The Ford Library’s "Mandatory Declassification Review" (MDR) program allows researchers to seek declassification of specific items that are closed due to national security restrictions. The requested items must be individually identified by the requester and readily locatable by an archivist. Typically, but not always, the requester draws upon citation information found on pink withdrawal notices that were placed in the folders during archival processing.

Presidential Libraries Mandatory Review Request (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.  We also ask researchers to fill out a separate contact form that provides your permanent mailing address and email address.

  • The requestor should fill out Sections I, II and III using the information provided on the document withdrawal sheet. 
  • It is important to include the file location of the document desired, including the name of the collection, box number, and the title of the folder. This information is also available on the withdrawal sheet.
  • The documents identified on the request form should be from one folder only. If all documents requested from a single folder cannot be listed on a single form, use additional forms as necessary.  
  • If you are requesting documents from more than one folder, use a separate request form for each folder, even if the folders are from the same box. 
  • If a specific piece of requested information is not contained on the Document Withdrawal Record, please leave the appropriate block blank in Section III of the Presidential Libraries MR Request Form.

When received, the Library will forward the MDR request to the National Archives’ National Declassification Center (NDC) for review. Once the review is completed, the Library will contact the requested and provide copies of any declassified items. Unfortunately, this is a long process.

Limitations on the Right to Mandatory Declassification Review:

  1. 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.
     
  2. Only those requestors 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.
     
  3. Requests for documents that have already been submitted for agency review will not be assigned a new case number, but the requestor will be notified when documents are scheduled for public release.

We appreciate your patience and understanding. If you have any questions, please email the Ford Library staff.

For a request to review items withdrawn for other reasons, please contact the Supervisory Archivist of the Gerald Ford Presidential Library.