Local Record Forms and Retention Schedules
Local Government Disposal Management Forms
The Local Government
Records Committee, with help from local records custodians, created the
following records retention schedules. If you have questions or comments about
the schedules-or if you cannot find a specific type of record addressed in the
schedules - please contact the:
Local Government Records Committee
Local Government Services Bureau
P.O. Box 200547
Helena MT
59620-0547
For local governments that undergo annual audits, retention schedules begin at the end of the fiscal year when the final fiscal year audit report is received.
Retention periods assigned to records are minimums. You are not required to destroy or otherwise dispose of records at the end of the minimum time frame outlined in the appropriate retention schedule.
Microfilm or microfiche may be considered as a permanent storage medium for public records, provided that the filming, development, and storage of the camera master meet certain national standards. To verify whether your film meets the standards, contact the Records Management Division of the Secretary of State’s Office at (406) 444-9000.
If you choose microfilm or microfiche as your prime storage medium, the paper records become duplicates and may be destroyed without approval of the Local Government Records Committee once the film has been verified.
Optical imaging, or any other type of digital medium, is not an acceptable long-term method of storing records. Records with a retention schedule of 10 years or longer may be stored electronically as long as they are also maintained in paper form or on archival-quality microfilm.
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