A permanent record is best described as a record that has enduring value and therefore must be kept and preserved indefinitely, rather than destroyed after a set period.

What “permanent record” means

  • In records management and law, a permanent record is one that has ongoing administrative, legal, fiscal, research, or historical value and so is never scheduled for destruction.
  • These records are kept because they document important functions, decisions, or activities and may serve as long-term evidence or information for future use.

Key features of a permanent record

  • No fixed retention period: the disposition on the schedule is “permanent,” meaning the record is preserved indefinitely instead of being destroyed after a number of years.
  • Preserved for their value: they are kept due to their lasting value to the organization, the law, history, or research, such as foundational policies, major decisions, or core organizational records.

Common examples

  • Government or institutional records appraised as important enough to transfer to a national or institutional archives (for example, certain federal agency records kept by the National Archives).
  • Archival records documenting the history and development of an organization, such as charter documents, board minutes of major decisions, or key policy records.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.