Point h Clause 2, Point a Clause 3 Article 11 of the 2025 Law on Protection of State Secrets stipulates as follows:
Article 11. Sao, chụp tài liệu, vật chứa bí mật nhà nước
[... ]
2. Persons authorized to copy or photograph documents and objects containing state secrets at Top Secret level include:
a) Those specified in Clause 1 of this Article;
b) Heads of units under agencies under the Government;
c) Heads of public non-business units directly under agencies specified in Points b, c, d, đ, e, g, h, i, and k Clause 1 of this Article;
d) Head of the Provincial-level Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee;
e) Heads of provincial-level departments, boards and equivalents;
e) Heads of units directly under the Provincial People's Court, Provincial People's Procuracy; Chief Justice of the Regional People's Court, Chief Procurator of the Regional People's Procuracy;
g) Heads of Provincial and City-level Tax, Statistics, and Social Insurance; heads of State Treasuries in the region, Regional Customs Sub-Departments, and Regional State Reserve Sub-Departments;
h) Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council, Chairman of the People's Committee of commune level;
[... ]
3. Authorities authorizing the copying and photographing of documents and objects containing state secrets to be classified include:
a) Those specified in Clause 2 of this Article;
[... ]
Thus, from March 1, 2026, the authority to allow copying and photographing documents and objects containing state secrets of Top Secret and Confidential level for Party Secretaries, Chairmen of People's Councils, and Chairmen of People's Committees at commune level is supplemented.
