Retention Schedules

A Retention Schedule is the authority that lists records series and provides instructions and special guidelines for their care how long to preserve or retain them, how to maintain them, where and under whose custodianship, and when to dispose of them. By following a retention schedule, systematic control of information from its creation to final disposition is established. Different records series are required by law to be preserved or retained according to the length of time that they have administrative, legal, fiscal, historical or research value. Most records have a short lifespan, but others have longer retention periods for various reasons.