diff --git a/app/api/search.py b/app/api/search.py
index 7428083..8b10663 100644
--- a/app/api/search.py
+++ b/app/api/search.py
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ class SearchResult(BaseModel):
     # rerank 경로를 탄 chunk에만 채워짐. normalize_display_scores는 이 필드를
     # 건드리지 않는다. Phase 3 evidence fast-path 판단에 사용.
     rerank_score: float | None = None
+    # PR-RAG-Time-1: freshness decay 디버그 메타. apply_freshness_decay 가 채움.
+    # 비적용 row 도 채워짐(freshness_policy=None). base_score 는 항상 보존.
+    freshness_debug: dict | None = None
 
 
 # ─── Phase 0.4: 디버그 응답 스키마 ─────────────────────────
diff --git a/app/services/search/freshness_decay.py b/app/services/search/freshness_decay.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a834fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/services/search/freshness_decay.py
@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+"""Time-aware retrieval freshness decay (PR-RAG-Time-1).
+
+뉴스(source_channel='news') / 법령 알림(source_channel='law_monitor') 도메인은
+시간이 중요한 문서. 단순 relevance score 만으로는 오래된 문서가 상위에 머물러
+검색 품질이 떨어짐. 본 모듈은 reranker 이후 final score 합성 단계에서
+soft multiplier 로 시간 가중치 적용. 삭제는 없음 — ranking 만 demote.
+
+설계 원칙:
+- reranker = 의미 관련도, freshness decay = 운영 정책. 두 단계 분리 유지.
+- floor 0.7 (multiplier 가 0.7 미만으로 안 떨어짐) — 오래되어도 죽지 않음.
+- 일반 업로드 / 학습 자료 / KGS Code 원문 / ai_drafted 는 비적용 (no-op).
+
+published_date 컬럼이 documents 에 없음 → created_at(수집 시점) 을 임시 proxy.
+news/law_monitor 워커가 수집 즉시 indexing 하므로 created_at ≈ published_date.
+정확도 향상은 후속 PR (worker 가 published_date 메타 채우기) 로 분리.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import math
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
+
+from sqlalchemy import text
+from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from api.search import SearchResult
+
+
+# ─── Policy ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+# half-life (일). 90 일: 한 달 ~0.79 / 6개월 ~0.25.
+# 365 일: 1년 ~0.5 / 3년 ~0.13.
+HALF_LIFE_DAYS: dict[str, int] = {
+    "news_90d": 90,
+    "law_365d": 365,
+}
+
+# soft multiplier — final = base * (FLOOR + (1-FLOOR) * decay).
+# decay=1 → 1.0배, decay=0 → FLOOR. 완전 demote 금지.
+DECAY_FLOOR = 0.7
+DECAY_RANGE = 1.0 - DECAY_FLOOR  # 0.3
+
+# 임시 date source — published_date 부재로 created_at 사용. 후속 PR 에서 확장.
+FRESHNESS_DATE_SOURCE = "created_at"
+
+
+@dataclass(slots=True)
+class _DocMeta:
+    source_channel: str | None
+    content_origin: str | None
+    created_at: datetime | None
+
+
+def freshness_policy(meta: _DocMeta | None) -> str | None:
+    """문서 메타 → freshness 정책 이름 또는 None (no-op).
+
+    적용:
+      - source_channel='news'        → news_90d
+      - source_channel='law_monitor' → law_365d
+
+    비적용 (None 반환):
+      - meta 자체가 None
+      - content_origin='ai_drafted' (생성 시점 = 가치 시점, 시간 demote 부적합)
+      - 그 외 모든 source_channel (manual, drive_sync, inbox_route, memo,
+        Study/Manual/Reference/Academic/Checklist 류 — 자연 비적용)
+    """
+    if meta is None:
+        return None
+    # 가드 2: content_origin='ai_drafted' 비적용
+    if meta.content_origin == "ai_drafted":
+        return None
+    sc = meta.source_channel
+    if sc == "news":
+        return "news_90d"
+    if sc == "law_monitor":
+        return "law_365d"
+    # 가드 6: unknown source_channel → no decay
+    return None
+
+
+def compute_age_days(created_at: datetime | None, *, now: datetime | None = None) -> float | None:
+    """created_at → 경과일. 가드 6: missing/future 처리.
+
+    - created_at None → None (no decay)
+    - future (now < created_at) → 0.0 (clamped, age_days 음수 금지)
+    """
+    if created_at is None:
+        return None
+    if now is None:
+        now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
+    # naive datetime 보호 (DB 는 timestamptz 라 정상이지만 mock 테스트 대비)
+    if created_at.tzinfo is None:
+        created_at = created_at.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+    delta = (now - created_at).total_seconds()
+    if delta < 0:
+        return 0.0  # future date → age 0
+    return delta / 86400.0
+
+
+def compute_decay(age_days: float | None, policy: str | None) -> float:
+    """age_days + policy → decay factor (0~1). policy None / age None → 1.0 (no decay)."""
+    if policy is None or age_days is None:
+        return 1.0
+    half_life = HALF_LIFE_DAYS.get(policy)
+    if not half_life:
+        return 1.0
+    # decay = exp(-ln(2) * age / HL) = 0.5 ^ (age / HL)
+    return math.exp(-math.log(2) * age_days / half_life)
+
+
+def adjusted_score(base_score: float, decay_factor: float) -> float:
+    """final = base * (FLOOR + RANGE * decay). decay=1 → base, decay=0 → base*FLOOR."""
+    multiplier = DECAY_FLOOR + DECAY_RANGE * decay_factor
+    return base_score * multiplier
+
+
+# ─── Application (called from search_pipeline) ─────────────────────
+
+
+async def _fetch_meta(
+    session: AsyncSession, doc_ids: list[int]
+) -> dict[int, _DocMeta]:
+    if not doc_ids:
+        return {}
+    rows = await session.execute(
+        text(
+            """
+            SELECT id, source_channel::text AS source_channel,
+                   content_origin, created_at
+            FROM documents
+            WHERE id = ANY(:ids)
+            """
+        ),
+        {"ids": doc_ids},
+    )
+    return {
+        row.id: _DocMeta(
+            source_channel=row.source_channel,
+            content_origin=row.content_origin,
+            created_at=row.created_at,
+        )
+        for row in rows
+    }
+
+
+async def apply_freshness_decay(
+    results: list["SearchResult"],
+    session: AsyncSession,
+    *,
+    now: datetime | None = None,
+) -> list["SearchResult"]:
+    """results in-place 수정 + 재정렬 + freshness_debug 채움.
+
+    - 가드 8: adjusted score 가 r.score (final sort 에 실제 사용) 에 반영됨.
+    - 가드 9: 모든 적용 row 에 base_score / age_days / decay_factor /
+      freshness_adjusted_score / freshness_policy / freshness_date_source 기록.
+    - 비적용 row 도 freshness_debug={..., 'freshness_policy': None} 로 명시.
+    """
+    if not results:
+        return results
+
+    doc_ids = list({r.id for r in results if r.id is not None})
+    meta_by_id = await _fetch_meta(session, doc_ids)
+
+    for r in results:
+        meta = meta_by_id.get(r.id)
+        policy = freshness_policy(meta)
+        age = compute_age_days(meta.created_at if meta else None, now=now)
+        decay = compute_decay(age, policy)
+        base = r.score
+        new_score = adjusted_score(base, decay) if policy else base
+
+        # 가드 9: debug metadata. base_score 는 항상 보존.
+        r.freshness_debug = {
+            "base_score": base,
+            "age_days": int(age) if age is not None else None,
+            "decay_factor": decay if policy else None,
+            "freshness_adjusted_score": new_score,
+            "freshness_policy": policy,
+            "freshness_date_source": FRESHNESS_DATE_SOURCE,
+        }
+        if policy:
+            r.score = new_score
+
+    # 가드 8: adjusted score 로 재정렬.
+    results.sort(key=lambda x: x.score, reverse=True)
+    return results
diff --git a/app/services/search/search_pipeline.py b/app/services/search/search_pipeline.py
index 2245422..29b7980 100644
--- a/app/services/search/search_pipeline.py
+++ b/app/services/search/search_pipeline.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ from .fusion_service import (
     get_strategy,
     normalize_display_scores,
 )
+from .freshness_decay import apply_freshness_decay
 from .rerank_service import (
     MAX_CHUNKS_PER_DOC,
     MAX_RERANK_INPUT,
@@ -299,6 +300,12 @@ async def run_search(
         else:
             results = text_results
 
+    # PR-RAG-Time-1: freshness decay (reranker 이후, display 정규화 직전).
+    # news/law_monitor 만 적용. floor 0.7. 가드는 freshness_decay.py 참조.
+    t_fr = time.perf_counter()
+    results = await apply_freshness_decay(results, session)
+    timing["freshness_ms"] = (time.perf_counter() - t_fr) * 1000
+
     # display score 정규화 — 프론트엔드는 score*100을 % 표시.
     # fusion 내부 score(RRF는 0.01~0.05 범위)를 그대로 노출하면 표시가 깨짐.
     # Phase 3.1: rerank_score 필드는 여기서 건드리지 않음 (raw 보존).
diff --git a/tests/test_freshness_decay.py b/tests/test_freshness_decay.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29c43a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_freshness_decay.py
@@ -0,0 +1,341 @@
+"""PR-RAG-Time-1: freshness decay 단위 테스트.
+
+가드레일 (plan §10):
+  1. news recent vs old      — recent 가 final score 높음
+  2. law_monitor recent vs old
+  3. non-target source unaffected — manual 등은 score 변화 0
+  4. missing created_at unaffected — decay None, score 변화 0
+  5. future created_at clamped — age_days = 0
+  6. floor behavior — 매우 오래되어도 multiplier 0.7 미만 안 떨어짐
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import math
+import os
+import sys
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+# tests/ → 프로젝트 루트 → app/
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "..", "app"))
+
+import pytest
+
+from services.search.freshness_decay import (
+    DECAY_FLOOR,
+    HALF_LIFE_DAYS,
+    _DocMeta,
+    adjusted_score,
+    apply_freshness_decay,
+    compute_age_days,
+    compute_decay,
+    freshness_policy,
+)
+
+
+NOW = datetime(2026, 5, 3, 12, 0, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+
+
+def _meta(channel: str | None, *, days_ago: float | None = 30.0, origin: str | None = None) -> _DocMeta:
+    if days_ago is None:
+        created = None
+    elif days_ago < 0:
+        # future: now + |days_ago|
+        created = NOW + timedelta(days=-days_ago)
+    else:
+        created = NOW - timedelta(days=days_ago)
+    return _DocMeta(source_channel=channel, content_origin=origin, created_at=created)
+
+
+# ─── policy dispatcher ────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_policy_news():
+    assert freshness_policy(_meta("news")) == "news_90d"
+
+
+def test_policy_law_monitor():
+    assert freshness_policy(_meta("law_monitor")) == "law_365d"
+
+
+def test_policy_manual_unaffected():
+    assert freshness_policy(_meta("manual")) is None
+
+
+def test_policy_drive_sync_unaffected():
+    assert freshness_policy(_meta("drive_sync")) is None
+
+
+def test_policy_inbox_route_unaffected():
+    assert freshness_policy(_meta("inbox_route")) is None
+
+
+def test_policy_memo_unaffected():
+    assert freshness_policy(_meta("memo")) is None
+
+
+def test_policy_ai_drafted_skipped_even_for_news():
+    # 가드 2: content_origin='ai_drafted' 면 source_channel 무관 비적용
+    assert freshness_policy(_meta("news", origin="ai_drafted")) is None
+
+
+def test_policy_meta_none():
+    assert freshness_policy(None) is None
+
+
+def test_policy_unknown_source():
+    # 가드 6: unknown source_channel → no decay
+    assert freshness_policy(_meta("future_channel")) is None
+
+
+# ─── compute_age_days ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_age_normal():
+    age = compute_age_days(NOW - timedelta(days=10), now=NOW)
+    assert age == pytest.approx(10.0)
+
+
+def test_age_missing_date():
+    # 가드 6: missing date → None
+    assert compute_age_days(None, now=NOW) is None
+
+
+def test_age_future_clamped_to_zero():
+    # 가드 6: future date → age_days = 0 (음수 금지)
+    future = NOW + timedelta(days=5)
+    assert compute_age_days(future, now=NOW) == 0.0
+
+
+def test_age_naive_datetime_treated_as_utc():
+    # DB는 timestamptz 라 naive 안 오지만 mock 안전망
+    naive = datetime(2026, 4, 23, 12, 0, 0)  # 10일 전
+    age = compute_age_days(naive, now=NOW)
+    assert age == pytest.approx(10.0)
+
+
+# ─── compute_decay ────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_decay_at_half_life_news():
+    # age=90 → decay = 0.5
+    assert compute_decay(90.0, "news_90d") == pytest.approx(0.5, rel=1e-6)
+
+
+def test_decay_at_half_life_law():
+    assert compute_decay(365.0, "law_365d") == pytest.approx(0.5, rel=1e-6)
+
+
+def test_decay_age_zero_full():
+    assert compute_decay(0.0, "news_90d") == pytest.approx(1.0)
+
+
+def test_decay_news_30_days():
+    expected = math.exp(-math.log(2) * 30 / 90)  # ~0.794
+    assert compute_decay(30.0, "news_90d") == pytest.approx(expected, rel=1e-6)
+
+
+def test_decay_policy_none_returns_one():
+    assert compute_decay(100.0, None) == 1.0
+
+
+def test_decay_age_none_returns_one():
+    assert compute_decay(None, "news_90d") == 1.0
+
+
+# ─── adjusted_score ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_adjusted_score_decay_one_no_change():
+    # decay=1 → final = base * 1.0
+    assert adjusted_score(0.85, 1.0) == pytest.approx(0.85)
+
+
+def test_adjusted_score_decay_zero_floor():
+    # 가드 11: decay=0 → final = base * FLOOR (0.7), 그 아래로 안 내려감
+    assert adjusted_score(0.85, 0.0) == pytest.approx(0.85 * DECAY_FLOOR)
+
+
+def test_adjusted_score_old_news_floor_bound():
+    # 매우 오래된 뉴스 (age >> half_life) — multiplier 가 0.7 미만 절대 아님
+    decay = compute_decay(10000.0, "news_90d")  # ~0
+    score = adjusted_score(1.0, decay)
+    assert score >= DECAY_FLOOR
+    assert score == pytest.approx(DECAY_FLOOR, abs=0.01)
+
+
+# ─── apply_freshness_decay (integration with mock session) ────────
+
+
+class _MockSession:
+    """SQLAlchemy AsyncSession mock — execute(text, params) 호출만 받음."""
+
+    def __init__(self, meta_rows: list[dict]):
+        self._rows = meta_rows
+        self.last_ids: list[int] | None = None
+
+    async def execute(self, _stmt, params):
+        self.last_ids = list(params["ids"])
+        # SearchPipeline 의 row._mapping 패턴이 아니라 row.field 패턴이라
+        # SimpleNamespace 로 충분.
+        return [SimpleNamespace(**row) for row in self._rows if row["id"] in self.last_ids]
+
+
+def _result(doc_id: int, score: float):
+    """SearchResult 흉내. freshness_decay 는 .id / .score / .freshness_debug 만 만짐."""
+    return SimpleNamespace(id=doc_id, score=score, freshness_debug=None)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_news_recent_vs_old_recent_higher():
+    # 가드 1: news recent vs old → recent 가 final score 높음
+    base = 0.50  # 동일 base
+    rows = [
+        {"id": 1, "source_channel": "news", "content_origin": "extracted",
+         "created_at": NOW - timedelta(days=3)},   # 매우 최근
+        {"id": 2, "source_channel": "news", "content_origin": "extracted",
+         "created_at": NOW - timedelta(days=365)},  # 1년 전
+    ]
+    session = _MockSession(rows)
+    results = [_result(1, base), _result(2, base)]
+    out = await apply_freshness_decay(results, session, now=NOW)
+    # 재정렬: 최근(id=1) 이 위
+    assert out[0].id == 1
+    assert out[0].score > out[1].score
+    # debug
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["freshness_policy"] == "news_90d"
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["base_score"] == base
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["age_days"] == 3
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["freshness_date_source"] == "created_at"
+    assert out[1].freshness_debug["age_days"] == 365
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_law_monitor_recent_vs_old_recent_higher():
+    # 가드 2: law_monitor recent 가 위
+    base = 0.50
+    rows = [
+        {"id": 1, "source_channel": "law_monitor", "content_origin": "extracted",
+         "created_at": NOW - timedelta(days=10)},
+        {"id": 2, "source_channel": "law_monitor", "content_origin": "extracted",
+         "created_at": NOW - timedelta(days=730)},  # 2년
+    ]
+    session = _MockSession(rows)
+    results = [_result(1, base), _result(2, base)]
+    out = await apply_freshness_decay(results, session, now=NOW)
+    assert out[0].id == 1
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["freshness_policy"] == "law_365d"
+    # 2년 → law_365d 반감기 1년 → decay ~0.25 → multiplier ~ 0.775
+    assert out[1].score < out[0].score
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_non_target_unaffected():
+    # 가드 3: manual 은 score 변화 0
+    base = 0.42
+    rows = [
+        {"id": 1, "source_channel": "manual", "content_origin": "extracted",
+         "created_at": NOW - timedelta(days=1000)},
+    ]
+    session = _MockSession(rows)
+    results = [_result(1, base)]
+    out = await apply_freshness_decay(results, session, now=NOW)
+    assert out[0].score == base
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["freshness_policy"] is None
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["base_score"] == base
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["decay_factor"] is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_missing_created_at_unaffected():
+    # 가드 4: missing date → score 변화 0
+    base = 0.50
+    rows = [
+        {"id": 1, "source_channel": "news", "content_origin": "extracted",
+         "created_at": None},
+    ]
+    session = _MockSession(rows)
+    results = [_result(1, base)]
+    out = await apply_freshness_decay(results, session, now=NOW)
+    assert out[0].score == base
+    # policy 는 'news_90d' 인데 age None 이라 decay 1.0 → adjusted_score 호출 자체가 안 됨 (policy 없는 길 아님)
+    # freshness_decay 코드: policy True + age None → decay=1.0 → adjusted_score(base, 1.0) = base * 1.0
+    # 결과적으로 score 변화 0 — 가드 4 통과
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["freshness_policy"] == "news_90d"
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["age_days"] is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_future_created_at_clamped():
+    # 가드 5: future created_at → age_days = 0 → decay = 1.0 → score 그대로
+    base = 0.50
+    rows = [
+        {"id": 1, "source_channel": "news", "content_origin": "extracted",
+         "created_at": NOW + timedelta(days=10)},
+    ]
+    session = _MockSession(rows)
+    results = [_result(1, base)]
+    out = await apply_freshness_decay(results, session, now=NOW)
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["age_days"] == 0
+    assert out[0].score == pytest.approx(base * 1.0)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_floor_never_below_0_7():
+    # 가드 6 (floor): 매우 오래된 news → multiplier 0.7 미만 절대 아님
+    base = 1.0
+    rows = [
+        {"id": 1, "source_channel": "news", "content_origin": "extracted",
+         "created_at": NOW - timedelta(days=10000)},  # 27년 ㅋ
+    ]
+    session = _MockSession(rows)
+    results = [_result(1, base)]
+    out = await apply_freshness_decay(results, session, now=NOW)
+    assert out[0].score >= base * DECAY_FLOOR
+    assert out[0].score == pytest.approx(base * DECAY_FLOOR, abs=0.001)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_ai_drafted_news_skipped():
+    # 가드 2 통합: source=news 라도 content_origin='ai_drafted' 면 비적용
+    base = 0.50
+    rows = [
+        {"id": 1, "source_channel": "news", "content_origin": "ai_drafted",
+         "created_at": NOW - timedelta(days=300)},
+    ]
+    session = _MockSession(rows)
+    results = [_result(1, base)]
+    out = await apply_freshness_decay(results, session, now=NOW)
+    assert out[0].score == base
+    assert out[0].freshness_debug["freshness_policy"] is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_empty_results_noop():
+    session = _MockSession([])
+    out = await apply_freshness_decay([], session, now=NOW)
+    assert out == []
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_apply_resort_by_adjusted_score():
+    # base score 가 같아도 freshness 가 정렬을 바꾼다.
+    rows = [
+        {"id": 1, "source_channel": "news", "content_origin": "extracted",
+         "created_at": NOW - timedelta(days=200)},   # decay ~0.21
+        {"id": 2, "source_channel": "news", "content_origin": "extracted",
+         "created_at": NOW - timedelta(days=10)},   # decay ~0.926
+        {"id": 3, "source_channel": "manual", "content_origin": "extracted",
+         "created_at": NOW - timedelta(days=10000)},  # 비적용 → base 그대로
+    ]
+    session = _MockSession(rows)
+    # 일부러 base 동일 0.5 → 정렬은 freshness 만으로 결정
+    results = [_result(1, 0.5), _result(2, 0.5), _result(3, 0.5)]
+    out = await apply_freshness_decay(results, session, now=NOW)
+    # manual 은 base 0.5 그대로, news 10일 전 은 0.5 * (0.7 + 0.3*0.926) ≈ 0.489
+    # news 200일 전 은 0.5 * (0.7 + 0.3*0.21) ≈ 0.382
+    # 정렬: manual(0.5) > news_recent(0.489) > news_old(0.382)
+    assert out[0].id == 3  # manual
+    assert out[1].id == 2  # news 10일
+    assert out[2].id == 1  # news 200일