- "Trust the system."
- ―Phil Coulson[src]
Clearance levels were used by S.H.I.E.L.D. to keep order in their system and protect information that is protected by S.H.I.E.L.D.. There are 10 levels of clearance, as well as Level Alpha and Omega Clearance. As agents move up from level 1, they gain access to more information, and frequently, more power though rank and clearance level is not necessarily correlated. For example, for agents to know all of the information surrounding the Battle of New York, they had to have been Level 7. An agent's clearance level is not based on how long they have been apart of the agency.
List of Agents by Confirmed Level
- Skye - Level 1
- Katherine Shane - Level 4
- Leo Fitz - Level 5
- Jemma Simmons - Level 5
- Mack - Level 6
- Antoine Triplett - Level 6
- Eric Koenig † - Level 6
- Billy Koenig - Level 6
- Jasper Sitwell (HYDRA) † - Level 7
- Melinda May - Level 7
- Grant Ward (HYDRA) - Level 7
- Felix Blake - Level 7
- John Garrett (HYDRA) † - Level 7
- Victoria Hand † - Level 8
- Phil Coulson (formerly) - Level 8
- Steve Rogers/Captain America (formerly) - Level 8
- Commander Maria Hill (formerly) - Level 9
- Nick Fury (formerly) - Level 10, Alpha Level, Omega Level
- Alexander Pierce (HYDRA) † - Level 10, Alpha Level
Notes
- Clearance level 1 has the least access in S.H.I.E.L.D..
- Some clearance level 4 agents work as field agents.
- Known Level 6 agents have specialized in espionage and combat.
- Clearance level 7 agents have full access to details on the Battle of New York.
- Clearance level 8 gives agents more access to information that could risk the lives of agents in lower clearance levels. Some agents work as mission controllers.
- Level 9 Agents have access to most of the agency's files and generally hold a high rank. They will also know of high ranking projects, secrets and missions about S.H.I.E.L.D.
- S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives in level 10 have the most access to the world's most important files and secrets. These operatives hold the highest rank in the agency.
- Alpha Level is needed to access S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most secret and highly encrypted files.
- Omega Level was necessary to access special sensitive cases, like full access to the files of Project Rebirth, or to Camilla Reyes's hijacking of the Bus.
