Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) Explained

Mandatory declassification review (MDR) is the request-driven pathway for declassifying U.S. national security information. Under Executive Order 13526, it lets any member of the public ask an agency to review a specific classified record and declassify whatever portion no longer requires protection.

How it works

1. Request. The requester identifies a particular record (or set of records) with enough specificity for the agency to locate it with a reasonable effort.
2. Review. The agency reviews the record against the standards for continued classification.
3. Release. It releases what no longer needs protection, redacting the parts that do, and referring any other agencies’ equities for their review.
4. Appeal. If the requester is dissatisfied, MDR includes appeal rights — ultimately to the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP), an independent body that can overrule an agency’s decision to keep information classified.

MDR versus FOIA

MDR and the Freedom of Information Act overlap but differ:

• MDR is specifically for classified national security information and runs through the classification system’s own review and appeal process (including ISCAP).
• FOIA is broader, covers all kinds of records, and has its own nine exemptions and appeal track.

Researchers often choose MDR when they want a focused review of particular documents and access to the ISCAP appeal route; the two can sometimes be used in parallel.

Where it fits

MDR is one of three declassification pathways, alongside automatic declassification (generally at 25 years) and systematic agency review. Together they balance protecting genuinely sensitive information against the public’s interest in access.

Why recordkeeping matters

An agency can only review and release a record it can find. MDR depends on classified records being well managed for the long term — accurately marked, safeguarded, and retrievable — so that when a request arrives, the agency can locate the record, identify equities, and respond. See the declassification hub for the full picture.