBI deems the submissions as "Unclassifiable".  A reprint may be submitted within one year of the case closing date to obtain a classifiable determination without incurring additional cost.  The original case number of the unclassifiable fingerprint must be provided with the reprint submission to avoid the discontinuance of the reprint or an additional fingerprint processing charge.  The original case number must be provided in the OCA block on the SF-87 or FD-258 hard card or in the tagged field 2.009 of the electronic transmission.  When submitting a hard card, please note "Reprint" in the top left-hand corner and attach the Notice of Unclassifiable Fingerprints.

Customer agencies must provide accurate and financial codes and agency identifiers during the initial investigative submission to DCSA. This includes: Submitting Office Number (SON), Security Office Identifier (SOI), Agency Location Code (ALC), Obligating Document Number (FS Form 7600B Order Tracking Number), Line of Accounting, and any other internally required billing information.

Case Type Code

Case Type Name

92

SAC - Special Agreement Check

06

NAC - National Agency Check

63

T1 - Tier 1 Investigation

55

T2 - Tier 2 Investigation

56

T2R - Tier 2 Reinvestigation

57

T2S - Tier 2 Investigation (with Subject Interview)

58

T2RS - Tier 2 Reinvestigation (with Subject Interview)

64

T3 - Tier 3 Investigation

65

T3R - Tier 3 Reinvestigation

66

T4 - Tier 4 Investigation

67

T4R - Tier 4 Reinvestigation

70

T5 - Tier 5 Investigation

71

T5R - Tier 5 Reinvestigation

43

RSI - Reimbursable Suitability/Security Investigation

Active Bill Event Transaction Codes

AA

Manual addition made where other billing codes cannot be applied

AB

Adjustment made when a Bureau of Vital Statistics (BVS) item is added to a case as additional coverage

AC

Adjustment made when a case is cancelled/discontinued prior to completion

AD

Adjustment made for Processing Fee when Child Care cases add a State Criminal History Repository (SCHR) search as additional coverage (there may be an AD event for each search conducted)

AE

Adjustment made for each SCHR search made in states that charge additional fees (there may be an AE event for each search conducted)

AF

Adjustment made when an agency is exempt from the FBI User fee(s)

AO

Adjustment made for a Citizenship and Immigration Services Check (IMM) when a Spouse/Cohabitant National Agency Check is conducted on a SAC product

AP

Adjustment made when named-based searches of FBI Criminal and Investigative Files for subject spouses and/or cohabitants are conducted on lower level cases with Access Levels 3-5 (there may be an AP event for each search conducted, this is possible when a person has had multiple last names)
 

AR

Adjustment made when a National Credit Check (CRED) item is added to a case as additional coverage or is conducted on a SAC or T1 product

AS

Manual subtraction made where other billing codes cannot be applied

AT

Adjustment made when a case type is changed

AU

Adjustment made when a case type and/or service is upgraded

AV

Adjustment made when a case service is changed

AX

Adjustment made when the case type and service is changed

AY

Adjustment made for processing fee when a Bar Association License Checks is added as additional coverage or is conducted on a SAC product (there may be an AY event for each state search conducted)

AZ

Adjustment made for each Bar Association License Check in states that charge additional fees (there may be an AZ event for each search conducted)

B3

Adjustment related to a Triggered Enhanced Subject Interview (TESI) on a T2 or T3 investigation

B5

Adjustment made when an electronic fingerprint-only SAC does not link to a higher level investigation after 120 days

CL

Closing bill event code when the investigation is completed

DA

Manual addition made due to an agency dispute

DS

Manual subtraction made due to an agency dispute

EC

Adjustment made to credit T2S and T2RS cases when a subject interview is not required (or reverse)

IN

Surcharge for cases requiring international work

OR

The initial bill event on a case

RO

Adjustment made to reverse a discontinue adjustment when the case is reopened

R_

With few exceptions, the bill event for RSI products will begin with the letter ‘R’ followed by the corresponding RSI Code