diff --git a/scripts/import-5-archives.js b/scripts/import-5-archives.js
index cc3a9bfa..549d680e 100644
--- a/scripts/import-5-archives.js
+++ b/scripts/import-5-archives.js
@@ -121,7 +121,6 @@ async function importDocument(fileInfo) {
       content_html,
       content_markdown: content,
       toc,
-      public: true,
       metadata: {
         author: frontMatter.author || 'John Stroh',
         version: frontMatter.version || '1.0',
diff --git a/scripts/migrate-public-to-visibility.js b/scripts/migrate-public-to-visibility.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0513732f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/migrate-public-to-visibility.js
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+
+/**
+ * Migrate legacy 'public' field to modern 'visibility' field
+ *
+ * SECURITY: Safe migration with dry-run support
+ * - Migrates public: true → visibility: 'public'
+ * - Migrates public: false → visibility: 'internal'
+ * - Preserves documents that already have visibility set
+ * - Removes the deprecated 'public' field after migration
+ */
+
+const { getCollection } = require('../src/utils/db.util');
+
+async function migrate(dryRun = false) {
+  try {
+    const collection = await getCollection('documents');
+
+    // Find documents with public field but no visibility
+    const docsWithPublicOnly = await collection.find({
+      public: { $exists: true },
+      visibility: { $exists: false }
+    }).toArray();
+
+    // Find documents with both fields (inconsistent state)
+    const docsWithBoth = await collection.find({
+      public: { $exists: true },
+      visibility: { $exists: true }
+    }).toArray();
+
+    console.log('\n📊 Migration Analysis:');
+    console.log(`   Documents with only 'public' field: ${docsWithPublicOnly.length}`);
+    console.log(`   Documents with both fields: ${docsWithBoth.length}`);
+    console.log(`   Total to migrate: ${docsWithPublicOnly.length + docsWithBoth.length}`);
+
+    if (docsWithPublicOnly.length === 0 && docsWithBoth.length === 0) {
+      console.log('\n✅ No documents need migration. All documents already use visibility field.');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (dryRun) {
+      console.log('\n🔍 DRY RUN - No changes will be made\n');
+
+      // Show what would be migrated
+      if (docsWithPublicOnly.length > 0) {
+        console.log('Documents with only public field:');
+        docsWithPublicOnly.forEach(doc => {
+          const newVisibility = doc.public ? 'public' : 'internal';
+          console.log(`   - ${doc.title} (${doc.slug})`);
+          console.log(`     public: ${doc.public} → visibility: '${newVisibility}'`);
+        });
+      }
+
+      if (docsWithBoth.length > 0) {
+        console.log('\nDocuments with both fields (will remove public):');
+        docsWithBoth.forEach(doc => {
+          console.log(`   - ${doc.title} (${doc.slug})`);
+          console.log(`     current: public=${doc.public}, visibility='${doc.visibility}'`);
+          console.log(`     action: Keep visibility='${doc.visibility}', remove public field`);
+        });
+      }
+
+      console.log('\n💡 Run with --execute to perform migration');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Perform actual migration
+    console.log('\n🔄 Performing migration...\n');
+
+    let migratedCount = 0;
+
+    // Migrate documents with only public field
+    for (const doc of docsWithPublicOnly) {
+      const visibility = doc.public ? 'public' : 'internal';
+
+      await collection.updateOne(
+        { _id: doc._id },
+        {
+          $set: { visibility },
+          $unset: { public: "" }
+        }
+      );
+
+      console.log(`✓ ${doc.title}: public=${doc.public} → visibility='${visibility}'`);
+      migratedCount++;
+    }
+
+    // Clean up documents with both fields (keep visibility, remove public)
+    for (const doc of docsWithBoth) {
+      await collection.updateOne(
+        { _id: doc._id },
+        { $unset: { public: "" } }
+      );
+
+      console.log(`✓ ${doc.title}: Removed public field, kept visibility='${doc.visibility}'`);
+      migratedCount++;
+    }
+
+    console.log(`\n✅ Migration complete! ${migratedCount} documents updated.`);
+
+    // Verify results
+    const remainingWithPublic = await collection.countDocuments({ public: { $exists: true } });
+    const totalWithVisibility = await collection.countDocuments({ visibility: { $exists: true } });
+
+    console.log('\n📊 Post-migration verification:');
+    console.log(`   Documents with 'public' field: ${remainingWithPublic}`);
+    console.log(`   Documents with 'visibility' field: ${totalWithVisibility}`);
+
+    if (remainingWithPublic > 0) {
+      console.warn('\n⚠️  Warning: Some documents still have the public field. Review manually.');
+    } else {
+      console.log('\n✅ All documents successfully migrated to visibility field!');
+    }
+
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('❌ Migration failed:', error);
+    throw error;
+  }
+}
+
+// CLI interface
+const args = process.argv.slice(2);
+const dryRun = !args.includes('--execute');
+
+if (dryRun) {
+  console.log('🔍 Running in DRY RUN mode (no changes will be made)');
+  console.log('   Use --execute flag to perform actual migration\n');
+}
+
+migrate(dryRun)
+  .then(() => {
+    console.log('\n✨ Script complete');
+    process.exit(0);
+  })
+  .catch((error) => {
+    console.error('\n💥 Script failed:', error);
+    process.exit(1);
+  });
diff --git a/scripts/query-all-documents.js b/scripts/query-all-documents.js
index 6771069d..f879ea67 100644
--- a/scripts/query-all-documents.js
+++ b/scripts/query-all-documents.js
@@ -9,10 +9,7 @@ async function queryAllDocuments() {
     const collection = db.collection('documents');
 
     const documents = await collection.find({
-      $or: [
-        { visibility: 'public' },
-        { public: true, visibility: { $exists: false } }
-      ]
+      visibility: 'public'
     })
     .sort({ category: 1, order: 1, 'metadata.date_created': -1 })
     .toArray();
diff --git a/scripts/seed-architectural-safeguards-document.js b/scripts/seed-architectural-safeguards-document.js
index 9ff3b63a..85d7b0db 100644
--- a/scripts/seed-architectural-safeguards-document.js
+++ b/scripts/seed-architectural-safeguards-document.js
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ async function seedDocument() {
       content_html: htmlContent,
       content_markdown: rawContent,
       toc: tableOfContents,
-      public: true,
       security_classification: {
         contains_credentials: false,
         contains_financial_info: false,
diff --git a/scripts/upload-document.js b/scripts/upload-document.js
index 61f59288..ccdc12ba 100644
--- a/scripts/upload-document.js
+++ b/scripts/upload-document.js
@@ -512,7 +512,6 @@ async function uploadDocument() {
       content_html: htmlContent,
       content_markdown: rawContent,
       toc: tableOfContents,
-      public: true,
       security_classification: {
         contains_credentials: false,
         contains_financial_info: false,
diff --git a/scripts/verify-34-documents.js b/scripts/verify-34-documents.js
index e2f1c32f..47a9f10d 100644
--- a/scripts/verify-34-documents.js
+++ b/scripts/verify-34-documents.js
@@ -19,11 +19,7 @@ async function verify34Documents() {
 
     // Get documents with proper categories (not 'none')
     const documents = await collection.find({
-      $or: [
-        { visibility: 'public' },
-        { visibility: 'archived' },
-        { public: true, visibility: { $exists: false } }
-      ],
+      visibility: { $in: ['public', 'archived'] },
       category: { $in: ['getting-started', 'technical-reference', 'research-theory', 'advanced-topics', 'case-studies', 'business-leadership', 'archives'] }
     })
     .sort({ category: 1, order: 1 })
diff --git a/src/controllers/documents.controller.js b/src/controllers/documents.controller.js
index 49d81592..f74c08ef 100644
--- a/src/controllers/documents.controller.js
+++ b/src/controllers/documents.controller.js
@@ -20,10 +20,7 @@ async function listDocuments(req, res) {
 
     // Build filter - only show public documents (not internal/confidential)
     const filter = {
-      $or: [
-        { visibility: 'public' },
-        { public: true, visibility: { $exists: false } } // Legacy support
-      ]
+      visibility: 'public'
     };
     if (quadrant) {
       filter.quadrant = quadrant;
@@ -122,10 +119,7 @@ async function searchDocuments(req, res) {
 
     // Build filter for faceted search
     const filter = {
-      $or: [
-        { visibility: 'public' },
-        { public: true, visibility: { $exists: false } } // Legacy support
-      ]
+      visibility: 'public'
     };
 
     // Add facet filters
diff --git a/src/models/Document.model.js b/src/models/Document.model.js
index 2532b8a9..e1a39fcf 100644
--- a/src/models/Document.model.js
+++ b/src/models/Document.model.js
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ class Document {
       content_html: data.content_html,
       content_markdown: data.content_markdown,
       toc: data.toc || [],
-      public: data.public !== undefined ? data.public : true, // Deprecated - use visibility instead
       security_classification: data.security_classification || {
         contains_credentials: false,
         contains_financial_info: false,
@@ -95,7 +94,7 @@ class Document {
 
     const filter = { quadrant };
     if (publicOnly) {
-      filter.public = true;
+      filter.visibility = 'public';
     }
 
     return await collection
@@ -115,7 +114,7 @@ class Document {
 
     const filter = { audience };
     if (publicOnly) {
-      filter.public = true;
+      filter.visibility = 'public';
     }
 
     return await collection
@@ -135,7 +134,7 @@ class Document {
 
     const filter = { $text: { $search: query } };
     if (publicOnly) {
-      filter.public = true;
+      filter.visibility = 'public';
     }
 
     return await collection