Retention and Records

Guidance on creating and using a data retention and records processes.

Records are any business information that contains a legal, operational or historical value. These records may be in the form of paper, electronic documents (e.g., Word or Excel), or data residing in information systems and are often subject to retention policies.

It is important for departments and system owners to know what records they are required to keep and how long they need to be retained to comply with state and federal laws and regulations. It is also important to dispose of records when they are no longer needed to meet compliance requirements or business & historical needs. When no longer needed, disposal of records will reduce litigation, privacy, and security costs and risks.

A retention schedule is used to identify the organization's records and how long they should be retained. Each department should have a designated, secure location to store its records.