Retention schedules for common records

Retention schedules for common records tell you how long to keep routine administrative records before securely destroying or preserving them. These schedules are pre-approved and ready to use. Common records include files like:

• Reports
• Policy and project files
• Work orders
• Employee files
• Complaints
• Invoices

Using retention schedules for common records saves time and ensures consistency across the organization.

• Efficiency: Pre-approved schedules eliminate the need for records managers to create new retention rules.
• Consistency: Standardized schedules ensure teams across the organization manage records similarly.
• Compliance: Ensures records are kept for the required time and disposed of securely when no longer needed.

Common records move through three key stages in their lifecycle, following the rules set by a retention schedule:

Active period

Active records are used regularly in day-to-day operations. The retention schedule sets a trigger for when the record is no longer considered active, such as:

• Calendar Year (CY): The record closes at the end of the calendar year, December 31.
• Fiscal Year (FY): The record closes at the end of the government’s fiscal year, March 31.
• Superseded or Obsolete (SO): The record closes on the day it is replaced or no longer legally required.

Semi-active period

Semi-active records are records that are no longer part of daily work but must be kept for legal, financial, or administrative reasons.

Semi-active paper records can be stored at the Records Centre. Semi-active digital records can remain in their folders or electronic documents records management system (EDRMS) within your organization.

Final disposition

When a common record reaches the end of its required retention period, it follows one of two paths:

• Destroy (D): The record is securely shredded or deleted.
• Selective Retention (SR): The record is transferred to the Provincial Archives for review, where an archivist determines if it should be permanently preserved.

For most organizations:

• Download the Classification Plan and Retention Schedules for common records (CPRS) (publication)

For local governments:

• Municipal Records Authority (MRA) (publication)
• Regional Service Commissions Records Authority (RSCRA) (publication)

Once you have found the retention schedule you need, be sure to save your records in the right place in your organization’s classification plan.

If your organization creates unique records that aren’t covered by the retention schedules for common records, you can create new retention schedules.

For help with retention schedules, contact your records manager (PDF 336 KB) or an Information Strategist at the Provincial Archives.