Which federal agency is responsible for the authorization and oversight of security clearances?

The agency responsible for the authorization and oversight of security clearances is the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). This office oversees the entire intelligence community and establishes policies for the handling of classified information. The ODNI plays a crucial role in integrating the different agencies involved in national intelligence and ensures that security clearance processes align with national security interests.

While the Department of Defense (DoD) does manage a significant portion of security clearances, particularly for military personnel and defense contractors, its authority is not overarching for all security clearances, which span multiple federal agencies. Similarly, the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) focuses on implementing and managing the government's classification and declassification policies rather than directly authorizing security clearances. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is not involved in security clearance processes at all, making it unrelated to the question concerning oversight of those clearances.