DOD Instruction 5200.48 Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Practice Exam

Decontrolling and releasing CUI records is done by the party that originally controlled the information. This means the originator, or the original classification authority if identified, has the primary authority to remove the CUI designation and authorize its release. If those roles aren’t identified, the designated offices that handle review and release—such as FOIA processing offices—take on that authority. This arrangement ensures that the sensitivity and distribution controls are consistently applied by those who created or first determined the handling requirements. The information requester cannot unilaterally decontrol, and while the lead DoD component director or the DoD general counsel may be involved in the process or provide legal review, they aren’t the default decontrol authority for CUI.