Records Retention Schedule Revision Process

Revision Process

• Review the agency's record retention schedule and identify records series that need to be added, amended, or removed.
• Collaborate with other departments in the agency to draft revisions that accurately reflect business practices and meet statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Underline text that is added and strikethrough text that is removed.
• Contact the Administrative Archivist to discuss the proposed changes.
• Allow impacted departments, legal, and agency administration to review the draft.
• Submit the approved draft to the Administrative Archivist to be included on the agenda for the next Archives and Records Commission meeting.

o   Drafts must be received four weeks prior to the meeting date to be included on that meeting's agenda.

o   The Archives and Records Commission meets quarterly in January, April, July, and October.

Revision Guidelines

Each agency should review its records retention schedule annually.

The records schedule should be amended in the following situations:

• To add records that are now being received or generated in the department which are not listed on the retention schedule.
• To delete or remove records series for records that are no longer received, generated, or maintained by the agency.
• To change retention periods.
•  To change descriptions of the records.
• To denote the status of a record as essential or to identify the office of record.
•  To remove series which are included in the General Records Disposition Schedule.

In some cases, it may be appropriate to create an entirely new retention schedule.

As required by OAC 60:10-3-2(b) of the Rules and Regulations of the Archives and Records Commission, the State Records Administrator must be notified thirty (30) days in advance of any destruction of records carried out in accordance with the Records Disposition Schedule. Notification shall be submitted to the Administrative Archivist on one of the following forms:

• ARC Form 4 (Notice of Intent to Destroy)
• ARC Form 5 (Notice of Intent to Destroy Records That Have Been Microfilmed)
• ARC Form 6 (Notice of Intent to Destroy Microforms)
• ARC Form 12 (Notice of Intent to Destroy Records That Have Been Imaged)
• ARC Form 13 (Notice of Intent to Destroy Optical Disks)

Each form must list the Records Disposition Schedule / Records Disposition Authorization Number, the names of the records series involved, inclusive dates, and the number of cubic feet, reels, or optical disks to be destroyed or the files to be deleted from rewritable optical disks.

Step 1. Preparation and Packing of Records

Agency identifies records eligible for transfer to the State Records Center and packs them in standard cubic-foot boxes (15.5" x 12.5" x 10.5").

• New boxes are preferred. Used boxes are acceptable, if in good condition. Any old labels must be removed or have no readable information.

Use RMD Form 3 to create labels for each box. Agencies may create their own form, but the general arrangement of the information must be similar. Agencies must include the same information found on the RMD Form 3 but may add additional information if necessary.

• Include enough information in the Title of Records field to enable agency staff to identify where to find a specific file.
• Labels should be accurate and complete.
• Labels should match the transfer paperwork completed in Step 2.

Affix labels to one short side and one long side of each box.

• Labels should be affixed before the boxes are transferred to the State Records Center.
• Boxes without labels will not be accepted.
• If necessary, please tape the labels to secure them to the boxes. Avoid covering the Accession Number field on the label with tape.

Step 2. Paperwork Requesting Transfer from Agency to State Records Center

Agency completes RMD Form 2 for the boxes packed in Step 1.

Other than the state agency information, the critical fields include:

• Signature and Title of Authorizing
• Records Disposition Schedule Number or Records Disposition Authorization Number
• Series Number
• Series Title
• Inclusive Dates (specify if it is CY, SFY, or FFY)
• Volume 
• Authorized Disposition

Step 3. Review of Transfer Request

• Agency emails completed paperwork to State Records Center staff at records@libraries.ok.gov.
• State Records Center staff will review the paperwork and will contact the agency if there are questions. 
• Transfers will only be accepted with accurate and complete paperwork. 

Step 4. Scheduling the Transfer of Records

• Once transfer paperwork has been approved by State Records Center staff, the agency can schedule a time to transfer the records to the State Records Center. 
• The State Records Center is open every Monday and Wednesday from 8:00-10:00 a.m., excluding state holidays. 
• Transfers outside the normal operating hours for the State Records Center may be scheduled under special circumstances. 

Step 5. Transfer of Records

The agency is responsible for transporting records to the State Records Center at the scheduled time. 

The State Records Center is located at 426 E. Hill Street in Oklahoma City. 

• The building is located just north of the Capitol on the west side of Lincoln between NE 32nd Street and NE 34th Street. 
• The telephone number is (405) 522-3580. 

Agency staff is responsible for unloading all boxes and placing them in stacks of five in numerical order (ascending or descending order is acceptable). 

• Place stacks where State Records Center staff indicate and leave one foot of space between each stack so that labels may be checked and stamped with the accession number. 
• In the event an agency is using a moving company or temporary staff to deliver the records, the records coordinator or agency staff must be onsite for the transfer unless arrangements have been made in advance with State Records Center staff. 

If possible, at the time of the transfer, State Records Center staff will ensure the transfer paperwork matches the box labels and the number of boxes delivered. Any discrepancies will need to be corrected by the agency before the boxes are accepted and accessioned.

State Records Center staff will complete the transfer form by adding an accession number and the location of the boxes.

Depending on the size of the transfer, State Records Center staff will give the agency a copy of the completed paperwork in person at the time of transfer or shortly thereafter via email or interagency mail.