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Retention and Disposition Schedules
A records retention and disposition schedule is a list of records series titles that indicates the minimum length of time to maintain each series and what should happen once the retention period has been met; also called a "retention schedule."
The State Archives has authority over the retention and disposition of local government and state agency records. It issues retention schedules for both types of governments. Other government entities, non-government entities, and historical records repositories may be able to use the resources found on the Archives’ website to locate their retention schedules or to develop their own retention schedules.
The Archives’ retention schedules generally apply to records regardless of the format or media in which they exist, including electronic records. Records being used for audits or legal actions must be kept until the audit is satisfied or the legal action ends, even if their minimum retention period has passed.
Through the appraisal process, the Archives has identified some records as having long-term historical or research value. Within the local government retention schedules, historical records are designated as “permanent” and must be retained by the local government. State agencies’ retention schedules indicate that historical records must be transferred to the State Archives following the Procedures for Transferring Records to the New York State Archives.
Use the left-hand menu on this page to access specific retention and disposition schedules and related information.
