---
title: "NIST 800-171 3.1.4 (AC.L2-3.1.4): Separation of Duties"
description: "NIST SP 800-171 3.1.4 Separation of Duties: 1 SPRS point, allowed on a CMMC POA&M. The text, what assessors check and the evidence."
url: https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/access-control/3.1.4
sealed: 2026-11-11
amended: 2026-11-11
register: nist-800-171/access-control/3.1.4
records: 7
digest: sha3:2b2e280ce5b50f741540f930db715331ba596b06ee67155bc5b5232891d84e1d
---

# NIST 800-171 3.1.4 (AC.L2-3.1.4): Separation of Duties

NIST 800-171 / Access Control / 3.1.4

"Separate the duties of individuals to reduce the risk of malevolent activity without collusion." ([NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2, requirement 3.1.4](https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-171r2))

CMMC Level 2 practice AC.L2-3.1.4.

## What 3.1.4 means in practice

No single person should be able to carry out a sensitive task from start to finish alone. Typical splits: the person who requests a change does not approve it, the people who administer access do not also administer the audit logs, and developers do not release their own code to production. Where a small team cannot split a duty, assessors look for an independent review in its place.

## SPRS points and the CMMC POA&M

- **CMMC Level 2 practice**: AC.L2-3.1.4
- **SPRS points**: 1 point. When it is not met, the DoD Assessment Methodology subtracts 1 from the score of 110.
- **CMMC POA&M**: Allowed. It is worth 1 point, and 32 CFR 170.21(a)(2)(ii) admits requirements worth 1 point. Conditional status also needs a score of at least 88, and the item must be closed within 180 days.

Sources: [NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Methodology, version 1.2.1 (June 24, 2020), Annex A](https://www.acq.osd.mil/asda/dpc/cp/cyber/docs/safeguarding/NIST-SP-800-171-Assessment-Methodology-Version-1.2.1-6.24.2020.pdf); [32 CFR 170.21, Plan of Action and Milestones requirements](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-32/section-170.21).

## What an assessor checks for 3.1.4

NIST SP 800-171A gives 3 determination statements for 3.1.4, each found satisfied or other than satisfied. Determine if:

- 3.1.4[a] the duties of individuals requiring separation are defined.
- 3.1.4[b] responsibilities for duties that require separation are assigned to separate individuals.
- 3.1.4[c] access privileges that enable individuals to exercise the duties that require separation are granted to separate individuals.

[NIST SP 800-171A (June 2018), assessment objectives for 3.1.4](https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-171A)

## Evidence that shows 3.1.4 is met

- A list of the duties that require separation and the role assigned to each.
- Role assignments showing different people hold the conflicting roles.
- Change records in which the approver is not the requester.
- A periodic access review that looks for conflicting role combinations.

## How PolicyCortex gathers the evidence

No PolicyCortex collector reads the evidence for 3.1.4. Your team provides the evidence listed above.

## Related pages

- **Calculator**: [SPRS score calculator: mark 3.1.4 and the other 109 requirements and see the score.](https://policycortex.com/sprs-score-calculator#family-AC)
- **Sample package**: [Sample package: an SSP, a POA&M and an evidence chain the product generated from demonstration data.](https://policycortex.com/sample-package)
- **Family**: [All 22 Access Control requirements (3.1).](https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/access-control)
- **Previous**: [3.1.3: CUI Flow Control](https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/access-control/3.1.3)
- **Next**: [3.1.5: Least Privilege](https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/access-control/3.1.5)
- **All requirements**: [All 110 NIST SP 800-171 requirements, by family.](https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171)

Meet the requirement once. Keep the evidence current. [Request Access](https://app.policycortex.com/auth?mode=request-access) · [Book a call](https://policycortex.com/book)

## Register colophon

| Seq | Label | SHA3-256 | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
| REC 0000 | REQUIREMENT | 18bccf5a2669 | 77c7a0d4efb7 |
| REC 0001 | MEANING | fe509bfb9951 | 18bccf5a2669 |
| REC 0002 | POINTS AND POA&M | 47e2227f157d | fe509bfb9951 |
| REC 0003 | ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES | 2910ec55f814 | 47e2227f157d |
| REC 0004 | EVIDENCE | fedbecac5f52 | 2910ec55f814 |
| REC 0005 | COLLECTORS | ea52615e2883 | fedbecac5f52 |
| REC 0006 | RELATED | 2b2e280ce5b5 | ea52615e2883 |

Head sha3:2b2e280ce5b50f741540f930db715331ba596b06ee67155bc5b5232891d84e1d. Each digest is SHA3-256 over the previous digest, the register key, the record label, and the record copy; a second party can recompute it from this document.