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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.

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. DARM 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.

Below you will find:

Sample form and a description of it, and
Instructions for completing the form

Request and Authorization for Records Disposal Form
All records disposal requests must be submitted on a Request and Authorization for Records Disposal Form. This is a 4-part "NCR" form:
  • White - Division Copy (retained by DARM).
  • Yellow - Followup Copy sent back to originating agency (with the Pink & Goldenrod copies) after review by DARM staff;
    • Section 12 completed by originating agency;
    • sent back to DARM for final filing.
  • Pink - Agency Copy (retained after disposal completed by originating agency).
  • Goldenrod - Auditor's Copy.
    • State Agencies - all State agency disposal requests are reviewed by the State Auditor after initial review by DARM. Auditor will keep this copy prior to final disposition.
    • Local Agencies - Local auditor must review disposal requests for all financial records prior to submission of request to DARM. Auditor may keep this at this time or wait for its return from DARM with Yellow & Pink copies.
Instructions for Preparing "Request and Authorization for Records Disposal Form"

Item 1 • Requesting Agency Information: Enter Name, Address, and Telephone Number of requesting agency.

Item 2 • Request Date: Enter Date the form is completed by official initiating the request.

Item 3 • Requested By: Enter Signature and Title of the official initiating the request.

Item 4 • Requesting Agency Information: Enter Signature and Title of the official approving the request.

Item 5 • Record Series Number: Enter the Record Series Number as it appears on the current record retention schedule.

Item 6 • Record Series Title: Enter the Title of the Record Series as it appears on the current record retention schedule. If there is not a corresponding record series established on a schedule, contact a Records Analyst at DARM.

Item 7 • Inclusive Dates: Indicate the Date Span of the records series slated for disposal.

Item 8 • Record Retention Period: List the Retention Periods for the record series scheduled for disposal, as it appears on the current records retention schedule. If no retention period has been established, contact a Records Analyst at DARM.

Item 9 • Volume: Estimate and denote the volume in cubic feet for each record series scheduled for disposal, and provide a total volume at the bottom of the column. Note: one full letter or legal size file drawer contains two cubic feet; fractions should be rounded up.

Item 10 • Authorization (Audit - County & Municipal Fiscal Records): Signature block 10A and Date block 10B are reserved for the requesting agency's auditor for all County and Municipal fiscal records and must be signed and dated before submission to DARM.

Item 11 • Authorization (DARM): Blocks 11A thru 11C are reserved form DARM review.

 

Note: State Agencies complete Items 1 thru 9; County, Municipal, and Local Agencies (including authorities and educational agencies) complete Items 1 thru 10B. The Agency returns all four (4) parts of the form intact to DARM. Upon completion of review by DARM personnel, the Followup and Requesting Agency copies will be returned to the requestor with Items 11A thru 11C completed. A signature in block 11C indicates formal approval of the disposition request.

Item 12 • Disposition: Indicate the manner in which the records have been disposed of by checking the appropriate box in Item 12. In blocks 12A & 12B the official verifying the disposal must sign and date the form after disposal of the records.

Send completed and signed forms, along with a self-addressed envelope to:

NJ Division of Archives and Records Management
Disposal Requests
PO Box 307
Trenton, NJ 08625

Note: After receiving approval, records maybe disposed of. Return the yellow follow-up copy to DARM, the goldenrod to the Auditor and retain the pink in the Requesting Agency for permanent retention.

 

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Contact Information :
Joseph L. Falca, Supervisor, Records and Forms Analysis
2300 Stuyvesant Avenue
P.O. Box 307
Trenton, NJ 08625-0307
609.530.3208
609.530.6121 (fax)
e-mail: records.management@sos.state.nj.us
 
Please send comments concerning this website to: webmaster.darm@sos.state.nj.us
Created September 23, 2002, UpdatedFebruary 27, 2007.
Link to the State of New Jersey, Department of State Open Public Records Act (OPRA) Web Page

 
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