Classification and Access Markings: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:11, 14 August 2026

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED//DETR ARCHIVE//REL TO CLASS-D

Controlled material carries two separate designators. They are not interchangeable and are recorded in different fields.

Classification banner[edit]

Printed at the head and foot of every page of a document.

<TIER>//<CONTROL SYSTEM>//<SAR CODEWORD>//<DISSEMINATION>

Example: TOP SECRET//HCS-P//SAR-GREEN DOVE//NOFORN

Tiers[edit]

TOP SECRET · SECRET · CLASSIFIED · RESTRICTED · CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED · UNCLASSIFIED

Control system[edit]

HCS-P on all Departmental material. Dissemination is NOFORN except where a liaison agreement provides otherwise.

Special Access Required codewords[edit]

Departmental SAR nicknames are drawn without exception from birds.

Codeword	Tier	Compartment
`SAR-WHITE DOVE`	TOP SECRET	Office of the Director-General. Founding instruments and directorate-level record.
`SAR-GREEN DOVE`	TOP SECRET	HICOM. Class-A material.
`SAR-RED DOVE`	SECRET	DISC.
`SAR-WHITE LINNET`	SECRET	DRA.
`SAR-GREY DOVE`	SECRET	OTA. Holy See liaison.

Routing channel[edit]

Recorded separately from the banner. It states which command the record moves through, not how secret it is.

Channel	Body
`TS//DIRCOM`	Directorate Command, and everything not otherwise assigned
`TS//DIRCOM-ODG`	Office of the Director-General
`TS//DIRCOM-SC`	Security Council
`TS//STRATCOM`	Strategic Command
`TS//STRATCOM-FSC`	U.S. Federal Special Court

Dating a document by its banner[edit]

The SAR system was instituted in 1965 with the raising of the Special Projects Staff and survived the 1983 spin-off unchanged.

Material dated before 1965 carries inherited Agency, NATO and Soviet markings: TOP SECRET / NOFORN, MK-NAOMI, EYES ONLY, GATEBLACK, СОВЕРШЕННО СЕКРЕТНО.

Soviet material never carries SAR. GRU Division P files under 043 / BLACK MIRROR.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Classification|CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED//DETR ARCHIVE//REL TO CLASS-D}}
-Every controlled document in the Department carries a banner in three parts.
+Controlled material carries two separate designators. They are not interchangeable and are recorded in different fields.
-<pre>&lt;TIER&gt; // &lt;SAR CODEWORD&gt; // &lt;COMMAND CHANNEL&gt;</pre>
+== Classification banner ==
-Example: <code>TOP SECRET // SAR-GREEN DOVE // DIRCOM-SC</code>
+Printed at the head and foot of every page of a document.
-== Tiers ==
+<pre>&lt;TIER&gt;//&lt;CONTROL SYSTEM&gt;//&lt;SAR CODEWORD&gt;//&lt;DISSEMINATION&gt;</pre>
+Example: <code>TOP SECRET//HCS-P//SAR-GREEN DOVE//NOFORN</code>
+=== Tiers ===
 <code>TOP SECRET</code> · <code>SECRET</code> · <code>CLASSIFIED</code> · <code>RESTRICTED</code> · <code>CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED</code> · <code>UNCLASSIFIED</code>
-== Special Access Required codewords ==
+=== Control system ===
+<code>HCS-P</code> on all Departmental material. Dissemination is <code>NOFORN</code> except where a liaison agreement provides otherwise.
+=== Special Access Required codewords ===
-Departmental SAR nicknames are drawn without exception from birds. All Departmental material additionally carries the <code>HCS-P</code> control system marking and, in almost every case, the <code>NOFORN</code> dissemination control.
+Departmental SAR nicknames are drawn without exception from birds.
 {| class="wikitable"
-! Codeword !! Typical tier !! Compartment
+! Codeword !! Tier !! Compartment
 |-
-| <code>SAR-WHITE DOVE</code> || Top Secret || [[Office of the Director-General]]. Founding instruments and directorate-level record.
+| <code>SAR-WHITE DOVE</code> || TOP SECRET || [[Office of the Director-General]]. Founding instruments and directorate-level record.
 |-
-| <code>SAR-GREEN DOVE</code> || Top Secret || Class-A material. [[The Apple]], [[Operation LAST LIGHT]], [[The Beast]].
+| <code>SAR-GREEN DOVE</code> || TOP SECRET || HICOM. Class-A material.
 |-
-| <code>SAR-RED DOVE</code> || Secret || Class-B material. [[DISC]] internal security.
+| <code>SAR-RED DOVE</code> || SECRET || [[DISC]].
 |-
-| <code>SAR-WHITE LINNET</code> || Secret || [[DRA]] regulatory channel.
+| <code>SAR-WHITE LINNET</code> || SECRET || [[DRA]].
 |-
-| <code>SAR-PINK FINCH</code> || Secret || [[OTA]] analysis. [[Tone-0V]].
+| <code>SAR-GREY DOVE</code> || SECRET || [[OTA]]. Holy See liaison.
-|-
-| <code>SAR-GREY DOVE</code> || Secret || Ecclesiastical liaison. The Holy See.
 |}
-Tier and compartment vary independently. A <code>SAR-PINK FINCH</code> document may be held at Top Secret where the material warrants it.
+== Routing channel ==
-== Command channels ==
+Recorded separately from the banner. It states which command the record moves through, not how secret it is.
 {| class="wikitable"
 ! Channel !! Body
 |-
-| <code>HICOM-ODG</code> || [[Office of the Director-General]]
+| <code>TS//DIRCOM</code> || [[Directorate Command]], and everything not otherwise assigned
 |-
-| <code>DIRCOM-SC</code> || [[Security Council]]
+| <code>TS//DIRCOM-ODG</code> || [[Office of the Director-General]]
 |-
-| <code>DIRCOM</code> || [[Directorate Command]]
+| <code>TS//DIRCOM-SC</code> || [[Security Council]]
 |-
-| <code>STRATCOM</code> || [[Strategic Command]]
+| <code>TS//STRATCOM</code> || [[Strategic Command]]
 |-
-| <code>STRATCOM-FSC</code> || [[U.S. Federal Special Court]]
+| <code>TS//STRATCOM-FSC</code> || [[U.S. Federal Special Court]]
 |}
 == Dating a document by its banner ==
-The SAR system was instituted in '''1965''' with the raising of the [[Special Projects Staff]], and survived the 1983 spin-off unchanged.
+The SAR system was instituted in 1965 with the raising of the [[Special Projects Staff]] and survived the 1983 spin-off unchanged.
 Material dated before 1965 carries inherited Agency, NATO and Soviet markings: <code>TOP SECRET / NOFORN</code>, <code>MK-NAOMI</code>, <code>EYES ONLY</code>, <code>GATEBLACK</code>, <code>СОВЕРШЕННО СЕКРЕТНО</code>.
 Soviet material never carries SAR. [[GRU Division P]] files under <code>043 / BLACK MIRROR</code>.
-A reader who learns the banner can date a page without reading it.
 [[Category:DETR]] [[Category:Access control]]