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SF 702 is the Standard Form 702, the Security Container Check Sheet: a log on which people record, by initials and time, that they opened, closed or checked a particular container holding classified information. The federal rule that prescribes it says the form is used when an agency decides, as part of its risk management strategy, that a check sheet is required, and that completing, storing and disposing of it follow each agency’s own security regulations. This page describes the form as published by the General Services Administration (GSA) and as prescribed in 32 CFR 2001.80, checked against the official pages on 2026-10-29.
What SF 702 is and who prescribes it
The GSA Forms Library lists the form as SF702, Security Container Check Sheet, revision date 01/2020, with authority given as 32 CFR Part 2001 and Executive Order 13526. The form’s footer reads “STANDARD FORM 702 (REV. 1/2020)” and “Prescribed by NARA/ISOO”, that is, the National Archives and Records Administration and its Information Security Oversight Office. In 32 CFR 2001.80(d)(5) the form is described this way: “The SF 702 provides a record of the names and times that persons have opened, closed, or checked a particular container that holds classified information.” The national stock number given there is 7540-01-213-7900.
Researchers meet the form in classified or export-sensitive work on campus, in contractor facilities and in federal laboratories. For the wider security context see research security and the guide to 32 CFR Part 117 (NISPOM).
When an agency requires an SF 702
The regulation’s wording is conditional: “If an agency determines, as part of its risk management strategy, that a security container check sheet is required, the SF 702 will be used.” Section 2001.80(d) introduces the list of forms with the sentence “Standard forms required for application to national security information are as follows.” Whether a given container needs a check sheet, and what the entries must show, is therefore answered by the responsible agency’s security regulations and by the security officer for the facility, not by the form itself. The form’s own certification refers to “pertinent agency regulations and operating instructions”.
Fields and columns on the form
| Field or column | What the printed form shows |
|---|---|
| TO (if required) / THRU (if required) / FROM | Routing fields on the sheet. |
| ROOM NUMBER, BUILDING, CONTAINER NUMBER | Identify which container the sheet belongs to. |
| Month/Day/Year and date rows | One row per date; the sheet carries two side-by-side blocks. |
| OPENED BY | Initials and time. |
| CLOSED BY | Initials and time. |
| CHECKED BY | Initials and time. |
| GUARD CHECK (if required) | Initials and time; the printed label marks this column as used only if required. |
Above the grid sits the certification: “I CERTIFY, BY MY INITIALS BELOW, THAT I HAVE OPENED, CLOSED OR CHECKED THIS SECURITY CONTAINER IN ACCORDANCE WITH PERTINENT AGENCY REGULATIONS AND OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS.” Initialing a row is therefore a personal certification, not a clerical tick.
How the form is completed
The columns on the form follow this order of entries: (1) fill in the room number, building and container number so the sheet identifies one container; (2) enter the month, day and year for each date row; (3) when the container is opened, the person opening it enters initials and time under OPENED BY; (4) when it is closed, the person closing it enters initials and time under CLOSED BY; (5) when it is checked, the person checking enters initials and time under CHECKED BY; (6) fill GUARD CHECK only where the agency requires it.
The regulation leaves these to the agency: “Completion, storage, and disposal of the SF 702 will be in accordance with each agency’s security regulations.” The text of 32 CFR 2001.80(d)(5) sets no retention period and no daily-entry schedule, so any such rule you work under comes from your agency, your contract security requirements or your facility security officer, and should be taken from that document.
Timing: what the rule does and does not set
The regulation sets no deadline, retention period or entry schedule for the SF 702. The form logs three actions, opening, closing and checking the container, each recorded with initials and time on the date row. Any further timing, such as how often a container must be checked or how long a finished sheet is kept, comes from the agency, the contract or the facility security officer.
How SF 702 differs from SF 700 and SF 701
Three neighbouring forms are described in the same paragraph of 32 CFR 2001.80(d). Each is likewise used when an agency’s risk management strategy calls for it.
| Form | Title | Purpose in 32 CFR 2001.80(d) | Stock number |
|---|---|---|---|
| SF 700 | Security Container Information | Names, addresses and telephone numbers of employees to contact if the container is found open and unattended; a record of the combination; the envelope to forward it. A new SF 700 is completed each time the combination changes. | 7540-01-214-5372 |
| SF 701 | Activity Security Checklist | A systematic end-of-day security inspection of a work area, with employee accountability if irregularities are found. | 7540-01-213-7899 |
| SF 702 | Security Container Check Sheet | A record of the names and times of persons who opened, closed or checked a particular container holding classified information. | 7540-01-213-7900 |
In short: SF 700 identifies who to call and holds the combination record, SF 701 covers the work area, and SF 702 logs activity on one container.
Common entry mistakes to avoid
These points follow directly from the printed form. Each entry is a certification by the person initialing, so initials and times belong to the person who performed the action named in the column. Columns marked “if required” are filled only where the agency requires them. The sheet belongs to one container, so the room, building and container number fields identify which one.
Related pages
SF 702 sits with the standard forms for national security information. Document handling marks are a separate topic; see CUI cover sheets and marking and the dictionary entry for controlled unclassified information (CUI). Classified information and CUI are different categories, and FCI versus CUI explains the unclassified side for contractors. Contractor cyber requirements are covered in CMMC Level 3.
Frequently asked questions
What does SF 702 stand for?
Standard Form 702, titled Security Container Check Sheet (revision 01/2020 in the GSA Forms Library).
Who requires an SF 702?
An agency does, if it determines as part of its risk management strategy that a security container check sheet is required (32 CFR 2001.80(d)(5)).
Is SF 702 the same as SF 700?
No. SF 700 records contacts and the combination for a container; SF 702 records who opened, closed or checked it and when.
How long must a completed SF 702 be kept?
32 CFR 2001.80 leaves completion, storage and disposal to each agency’s security regulations, so the answer comes from the agency or contract that governs the container.
Sources
- GSA Forms Library, SF702 Security Container Check Sheet, gsa.gov/forms-library/security-container-check-sheet, checked 2026-10-29.
- Form text: SF 702 (Rev. 1/2020) PDF, checked 2026-10-29.
- 32 CFR 2001.80, Prescribed standard forms, eCFR, checked 2026-10-29.
