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Records Management Services

Records Retention and Disposition

Search for the published version of an approved NJ records retention schedule. Please review the instructions for searching and reading a retention schedule.

Records Management Services work with agencies to develop and update records retention schedules; research and develop policies on electronic records; aid in the inventory and appraisal of records for reorganization or disposition projects; and approve routine records disposal requests.

Records Management Services also maintains Artemis (Records Retention and Disposition Management System). Its purpose is to provide efficiencies across State, County and Municipal agencies in addressing many of the records management functions, processes, and services offered by the division in accordance with the Destruction of Public Records Act, Chapter 410, PL 1953. It allows for County and Municipal governments to look up and download retention schedules, maintain information on certified systems, submit electronic records disposal requests, and other records management functions. Read more.

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Records Retention

Records Management Services places all public records on Records Retention Schedules that list the minimum legal and fiscal time periods they must be retained by state and local governmental and educational agencies. Working with personnel from the records-creating agency, Records Management Services determines these retention periods in conformance with state and federal codes, regulations, and statutes of limitation. Final approval of the schedules comes from the State Records Committee, which is comprised of representatives of the Attorney General, State Treasurer, State Auditor, Director of Local Government Services, and the director of the division. Read more on Retention Schedules.

Records Series Inventory

Records Disposal

Part and parcel to a good records management program is the timely destruction of records once their retention period has expired. This pertains to the destruction of paper records as well as those that are microfilmed, have been imaged, or are electronic. Approval from the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services through Artemis is required for destruction.

As per the Destruction of Public Records Act of 1953 (P.L. 1953, c. 410), public agencies must receive prior written authorization to dispose of their public records regardless of the medium in which the information is maintained. The division routinely processes and authorizes the destruction of public records that appear on retention schedules approved by the State Records Committee.

Unique records disposal request (such as the disposal of fire damaged records which have not yet outlived their retention period) require specific authorization from the State Records Committee.

All government agencies should use ARTEMIS to file your records disposal.

Electronic Records

Records Storage

Records Management Service's Records Storage Center is a secure, centralized, low-cost facility for storing semi-active state agency records with retention periods of ten (10) years of less.

The facility currently stores 250,000 cubic feet of semi-active paper records for more than 200 state agencies and offices. Temperature- and humidity-controlled vaults are also available to accommodate an agency's needs for storage of computer tapes, optical disks, and microfilm master negatives.

Records housed at the State Records Storage Center are readily accessible to authorized agency representatives for reference or retrieval. Located in Ewing Township near Trenton, the State Records Storage Center is able to serve as part of state government's vital records protection program and is currently used by more than 250 state agencies and offices. Storage Center staff can advise state and local government agencies about the most appropriate storage of their inactive and semi-active records. The center is also able to arrange for the disposal of stored records when their retention periods expire.

New Jersey records storage standards are found in the New Jersey Administrative Code 15:3: Subchapter 6: Records Storage


Last Updated: Thursday, 09/29/22