How do I refer a classified record to another agency for equity review during declassification?

Referring a classified record for equity review is the step that lets one agency get another agency’s classified information cleared before a document can be declassified. An “equity” is another agency’s ownership interest in classified information that appears in your record. Because the agency that originally classified information keeps authority over it, you cannot declassify those portions yourself — you must refer them to the owning agency for review.

When a referral is required

A referral is needed whenever a record being reviewed for declassification contains classified information that originated with, or concerns the mission of, an agency other than yours. Common signals include source attributions to another agency, dissemination controls or caveats pointing elsewhere, or subject matter clearly within another agency’s jurisdiction. If any such equity is present, that portion must go to the owning agency before release.

How to make the referral

While exact procedures follow your agency’s policy and government-wide guidance, the general workflow is consistent:

• Identify the equity. Have trained declassification reviewers examine the record and flag each passage reflecting another agency’s classified interest.
• Document what you found. Record the specific pages or paragraphs, the apparent owning agency, and the basis for the referral, so the package is traceable.
• Route to the owning agency. Send the record (or the relevant portions) to that agency’s declassification authority through the established interagency referral channel, preserving classification controls and chain of custody throughout.
• Track and reconcile responses. The owning agency decides whether its information stays classified, is downgraded, or is released; you incorporate that determination into the final document.

Key principles to remember

You decide what to refer by recognizing equities; the owning agency decides whether its information is released. Refer before release, not after — premature disclosure of another agency’s information can be a security violation. And keep the referral well documented, because referral activity is itself a recordkeeping responsibility and may need to be defensible later.

Standardized recognition tools and government-wide rules help reviewers apply consistent criteria so referrals are handled the same way across agencies, rather than by ad hoc judgment.

Learn more on the declassification topic hub.