What is the SF 701 form?
Form SF 701, Activity Security Checklist, is a Standard Form maintained by the General Services Administration and used across federal agencies, the Department of Defense, intelligence community offices, and cleared contractor facilities. Office security managers post a fresh checklist every duty day, and the last person leaving a workspace that handles classified or sensitive information walks through the building, confirms each item is secure, and initials the entry for that day.What is SF 701 used for?
SF 701 turns the end-of-day security walk-through into a written record that a security manager can audit. Offices use the checklist to:
- Confirm containers, vaults, and safes holding classified material are locked
- Check that classified documents and removable media are stored properly
- Verify doors, windows, alarm panels, and copiers are secured
- Capture an initial, time, and date so the office has a daily security log
How to fill out SF 701
- 1
Enter the office or activity name, building, room number, and month at the top.
- 2
List the security items the office must check each day, such as safes, vaults, and shred bins.
- 3
Initial each item once it is checked secure for the duty day.
- 4
Record the time of the check and the closing employee's printed name.
- 5
Note any deficiencies, alarms, or open items that need follow-up by the security manager.
- 6
Review the checklist before locking the workspace and sharing the completed form.
Who needs to file SF 701?
Federal agencies, Department of Defense components, intelligence community offices, and cleared contractor facilities that handle classified information must complete an SF 701 at the end of every duty day for each open storage area or workspace where classified material lives. The last person leaving the area walks through the checklist, confirms each item, and initials the entry for that day.
After the checklist is initialed, the office security manager and the facility security officer review the SF 701 during routine audits and inspections to confirm closing procedures stay consistent. Findings drive corrective training, updates to the office security plan, and follow-up with the people who close the area.



