Records Retention

What a good records management program looks like

A good records management program includes the proper organization of records and the timely destruction of records once their retention period has expired — for paper records, as well as records that are microfilmed, imaged or electronic.

Any public records being disposed must receive approval from the New Jersey Bureau of Records Management. JMT Associates provides personalized services to assist with the proper maintenance and destruction of public records.

How retention schedules work

The New Jersey Department of the Treasury Bureau of Records Management places all public records on Records Retention Schedules, which list the minimum legal and fiscal time periods records must be retained by state and local governmental and educational agencies. Working with personnel from the records-creating agency, the Bureau 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 made up of representatives of:

• the Attorney General
• the State Treasurer
• the State Auditor
• the Director of Local Government Services
• the Secretary of State

JMT Associates utilizes the Records Retention Disposition Table, published by the Bureau, to ascertain whether a record series is ready for disposal. The table notes the year in which a records series was created, with corresponding disposition dates based on retention requirements. Records become eligible for disposition as of December 31st of the year indicated in the table.

What we do

• Save staff time and money
• Assign experienced personnel to each project
• Provide setup and/or training for online disposal software (Artemis)
• Organize the records that will remain on site
• Prepare and stock records for disposal

We organize, label and prepare your records with disposal dates, or mark them as permanent, so your next retention cycle is handled.