diff --git a/zddc/internal/policy/policy.go b/zddc/internal/policy/policy.go
index 4fab3b3..52c26d2 100644
--- a/zddc/internal/policy/policy.go
+++ b/zddc/internal/policy/policy.go
@@ -73,6 +73,20 @@ import (
 type AllowInput struct {
 	User struct {
 		Email string `json:"email"`
+		// IsActiveAdmin is true when the caller has admin authority on
+		// THIS chain AND has opted into admin powers for this request.
+		// The CALLER is responsible for computing it (it depends on the
+		// chain and on Principal.Elevated, both known at the call site);
+		// the decider consults it as a short-circuit at the top of
+		// Allow. This is the single bypass point — every write that
+		// should ignore WORM/ACL for an elevated admin flows through it,
+		// every read that should ditto.
+		//
+		// Callers using the email-only entry points (AllowFromChain,
+		// AllowActionFromChain) get IsActiveAdmin=false implicitly —
+		// they're saying "ignore admin bypass for this lookup." Callers
+		// that want the bypass use AllowActionFromChainP.
+		IsActiveAdmin bool `json:"is_active_admin,omitempty"`
 	} `json:"user"`
 	Path        string             `json:"path"`
 	Action      string             `json:"action,omitempty"`
@@ -219,6 +233,17 @@ func (d *InternalDecider) Allow(_ context.Context, input AllowInput) (bool, erro
 	verb := actionVerb(input.Action)
 	email := input.User.Email
 
+	// Single admin-bypass site. The caller has already verified that
+	// the principal (a) holds an admins: grant somewhere in this chain
+	// and (b) has opted into admin powers (Elevated). When both are
+	// true, any action is permitted — WORM zones included — preserving
+	// the human escape hatch for mis-filed documents. No other site in
+	// the codebase grants admin authority; every write that should
+	// bypass ACL/WORM flows through this one branch.
+	if input.User.IsActiveAdmin {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
 	// WORM zone: a directory whose cascade declares `worm:` (see
 	// defaults.zddc.yaml — archive/<party>/received and issued carry
 	// `worm: {}`) is write-locked. Inside it, the effective verbs
@@ -354,6 +379,31 @@ func AllowActionFromChain(ctx context.Context, d Decider, chain zddc.PolicyChain
 	return d.Allow(ctx, in)
 }
 
+// AllowActionFromChainP is the principal-aware entry point. Computes
+// IsActiveAdmin from the chain + Principal.Elevated and threads it
+// into AllowInput, so the decider's single admin-bypass branch fires
+// when (and only when) the caller actually holds elevated admin
+// authority on this chain.
+//
+// Strict-ancestor rule for .zddc edits: action == ActionAdmin signals
+// a .zddc write, and IsAdminForChain is called with excludeLeaf=true
+// so the leaf .zddc's own admins entry cannot authorize editing the
+// file that grants it. Other actions use the full chain walk.
+//
+// Use this entry point in write-path handlers (file API, plan-review,
+// accept-transmittal). Read-path callers that don't need admin
+// bypass can stay on AllowActionFromChain / AllowFromChain — they
+// implicitly leave IsActiveAdmin=false.
+func AllowActionFromChainP(ctx context.Context, d Decider, chain zddc.PolicyChain, p zddc.Principal, path, action string) (bool, error) {
+	excludeLeaf := action == ActionAdmin
+	isAdmin := p.Elevated && p.Email != "" &&
+		zddc.IsAdminForChain(chain, p.Email, excludeLeaf)
+	in := AllowInput{Path: path, Action: action, PolicyChain: chainToSerializable(chain)}
+	in.User.Email = p.Email
+	in.User.IsActiveAdmin = isAdmin
+	return d.Allow(ctx, in)
+}
+
 // cachingDecider wraps another Decider with a small per-decision cache.
 // Designed for the external-OPA hot path: a single .archive listing or
 // directory enumeration can hit the same (email, dir-policy) tuple