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How long does SOC 2 take?

You may hear “a few weeks.” That's the time to get ready, not the time to get a report. Here's the honest timeline, step by step, and the one part nobody can speed up.

Type I report
About 1 to 4 months
It checks that your controls are designed and in place, on one date.
First Type II report
About 4 to 7 months
It checks that your controls worked over a period, often 3 months for a first report.
Every year after
A 12-month period
Run each period right after the last one, so your report stays current.

Counted from the day you start. Getting ready takes about 2 to 8 weeks. Your auditor sets the final dates.

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Getting ready is fast. The period is not.

You control how fast you get ready. A Type II then needs an observation period, and that is calendar time. Here is where each week goes.

Scroll sideways to see the whole chart.

  • You and Strac Comply
  • Calendar time. It runs at its own pace.
  • Your auditor tests
  • Your auditor writes the report

Bars show a typical case. The bracket shows your earliest and latest report.

Five steps to your SOC 2 Type II report

Strac Comply gets you ready and collects your evidence. An independent auditor examines it and issues the report.

  1. Step 1: Sign up and connect your systems

    Day 1

    You, in minutes

    Create your Strac Comply account. Connect the tools you use, such as AWS, Google Workspace, GitHub, Slack and your identity provider. Strac Comply then:

    • Sets up your SOC 2 controls and requirements
    • Drafts security policies and documents for you to review and approve
    • Collects evidence from your connected systems every day
    • Finds failing tests and security gaps
    • Tracks the tasks that need a person

    The earlier you start, the more evidence history you build.

  2. Step 2: Get audit-ready

    About 2 to 8 weeks

    You, with Strac Comply

    Before your observation period starts, your controls must be in place and working. For example:

    • Every employee uses MFA
    • Someone reviews access permissions
    • You approve your security policies
    • Production systems have the right security settings
    • You write down your security reviews and processes

    Strac Comply shows your readiness, and what still needs work.

  3. Step 3: Pick an independent auditor

    Alongside step 2

    You and a CPA firm

    When you're close, Strac can introduce you to an independent CPA firm. On the Certified plan, one SOC 2 Type II audit a year is included. With the auditor, you:

    • Agree on which systems and controls are in scope
    • Agree on the observation period
    • Confirm the evidence they need
    • Sign their engagement letter

    The auditor, not Strac, does the examination and issues your report.

  4. Step 4: Complete the observation period

    3 to 12 months

    The calendar

    For a Type II, the auditor checks that your controls worked over a set period. It's commonly 3 to 12 months. Many startups use 3 months for a first report, if their auditor agrees. Through the period, Strac Comply runs its tests every day and keeps the evidence.

    This is calendar time. Once you and your auditor agree on it, nobody can make it shorter. So start it as soon as your controls work.

  5. Step 5: Your auditor tests and issues the report

    4 to 10 weeks after the period

    Your auditor

    The auditor reviews your evidence, tests your controls and decides if they worked through the whole period. Strac Comply gives them your evidence in their own portal. Then the CPA firm issues your SOC 2 Type II report, with its independent opinion.

You may already have a head start

Strac Comply collects evidence from the day you connect. Say you connect in January and sign with an auditor in March. The auditor may agree to examine a period that starts in January, if:

  • Your controls already worked in January
  • Your evidence covers the whole period
  • Your auditor accepts that period

Signing up for Strac Comply does not start your official period. You and your auditor agree on the dates.

So start early. Connect your systems, fix the gaps and collect evidence now, even before you pick an auditor.

When could you have your report?

Pick a start date. You get the earliest and latest date for each step.

Which report?
Observation period

Many startups use 3 months for a first report, if their auditor agrees. After that, 12.

Pick a start date to see your estimate.

What you can speed up, and what you can't

You can speed up

Getting ready
Strac Comply connects to your tools in minutes and tests them every day, so you see your failing tests on day 1.
Policies
AI drafts them from your company profile. You review and approve each one.
Evidence
Tests collect it every day from your connected systems. Less screenshot hunting before fieldwork.
Picking an auditor
Do it during step 2, not after. Good firms book weeks ahead.
Your auditor's questions
Your auditor works in their own portal, so every request and answer stays in one place.

Nobody can speed up

The observation period
Once you and your auditor set it, it runs on the calendar. 3 months takes 3 months.
Your fixes
If MFA is off, someone on your team has to turn it on. Strac Comply tells you where.
The auditor's own work
Testing and writing the report take the CPA firm about 4 to 10 weeks after your period ends, with your evidence ready.

Five mistakes that slow founders down

  1. Starting the period before your controls work

    Your auditor tests the whole period. A control that failed in week 1 can show up as an exception in your report.

  2. Believing "SOC 2 in days"

    Days or weeks is the time to get ready. A Type II report needs an observation period first, then the audit.

  3. Calling it a certification

    SOC 2 is an attestation report from a CPA firm. There is no SOC 2 certificate.

  4. Picking an auditor late

    Sign the engagement letter while you get ready. Then the audit can start the week your period ends.

  5. Letting your report go stale

    Most buyers want a report whose period ended in the last 12 months. Start your next period the day after the last one ends.

After your first report

Most companies renew SOC 2 every year. Start your next 12-month period the day after your last one ends. Then there's no gap between your periods.

Your report covers a period that ended on a set date. Most buyers want one whose period ended in the last 12 months.

Between your period end and your next report, a buyer may ask for a bridge letter. Your own management writes it, to say nothing material changed. It is not an audit, and buyers often accept one for about 3 months.

Strac Comply keeps collecting evidence between audits, so evidence for your next period builds as you go.

Questions founders ask

Can I get SOC 2 in two weeks?

You can get ready in weeks. A Type II report needs an observation period first, usually at least 3 months, and then the audit. So a first Type II takes about 4 to 7 months from a standing start.

A page that promises "SOC 2 in days" means the time to get ready, not the time to get a report.

Should I get a Type I or a Type II first?

Get a Type I if a buyer needs a report soon. It shows your controls are designed and in place on one date. Start your Type II period the same day, so the Type II follows a few months later.

A Type I is a separate audit, so ask your auditor about its scope and cost. If no deal is waiting on a report, go straight to a Type II.

What is the shortest observation period?

The AICPA sets no minimum. Many auditors accept 3 months for a first Type II. 6 months shows quarterly controls, like access reviews, run twice. After your first report, most companies use 12 months.

Can my observation period start before I sign with an auditor?

Yes, if your auditor agrees. Your controls must have worked from the start date, and your evidence must cover the whole period. Strac Comply keeps dated evidence from the day you connect your systems.

Signing up for Strac Comply does not start your official period. You and your auditor agree on the dates.

Does Strac do the audit?

No. An independent licensed CPA firm does the audit and issues your report. Strac can introduce you to one. The Certified plan includes one SOC 2 Type II audit a year by an independent licensed CPA firm.

How long is a SOC 2 report good for?

A report covers a period that ended on a set date. It does not expire, but most buyers want a report whose period ended in the last 12 months. That is why companies renew every year.

Between reports, a buyer may ask for a bridge letter. It is a short letter from your own management that says nothing material changed. It is not an audit, and buyers often accept one for about 3 months.

The clock starts when your controls work. Start today.

Connect your systems, see your failing tests on day 1, and build your evidence history from now.

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