The agencies responsible for managing public records are responsible for preserving them. Local, State and federal laws define the types of documents that need to be maintained by an agency. The law also specifies the length of time for which the documents have to be kept. This is called the period of retention for records. An agency must know its retention periods in order to ensure it is not keeping documents longer than is required by law or industry standards.
A solid record retention system for any agency is vital. It reduces the amount of paperwork that is stored and helps to save money on storage and makes information more accessible. The first step in creating an effective system for record retention is to do an inventory of all documents that are handled by your agency. You can do this by looking through the agency’s records or using the Inventory Form (SSARC-960) available on our Get Forms page. After you have created an inventory of all the documents https://derwentmills.com/2023/06/07/retention-of-public-records/ in your agency, the next step will be to establish a schedule for the retention of records series. This is done by determining the length for which each document should be kept, and then combining that information with other factors such as the nature or importance of the document.
The State Records Committee developed a General Records Retention Schedule that encompass the majority of the agency’s functions. These schedules are available on our Retention Schedules page. These schedules should be used a guide when preparing your retention schedules for the series of records.
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