Clerks of towns, counties and special districts

Which state and type of government?

Free guide to a local government records retention policy built on your state's schedule, with the federal minimums for payroll and personnel records.

  • Free to read
  • No sign-up until the draft
  • Hands off to the right door
BUILDINGWORK AREASTOREEXIT

ePlan fills in

  • State retention schedule
  • Record series
  • Federal minimums

How it works

Records retention policy outline, from one answer

  1. Enter your state and type of government.
  2. ePlan finds your state's schedule and lists the federal minimums.
  3. Read the guide free. Planning for emergencies too? Start your emergency operations plan.

What you get

Records retention policy outline and 2 more documents

The check is free. The paperwork after it is drafted at the Emergency operations plan door.

The first draft

Records retention policy outline (free)

  1. Purpose and authority
  2. Records officer and duties
  3. Adopted retention schedule
  4. Holds for lawsuits and audits
  5. Destruction approval and log
  6. Electronic records and email

Modeled on: Your state archives' local government retention schedules

Next · 2

Public records request policy

  1. How to request
  2. Response times
  3. Fees
  4. Exemptions
Next · 3

Emergency operations plan (paid)

  1. Base plan
  2. Continuity and vital records
  3. Annexes

From public data

What ePlan fills in, and from where

2 years

is how long a local government must keep personnel and employment records under EEOC rules, from the record or the action, whichever is later
Source: 29 CFR 1602.31, eCFR

Ready for the paperwork?

Draft an emergency operations plan and continuity plan for a small county, town, district or tribe, in FEMA's CPG 101 structure. Free to read.

Emergency operations plan →

Questions

Records retention policy outline: what people ask

Where do I find our retention periods?

Your state archives publishes schedules for local governments. Texas, for example, has 12 local schedules and warns that their retention periods can't be used to destroy records unless your local government has adopted them.

Source: tsl.texas.gov

How long must we keep payroll records?

At least three years from the last date of entry under the Fair Labor Standards Act recordkeeping rule, along with certificates, agreements and notices it lists. Your state schedule may require longer.

Source: ecfr.gov

How long must we keep personnel records?

A political jurisdiction must keep personnel and employment records for two years from the record or the personnel action, whichever is later, two years after an involuntary termination, and everything relevant to a discrimination charge until it's resolved.

Source: ecfr.gov

The rules this door follows