Escort Visitors
Escort visitors and monitor visitor activity.
What an assessor scores, the objectives
PE.L2-3.10.3 is met only when every one of these 2 objectives, from NIST SP 800-171A, is satisfied. A single missed objective makes the whole requirement not met.
- a.visitors are escorted
- b.visitor activity is monitored
How a C3PAO checks it
NIST SP 800-171A defines three assessment methods. For PE.L2-3.10.3, an assessor uses these:
Physical and environmental protection policy; procedures addressing physical access control; system security plan; physical access control logs or records; inventory records of physical access control devices; system entry and exit points; records of key and lock combination changes; storage locations for physical access control devices; physical access control devices; list of security safeguards controlling access to designated publicly accessible areas within facility; other relevant documents or records
Personnel with physical access control responsibilities; personnel with information security responsibilities
Organizatio nal processes for physical access control; mechanisms supporting or implementing physical access control; physical access control devices
What it means, in context
Individuals with permanent physical access authorization credentials are not c onsidered visitors. Audit logs can be used to monitor visitor activity.
Do not allow visitors, even those people you know well, to walk around your facility without an escort. Make sure that all non-employees wear special visitor badges and/or are escorted by an employee at all times while on the property. Example Coming back from a meeting, you see the friend of a coworker walking down the hallway near your office. You know this person well and trust them, but are not sure why they are in the building. You stop to talk, and the person explains that they are meeting a coworker for lunch, but cannot remember where the lunchroom is. You walk the person back to the reception area to get a visitor badge and wait until someone can escort them to the lunch room [a]. You report this incident and the company decides to install a badge reader at the main door so visitors cannot enter without an escort [a]. Potential Assessment Considerations • Are personnel required to accompany visitors to areas in a facility with physical access to organizational systems [a]? • Are visitors clearly distinguishable from regular personnel [b]? • Is visitor activity monitored (e.g., use of cameras or guards, reviews of secure areas upon visitor departure, review of visitor audit logs) [b]?
What passing evidence looks like
The escort rule and proof visitors are actually escorted and their activity watched: the posted rule plus the visitor log in use. This requirement can never sit on a POA&M.
Common ways contractors fail PE.L2-3.10.3
- !POA&M blocked: must be MET on assessment day.
- !Escorted means accompanied, not just signed in. The rule should say visitors are never alone in areas where CUI is visible or reachable.
The step by step walkthrough for Microsoft 365 GCC High, Google Workspace, and on premises setups, plus the exact evidence to capture, lives inside the Level 2 Accelerator.
Prove PE.L2-3.10.3, and the other 109
The Level 2 Accelerator walks all 110 requirements with you, generates your SSP, POA&M, and Audit Room from real evidence, includes the full Level 1 platform, and puts a credentialed officer alongside you for 180 days. Filed in 180 days, or we work free until you are.
No credit card. Phase 2 begins Nov 10, 2026, when applicable DoD solicitations start requiring a current Level 2 status to win the award.
PE.L2-3.10.3 questions, answered
How many points is CMMC requirement PE.L2-3.10.3 worth?+
PE.L2-3.10.3 is worth 1 point in the CMMC Level 2 score under 32 CFR 170.24. If it is not met, you lose 1 from your total of 110.
Can PE.L2-3.10.3 be placed on a POA&M?+
No. PE.L2-3.10.3 must be fully met before you can file. It cannot be deferred to a POA&M, so it is a gate on your assessment.
What family does PE.L2-3.10.3 belong to?+
PE.L2-3.10.3 is in the Physical Protection (PE) family, one of the 14 families of NIST SP 800-171 that make up CMMC Level 2.
- NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 3.10.3
- FAR Clause 52.204-21 Partial b.1.ix