Mandatory Declassification Review

In addition to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, records may be released via a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR). MDRs are authorized under Executive Order 13526, which allows the public to request a classification review of a withdrawn, classified document. The document must be classified in order to qualify for MDR; otherwise, the request must be made under FOIA. The request must be specific in scope (preferably individual documents) so that they can be readily located. If classified documents from a particular subject are desired, that request should first be made under FOIA.

Make a Mandatory Declassification Review request

1. Download NA Form 14020 – PDF or DOC format
2. Complete Sections I, II, and III by copying the information from the Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet into Sections II and III.
3. Send the completed NA Form 14020 to clinton.library@nara.gov or mail it to:

Clinton Presidential Library Attention: Mandatory Review Archivist, Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, AR 72201

President Clinton, VP Gore and Sec. Madeleine Albright meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of Israel and Chairman Tasser Arafat of the Palestinian Liberation Authority in the Oval Office, October 15, 1998, Photographer Barbara Kinney.

More details on submitting a Mandatory Declassification Review request

• The Presidential Libraries Mandatory Declassification Review Request form (NA Form 14020) should be used when submitting a request for a Mandatory Declassification Review in accordance with Section 3.5 of Executive Order 13526.
• The requester should fill out section I to provide contact information.
• Sections II and III should be completed by the requester using the information provided on the Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet. The documents identified on the request form should be from one folder only.

How requests for Mandatory Declassification Review requests are processed

Once the Clinton Presidential Library receives a Mandatory Declassification Review request, it will be processed as follows:

• The Clinton Presidential Library will submit copies to the originating agency and/or other agencies that have primary subject matter interest in the document.
• Each agency that has primary subject matter interest will review the document and advise the Clinton Presidential Library of its decision.
• After all agency responses have been received by the Clinton Presidential Library, the requester will be notified of the results of the agencies’ declassification reviews. Documents will be released in accordance with the provisions of 44 USC § 2201-2207 and NARA regulations at 36 C.F.R. § 1270.46 , which require that we notify the representatives of the former President and the incumbent President prior to the release of any Presidential records. If an agency denies a request for declassification, the requester may appeal this decision to the agency’s appellate authority through the Clinton Presidential Library. The Clinton Presidential Library will provide the requester with appeal instructions in its notification letter prior to public release. An appeal of a sanitized or exempted document must be received by the Clinton Presidential Library within 60 days of the document’s public release.

Limitations on Mandatory Declassification Review

• Documents that have been reviewed by an agency with declassification authority and exempted from declassification may not be resubmitted for declassification review until two years from the date of an agency’s final determination. The two year rule applies regardless of whether the agency reviewed the document as a mandatory declassification review in accordance with Section 3.5 of Executive Order 13526 or as a systematic declassification review in accordance with Section 3.4 the Order.
• Only those requesters identified at the time the Mandatory Review (MR) request is submitted for agency review will have the right to appeal an agency’s final determination.

Contact Information:

Email: clinton.library@nara.gov (Subject: Mandatory Review)
Phone: 501-244-2877
Mail: Mandatory Review Archivist
Clinton Presidential Library and Museum
1200 President Clinton Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72201