President-elect Donald J. Trump let weeks pass before signing the agreement as his team considered using private investigators instead.

The Trump-Vance transition has signed an agreement with the Department of Justice allowing the transition team to “submit names for background checks and security clearances,” the transition said in a statement Tuesday.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's transition team said on Tuesday it has reached an agreement with the Justice Department that will allow it to submit names for background checks and security clearances.

The president-elect delayed the process but now says it is a key step for deploying his team into federal agencies.

President-elect Trump's transition team reached an agreement with the Department of Justice on Tuesday to allow background checks of his upcoming administration's nominees. Why it matters: The move allows the president-elect's intended aides and staffers to gain security clearances prior to his taking office so they can access classified materials — key for a seamless transition.

The agreement allows the transition team to submit names for background checks and security clearances, a significant step in the process as Trump assembles his second-term team.

The step lets Trump transition aides and future administration staffers obtain security clearances before Inauguration Day to access classified information about ongoing government programs.

President-elect Trump’s transition team announced Tuesday it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Justice Department, which will allow the FBI to conduct background checks for certain individuals chosen for the incoming administration.