Independent This document defines the lifecycle state machine for the Secured Digital Lifecycle Protocol (SDLP). The SDLP lifecycle governs the existence, transitions, and permitted operations of all SDLP objects. Each object MUST exist in exactly one lifecycle state at any given time, and all transitions MUST follow the deterministic rules defined in this document. The lifecycle state machine ensures predictable behavior, prevents invalid transitions, and provides a universal framework for object governance across SDLP implementations.