GPT-5.6 set for public release after US lifts restrictions

The US government has lifted restrictions that had delayed the wider release of GPT-5.6, according to Axios.

OpenAI will make all three models in the lineup — Sol, Terra, and Luna — publicly available on July 9.

The US Commerce Department gave the company clearance following additional testing and a series of meetings with OpenAI representatives. The evaluation was carried out by the department’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation, or CAISI. OpenAI also sent technical specialists to Washington to answer regulators’ questions during the review.

GPT-5.6 entered a limited preview on June 26, 2026. Access was restricted to a small group of trusted partners through the API and Codex after US authorities asked to review the models’ capabilities before a broader release. OpenAI said at the time that it did not intend for this type of pre-release government review to become standard practice.

GPT-5.6 Sol remains the flagship model in the lineup and, according to OpenAI, is the company’s strongest model for coding, biology, and cybersecurity tasks. Terra is positioned as a balanced option for everyday work, offering performance comparable to GPT-5.5 at half the price. Luna is the fastest and most affordable model in the family.