Background
The following agencies have received approval from the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP) to exempt specific information from automatic declassification and may receive referrals resulting from automatic declassification reviews. Each agency is only authorized to use the exemptions listed in the respective tables below. In accordance with section 3.3(d)(3) of Executive Order 13526, “Classified National Security Information” (the “Order”), these agencies should not be sent referrals for information that they are not authorized to exempt.
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ISOO Notice 2019-01: Agencies Eligible to Receive Referrals from Automatic Declassification at 25, 50, and 75 Years [9 Pages, 1.88MB]
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To exempt records from automatic declassification, agencies must have the specific authority to extend the duration of classification beyond 25 years in the form of a File Series Exemption and/or an Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP) approved declassification guide. Information may be considered for exemption if one or more of the following exemption categories apply:
- 25X1 – reveal the identity of a confidential human source, a human intelligence source, a relationship with an intelligence or security service of a foreign government or international organization, or a non-human intelligence source; or impair the effectiveness of an intelligence method currently in use, available for use, or under development;
- 25X2 – reveal information that would assist in the development, production, or use of weapons of mass destruction;
- 25X3 – reveal information that would impair U.S. cryptologic systems or activities;
- 25X4 – reveal information that would impair the application of state-of-the-art technology within a US weapon system;
- 25X5 – reveal formally named or numbered U.S. military war plans that remain in effect, or reveal operational or tactical elements of prior plans that are contained in such active plans;
- 25X6 – reveal information including foreign government information, that would cause serious harm to relations between the U.S. and a foreign government, or to ongoing diplomatic activities of the U.S;
- 25X7 – reveal information that would impair the current ability of U.S. government officials to protect the President, Vice President, and other protectees for whom protection services, in the interest of national security, are authorized;
- 25X8 – reveal information that would seriously impair current national security emergency preparedness plans or reveal current vulnerabilities of systems, installations, or infrastructures relating to the national security;
- 25X9 – violate a statute, treaty, or international agreement that does not permit the automatic or unilateral declassification of information at 25 years.