How can I request declassification of materials?

The Jimmy Carter Library’s Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) program allows researchers to seek declassification of specific items under Executive Order 13526.

Material might be unavailable in whole or in part for reasons of national security; in these instances, you can request the item be reviewed via MDR. Staff can provide you with a Presidential Libraries Mandatory Review Request form, NA Form 14020. The requested documents or file units should be individually identified by the requester with sufficient specificity to the extent possible; archival staff should be able to locate the items with reasonable effort based on the information provided. List items from one folder only on each request form and complete sections I, II, and III on the form. In some collections, such as the Records of the National Security Advisor, there are still significant amounts of material to be processed.

For onsite requests, return the completed forms to the research room attendant. If you are not conducting research onsite and would like to submit an MDR request, please submit the request to us via our Contact form and select via Ask An Archivist.

Library staff will strive to have your declassification request submitted as soon as possible after receipt of your completed request forms. Requests are submitted to federal agencies (as applicable) for review. Please be advised there currently is a backlog of requests. If a document has been exempted from declassification in whole or in part within the past two years, it will not be submitted for re-review at this time.

Once the request is processed and responses given, you will be notified of the outcome of the review, i.e. whether the requested documents were released-in-full, released-in-part, and/or denied in full.

To learn more about your appeal rights under MDR, please visit ISCAP.