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Government Records Services
This page provides links to general records retention schedules, records management forms, and informational leaflets listing local government records with historical value.
If you want to learn more about how government records management works in the state of Minnesota, visit our page about the Minnesota Records Disposition Panel which outlines the legal landscape and processes behind how government entities at all levels manage their records.
If you want to learn more about how government records management works in the state of Minnesota, visit our page about the Minnesota Records Disposition Panel which outlines the legal landscape and processes behind how government entities at all levels manage their records. To determine whether or not your government entity has adopted a retention schedule, please contact State Archives staff for assistance. State Archives staff can additionally provide guidance concerning the historical value of government records. Our contact information is available on our main page.
Records retention schedules
County (Local) Registrars
A general records retention schedule (no. 04-115) for the birth and death records of county (local) registrars is available in PDF on the Minnesota Department of Health's website. The schedule was approved in 2004 by the Minnesota Records Disposition Panel. For further information, contact the Office of the State Registrar.
General Schedule For Counties:
General Schedule for Counties (no. 86-112) was issued in 1985, with additional printings in 1988 and 1989. A supplement for Community Corrections (no. 90-134) was issued in 1990.
The General Schedule for Counties can be accessed in several ways. The entire schedule or individual sections can be accessed below and are available in PDF format.
- Introduction to the schedule
- Complete Schedule (1985 version)
- Index to 1985 sections
- Records Common to all Departments
Listing by Department:
- Administration
- Assessor (original)
- Assessor (addition, no. 016-041)
- Attorney
- Auditor - Treasurer
- Community Corrections
- Highway
- Human Resources
- Human Services
- Library
- Local Public Health Section
- Medical Examiner / Coroner
- Parks and Recreation
- Planning
- Public Defender
- Recorder
- Sheriff / Law Enforcement
- Survey
- Veterans Service
The General Records Retention Schedule for Minnesota Cities (no. 021-029) is available in PDF on the Minnesota Clerks and Finance Officers Association (MCFOA) website. The schedule was updated in March 2021 after review and approval by the Minnesota Records Disposition Panel. It is a revision of the general records retention schedule for Minnesota cities last issued in May 2018. If you have not previously adopted the general records retention schedule, you must notify the State Archives. To adopt a schedule, complete the Notification of Adoption form (PDF). For questions regarding the schedule, contact the MCFOA.
For city records which the State Archives has identified as having permanent, historical value and are eligible for transfer to the State Archives, please see our informational leaflet on Municipal Records, available in the forms section of this page.
The General Records Retention Schedule for Minnesota Townships (no. 86-111) was issued in 1985, and is still valid and in use. The schedule is available in PDF on the Minnesota Association of Townships' (MAT) website. If you have not previously adopted a general records retention schedule, you must notify the State Archives. To adopt a schedule, complete the Notification of Adoption Form, available in the forms section of this page.
For School Districts
The General Records Retention Schedule for Minnesota School Districts (no. 00-43) is available in PDF on the Region 1 (a regional computer service provider) website. The Notification of Adoption form is on page 8 of the PDF. Approved in 2000 by the Minnesota Records Disposition Panel, this schedule is a revision and update of a general records retention schedule for Minnesota school districts last issued in 1985. For more information about records retention as it pertains to schools, see the Minnesota Department of Education's FAQ Page.
Financial General Records
The state agency Financial General Records Retention Schedules (nos. 06-047 and 06-076) are available in PDF on the Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) website. The schedule, approved by the Minnesota Records Disposition Panel, supersedes earlier financial records general schedules. The state Finance Department staff compiled the current schedule, which lists Statewide Accounting (SWA) records, budget records, and agency use forms common to Minnesota state agencies. Also included is the state Finance Department's internal records retention schedule for payroll records; other state agencies determine their own retention for payroll records. Recently, the state Finance Department merged with the state Department of Employee Relations (DOER) to form MMB.
State Property Management Records Retention Schedule
State Property Management Records Retention Schedule (no. 014-037) replaces Fixed Assets Records Retention Schedule no. 02-136 (Admin Informational Bulletin no. 02-15) and State Property Management (other than real property) Records Retention Schedule (Admin Informational Bulletin no. 06-02). The State Property Management Records Retention Schedule is available in PDF on the state Administration Department's website. This schedule, approved in 2013 by the Minnesota Records Disposition Panel, supersedes earlier records retention schedules for state property management and fixed asset records.
Human Resources General Records
The state agency Human Resources General Records Retention Schedule (no. 06-137) is available in PDF on the Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) website. The schedule, approved by the Minnesota Records Disposition Panel in 2006, supersedes earlier personnel records general schedules issued in 1988 and 1990. An explanatory memo from the state Department of Employee Relations (DOER) staff about using and updating the document precedes the actual schedule. DOER staff compiled the general schedule, which lists records concerning human resources, safety, affirmative action, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Recently, DOER merged with the state Finance Department to form MMB.
The General Records Retention Schedule for Minnesota District Courts (no. 11-079) is available in PDF on the Minnesota Judicial Branch's website. Approved by the Minnesota Records Disposition Panel, this schedule is a revision and update of a general records retention schedule for Minnesota district courts issued periodically over the past twenty years. The schedule was reviewed and approved by the Conference of Chief Judges, the policy-making body for trial courts of Minnesota. For further information about the schedule, contact the Minnesota Court Information Office.
The General Records Retention Schedule for Minnesota Firefighters Relief Associations (no. 012-101) is available in PDF here on the Minnesota Historical Society's website. The general schedule was approved in April 2012 by the Minnesota Records Disposition Panel, and is based on a general schedule developed by the Apple Valley Firefighters Relief Association.
The General Records Retention Schedule for Minnesota School Districts (no. 00-43) is available in PDF on the Region 1 (a regional computer service provider) web site. Here is a copy of the notification of adoption form (PDF). Approved in 2000 by the Minnesota Records Disposition Panel, this schedule is a revision and update of a general records retention schedule for Minnesota school districts last issued in 1985. For more information about records retention as it pertains to schools, see the Minnesota Department of Education's FAQ Page.
Additionally, a CSV spreadsheet version of the schedule is now available for download. The spreadsheet is a convenience copy and does not replace the full schedule; for the full and official citation, users must still refer to the full schedule.