Records Retention

Pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 317a (Management of Public Records) all public records are considered permanent unless destruction has been authorized under a record schedule approved by the State Archivist or by law. The term record schedule means:

• Any General Record Schedules (GRS) issued by VSARA and approved by the State Archivist for all (state and local) public agencies; and
• Any Agency-Specific Record Schedules (SRS) issued by VSARA and approved by the State Archivist for a specific public agency.

If still legally applicable, disposition orders issued and approved by the former Public Records Advisory Board (PRAB), that have not yet been superseded by a record schedule, may continue to be used.

Record Schedules

Public agencies wishing to update their records management programs must contact the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA) and enroll in VSARA's Targeted Assistance Program (TAP). Public agencies cannot develop or create their own record schedules and the Vermont State Archivist will not approve any schedules developed outside of the Targeted Assistance Program (TAP).

Internal Policies & Procedures

Public agencies are responsible for developing their own internal policies and procedures to assure that the requirements outlined in agency and general record schedules are being consistently and routinely applied across their respective agencies. Policies and procedures for records listed on any record schedule that need to be retained until obsolete must clearly state a specific retention requirement that best meets the agency’s legal and administrative needs.

Records Officers

State agencies and departments have designated records officers and appointed records liaisons who are responsible for their agency’s respective records management program, including internal policies and procedures. State employees should contact their respective records officers and liaisons for information about their agency's recordkeeping requirements. Local agencies do not have designated records officers.