---
title: "NIST 800-171 3.4.5 (CM.L2-3.4.5): Change Access Limits"
description: "NIST SP 800-171 3.4.5 Change Access Limits: 5 SPRS points, not allowed on a CMMC POA&M. The text, what assessors check and the evidence."
url: https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/configuration-management/3.4.5
sealed: 2026-11-11
amended: 2026-11-11
register: nist-800-171/configuration-management/3.4.5
records: 7
digest: sha3:c7941ad6628f0c8070c54473de2e9a10f4cfacc07ef8379c8aaafacb0ba07e74
---

# NIST 800-171 3.4.5 (CM.L2-3.4.5): Change Access Limits

NIST 800-171 / Configuration Management / 3.4.5

"Define, document, approve, and enforce physical and logical access restrictions associated with changes to organizational systems." ([NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2, requirement 3.4.5](https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-171r2))

CMMC Level 2 practice CM.L2-3.4.5.

## What 3.4.5 means in practice

Only approved people can make changes, physically and logically. Define who may change what, document and approve those restrictions, and enforce them, for example with locked equipment rooms, restricted administrative roles and deployment pipelines that only certain accounts can run.

## SPRS points and the CMMC POA&M

- **CMMC Level 2 practice**: CM.L2-3.4.5
- **SPRS points**: 5 points. When it is not met, the DoD Assessment Methodology subtracts 5 from the score of 110.
- **CMMC POA&M**: Not allowed. It is worth 5 points, and 32 CFR 170.21(a)(2)(ii) admits only requirements worth 1 point, with one exception: 3.13.11 when encryption is used but not FIPS validated.

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 3.4.5

NIST SP 800-171A gives 8 determination statements for 3.4.5, each found satisfied or other than satisfied. Determine if:

- 3.4.5[a] physical access restrictions associated with changes to the system are defined.
- 3.4.5[b] physical access restrictions associated with changes to the system are documented.
- 3.4.5[c] physical access restrictions associated with changes to the system are approved.
- 3.4.5[d] physical access restrictions associated with changes to the system are enforced.
- 3.4.5[e] logical access restrictions associated with changes to the system are defined.
- 3.4.5[f] logical access restrictions associated with changes to the system are documented.
- 3.4.5[g] logical access restrictions associated with changes to the system are approved.
- 3.4.5[h] logical access restrictions associated with changes to the system are enforced.

[NIST SP 800-171A (June 2018), assessment objectives for 3.4.5](https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-171A)

## Evidence that shows 3.4.5 is met

- The documented physical and logical access restrictions for making changes.
- Approval records for those restrictions.
- Role assignments and access lists showing who can change production systems.
- Physical access controls on equipment rooms.

## How PolicyCortex gathers the evidence

No PolicyCortex collector reads the evidence for 3.4.5. Your team provides the evidence listed above.

## Related pages

- **Calculator**: [SPRS score calculator: mark 3.4.5 and the other 109 requirements and see the score.](https://policycortex.com/sprs-score-calculator#family-CM)
- **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 9 Configuration Management requirements (3.4).](https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/configuration-management)
- **Previous**: [3.4.4: Security Impact Analysis](https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/configuration-management/3.4.4)
- **Next**: [3.4.6: Least Functionality](https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/configuration-management/3.4.6)
- **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 | 5fb3841b9146 | 99f2304278d4 |
| REC 0001 | MEANING | 6971b7cf3800 | 5fb3841b9146 |
| REC 0002 | POINTS AND POA&M | 136f353998c8 | 6971b7cf3800 |
| REC 0003 | ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES | 34e12ca12f76 | 136f353998c8 |
| REC 0004 | EVIDENCE | aa16ec6dff8f | 34e12ca12f76 |
| REC 0005 | COLLECTORS | dfa96af3ae89 | aa16ec6dff8f |
| REC 0006 | RELATED | c7941ad6628f | dfa96af3ae89 |

Head sha3:c7941ad6628f0c8070c54473de2e9a10f4cfacc07ef8379c8aaafacb0ba07e74. 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.