Publication
Commonwealth records retention schedule
How long public services keep different categories of record, and what happens to records when a service is retired.
PolicyODS-POL-011Updated
The principle
A record is kept for as long as it is needed for the purpose it was collected, and no longer. Keeping records indefinitely because deleting them is difficult is not a retention policy.
Retention categories
The schedule sets out eleven categories. The most commonly applied are listed below; the full schedule is available from the records team.
- Transactional records of a completed service — 6 years
- Identity verification evidence — deleted within 30 days of verification
- Correspondence with a member of the public — 3 years
- Records subject to an active complaint or appeal — until 1 year after resolution
- Records with permanent historical value — transferred to the Commonwealth Archive
Related publications
Public records request form (ODS-14)
The paper form for requesting your public records, for anyone who cannot or does not want to use the online service.