{"data":{"id":"us/18-cfr-3a.12","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"18 CFR 3a.12","heading":"a.12 Authority to classify official information.","body":"(a) The authority to classify information or material originally under E.O. 11652 is restricted to those offices within the executive branch which are concerned with matters of national security, and is limited to the minimum number absolutely required for efficient administration.\n(b) The authority to classify information or material originally as Top Secret is to be exercised only by such officials as the President may designate in writing and by the heads of the following departments and agencies and such of their principal staff officials as the heads of these departments and agencies may designate in writing;\nSuch offices in the Executive Office of the President as the President may designate in writing.\nCentral Intelligence Agency.\nAtomic Energy Commission.\nDepartment of State.\nDepartment of the Treasury.\nDepartment of Defense.\nDepartment of the Army.\nDepartment of the Navy.\nDepartment of the Air Force.\nU.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency\nDepartment of Justice.\nNational Aeronautics and Space Administration.\nAgency for International Development.\n(c) The authority to classify information or material originally as Secret is exercised only by:\n(1) Officials who have Top Secret classification authority under § 3a.11(b); and\n(2) The heads of the following departments and agencies and such principal staff officials as they may designate in writing:\nDepartment of Transportation.\nFederal Communications Commission.\nExport-Import Bank of the United States.\nDepartment of Commerce.\nU.S. Civil Service Commission.\nU.S. Information Agency.\nGeneral Services Administration.\nDepartment of Health, Education, and Welfare.\nCivil Aeronautics Board.\nFederal Maritime Commission.\nFederal Energy Regulatory Commission.\nNational Science Foundation.\nOverseas Private Investment Corporation.\n(d) The authority to classify information or material originally as Confidential is exercised by officials who have Top Secret or Secret classification authority.\n(e) Pursuant to E.O. 11652, the authority to classify information or material originally as Secret or Confidential in the FERC shall be exercised only by the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, and the Executive Director. When an incumbent change occurs in these positions, the name of the new incumbent will be reported to the Interagency Classification Review Committee NSC.","path":["Title 18—Conservation of Power and Water Resources","CHAPTER I—FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY","SUBCHAPTER A—GENERAL RULES","PART 3a—NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-18.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:24:34Z","sha256":"59a05947a0516b9faf99648f10944d94b2a74a780cce7741827d7e10f40210d7","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/18-cfr-3a.11","next":"us/18-cfr-3a.13"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}