Each employee is responsible for determining if the documents they have are official department records or non-records. Distinctions between these types of materials are important because each type needs to be properly managed. According to state law and department policy, official records must be maintained, archived and/or destroyed based on the retention periods specified in approved Records Disposition Authorization (RDA) schedules.

A simple question and answer page has been established to assist department personnel in deciding if they have an official record or a non-record. By answering "yes" or "no" to a series of questions, the user is automatically guided to the most likely classification for the item in question. If after using this tool you are still unsure of the record status of the material, contact your agency records officer for additional assistance.