Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Guidance

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) serves as the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Program's Executive Agent and has delegated CUI Executive Agent responsibilities to the Director of the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO). As the CUI Executive Agent, ISOO issues guidance to Federal agencies on safeguarding and marking CUI. In the list below, you can search, access, and read current CUI guidance. You can find additional CUI resources, links to governing regulations, and more at the CUI website.

Using the guidance table below:

Cancelled guidance

Number Date issued Title zRIN General topic Summary Date posted to portal Status Date of status change
CUI Notice 2020-07 10/02/2020 Using Alternate Designation Indicators (ADI) with CUI Designation indicators Outlines limited circumstances in which agencies may use alternate designation indicators on CUI. 10/02/2020
CUI Notice 2020-06 10/02/2020 Limited Marking Waiver Best Practices to Alert Users of CUI Waivers Guidance on alerting users to the presence of CUI when the agency has issued a limited marking waiver. 10/02/2020
CUI Notice 2020-05 08/20/2020 Using Exigent Circumstances Waivers Waivers Clarifies when agencies may grant exigent circumstances waivers and how these waivers apply when sharing CUI. 08/20/2020
CUI Memo 2020-07-01 07/01/2020 CUI FY20 Annual Reporting Memo (see also CUI Memo 2020-07-01a for attached form) Reports and reporting Annual reporting call by November 1, 2020, in accordance with regulation and implementing guidance. Includes guidance for reporting on current and projected efforts to implement the CUI Program. 07/01/2020 Annual requirement
CUI Memo 2020-07-01a 07/01/2020 CUI FY20 Annual Reporting Form (accompanies CUI Memo 2020-07-01) Reports and reporting FY20 Annual Reporting Form accompanying annual reporting call. 07/01/2020 Annual requirement
CUI Notice 2020-04 06/16/2020 Assessing Security Requirements in Non-Federal Information Systems Implementing Assessing whether security requirements for CUI within non-Federal information systems in unclassified environments are met, using NIST SP 800-171A to assess compliance with NIST SP 800-171 and applicable security requirements for such systems. 06/16/2020
CUI Notice 2020-03 06/03/2020 Non-Disclosure Agreement Template for CUI Agreements Provides an optional CUI non-disclosure agreement template for executive branch agency use. 06/03/2020
CUI Notice 2020-03a 06/03/2020 CUI non-disclosure agreement template (attachment) Agreements CUI non-disclosure agreement template for executive branch agency optional use. 06/03/2020
CUI Notice 2020-02 06/03/2020 Alternate Marking Methods Marking Clarifies marking guidance when it is impractical for agencies to individually mark CUI due to its quantity, the nature of the information, or when the agency has issued a limited CUI marking waiver. 06/03/2020
CUI Notice 2020-01 05/14/2020 CUI Program Implementation Deadlines Implementation Updates implementation deadlines for the CUI Program, to facilitate coordinated agency transition to CUI, based on projections provided in agency annual report submissions to ISOO. 05/14/2020 Cancels CUI Notice 2016-01 and CUI Notice 2018-03 05/14/2020
CUI Notice 2019-04 09/06/2019 Oversight of the CUI Program within Private Sector Entities Agreements Guidance on overseeing implementation of the CUI Program within private sector entities, such as contractors handling agency CUI. In particular, addresses Department of Defense's CUI oversight in contrast with its oversight of entities handling classified information. 02/19/2020
CUI Memo 2020-03-30 03/30/2020 Applying an Exigent Circumstances Waiver to CUI Safeguarding Requirements while Teleworking in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Waivers Clarifies issues concerning the application of an exigent circumstances waiver to CUI safeguarding requirements while teleworking in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 03/30/2020
CUI Notice 2019-04 09/06/2019 Oversight of the CUI Program within Private Sector Entities Agreements Guidance on overseeing implementation of the CUI Program within private sector entities, such as contractors handling agency CUI. In particular, addresses Department of Defense's CUI oversight in contrast with its oversight of entities handling classified information. 02/19/2020
CUI Notice 2019-03 07/15/2019 Destroying CUI in Paper Form Destroying CUI Guidance for destroying (via single and multi-step methods) CUI in paper form. 02/19/2020 Supersedes CUI Notice 2017-02 07/15/2019
CUI Notice 2019-02 05/13/2019 CUI Program Manager Position Description Program personnel Notifies agencies of a CUI Program Manager job description template developed in conjunction with the CUI Advisory Council. 02/19/2020
CUI Notice 2019-02a 05/13/2019 CUI Program Manager Position Description template (attachment) Program personnel CUI Program Manager job description for agencies to use when hiring CUI Program Managers (developed in conjunction with the CUI Advisory Council). 02/19/2020
CUI Notice 2019-01 02/22/2019 CUI Coversheet and Media Labels Marking Guidance on using coversheets and labels for marking CUI. In particular, using the CUI coversheet Standard Form (SF) 901, discontinuing CUI coversheets Optional Form (OF) 901, OF 902, and OF 903, using the SF 902 standard size affixable identification and protection media label, and using the SF 903 USB drive size affixable identification and protection label. 02/19/2020
CUI Joint Memo 2018-11-19 11/19/2018 Decontrolling CUI in response to a FOIA request Decontrolling, FOIA Guidance on releasing and decontrolling CUI in response to a FOIA request. 02/19/2020 Supersedes CUI Joint Memo 2014-07-03 11/19/2018
CUI Notice 2018-07 11/16/2018 CUI Limited Dissemination Controls Disseminating Guidance on properly using approved CUI limited dissemination control markings and the process for establishing them. 02/19/2020
CUI Notice 2018-06 11/16/2018 Establishing, Eliminating, or Modifying Categories of CUI Categories Guidance on the process for adding, revising, or rescinding authorities on the CUI Registry, requesting or modifying categories of CUI on the Registry, and notifying the CUI Executive Agent of proposed categories and plans to develop a law, regulation, or Government-wide policy in support of the proposed category. 02/19/2020 Supersedes CUI Memo 2012-07-27
CUI Notice 2018-04 11/16/2018 Provisional Categories Categories Guidance on requesting approval from the CUI Executive Agent to provisionally protect information an agency identifies as sensitive while developing a suitable law, regulation, or Government-wide policy to establish it as a CUI category. 02/19/2020 Supersedes CUI Notice 2013-01 11/16/2018
CUI Notice 2018-05 10/25/2018 Implementation Guidance when CUI is commingled with CNSI Comingling Marking guidance for commingled CUI and CNSI. For use as agencies implement the CUI Program and develop or modify automated marking tools. 02/19/2020
CUI Memo 2018-10-16 10/16/2018 CUI Senior Agency Official/Program Manager Change Form Program personnel Process for notifying ISOO when an agency changes its CUI Senior Agency Official (SAO) or Program Manager (PM). 02/19/2020
CUI Notice 2018-02 01/24/2018 Recommendations for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Basic Training Training Identifies and recommends common learning objectives and curriculum design elements for basic CUI training. 02/19/2020
CUI Notice 2018-01 01/24/2018 Guidance for Drafting Agreements with Non-Executive Branch Entities involving CUI Agreements Guidance and recommendations for conveying CUI Program requirements in information sharing agreements involving CUI. Addresses agreements with non-executive branch entities but does not include guidance for sharing with foreign entities. 02/19/2020
CUI Notice 2017-01 06/19/2017 Implementation Recommendations for the CUI Program Implementing Recommendations of steps that would meet initial requirements for implementing the CUI Program. 02/19/2020
CUI Handbook 2016-12-06 12/06/2016 Marking CUI Rev 1.1 (Marking Handbook) Marking Marking guidance for the CUI Program. 02/19/2020 Supersedes CUI Handbook 2016-09-16 12/06/2016
CUI Memo 2013-04-11 04/11/2013 Appointments of Senior Agency Official and Program Manager for CUI Program Implementation Program personnel Guidance on appointing Senior Agency Official (SAO) and Program Manager (PM) for agency CUI programs, and call for agencies to update or affirm their designated SAO and PM. 02/19/2020

This page was last reviewed on March 11, 2021.
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