A records schedule is an official, binding document that tells you how to manage specific types of records and tells you what should happen to those records. Records can either be permanent or temporary.
The Department of Energy is currently updating, rewriting, and consolidating the DOE Administrative (ADM), Environmental (ENV), Programmatic, and Site-Specific schedules. Eventually all of the schedules will be superseded by a new DOE Records Disposition Schedule (RDS). This is a gradual process and will take place over the next several years. This page contains both the new DOE RDS and the latest DOE ADM, ENV, Programmatic and Site-Specific Schedules. Each time a new DOE RDS is approved by the National Archives (NARA) the latest schedule is annotated to identify items superseded by the new schedule and re-published to this site. DOE ADM, ENV, Programmatic and Site-Specific schedules not marked remain authoritative and shall still be used to dispose of, or transfer records to the National Archives. Contact [email protected] if you cannot locate a schedule for your records or are unsure whether a schedule is superseded.
The following schedule documents are now available:
- DOE Records Disposition Manual - DOE Records Disposition Schedules and Modified GRS Only – Transmittal 8
- DOE Administrative and Environmental Schedules Combined
- Research and Development (R&D) Schedules
- Transmittal 8 Memorandum (January 2025)
- DOE Old-to-New Crosswalk (January 2025)
- DOE Epidemiological Moratorium List (October 2024)
- DOE RDS and GRS Combined Subject Index
- DOE Simplified Index
- GRS Simplified Index
Below are links to administrative schedules which combine the DOE Records Disposition Schedule and General Records Schedule (GRS) modified and required for DOE use into one file. Continue to use NARA-approved records disposition schedules (e.g., ADM, ENV, Programmatic and Site-Specific schedules) until superseded by a new DOE records disposition schedule (e.g., DOE XX, item XXX) or cross-walked to a GRS as there are DOE records either not covered by the GRS or that need to be maintained longer than the retention period in the GRS. If there is a DOE RDS that is identical to or similar to a GRS item, use the DOE RDS, as the DOE RDS requires a longer retention than the GRS. Contact the DOE Records Management Program at [email protected] if you are unsure of which schedule to utilize.
New DOE RDS and GRS
| 1.0 FINANCE | |
| Records Disposition Schedule Number | Records Disposition Schedule Title / Brief Description |
Last Modified October 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Financial Management and Reporting Records Financial Management and Reporting Records documenting the procurement of goods and services, bill paying, debt collection, accounting for financial transactions, monitoring agencies’ net worth, pension, and insurance. |
Last modified August 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Grant and Cooperative Agreement Records Records created for managing grants and cooperative agreements such as program announcements, application files, case files and similar or related records, state plans, and final products or deliverables. It does not cover records related to financial transactions. Such financial transaction records are covered by DOE or GRS 1.1, Financial Management and Reporting Records. |
Last Modified August 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Budgeting Records Budgeting involves determining priorities for spending, forecasting future needs and related expenditures, and distributing budget authority to achieve results consistent with the formulated budget. This process includes records that document: formulating a budget to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congress; defending requests for funds before both bodies; and, after Congress enacts an appropriations bill, properly using funds throughout the period of time covered by the agency’s appropriations. |
| 2.0 HUMAN RESOURCES | |
| Records Disposition Schedule Number | Records Disposition Schedule Title |
Last Modified September 2023 (Transmittal 06) | Employee Acquisition Records Records created or received in the process of hiring employees for Federal civilian, whether career service, senior executive service, political appointment, excepted service appointment, or temporary/special appointment. It also covers the academic/outreach program and job or position descriptions and contractor job classification records. |
Last Modified August 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Employee Management Records Records created or received while carrying out the work of civilian (Federal) and contractor employee management: managing employee performance, creating, and maintaining personnel and workforce planning records. |
Last Modified August 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Employee Relations Records Records documenting activities related to managing relationships between the DOE/DOE contractor, its employees, its unions, and bargaining units. Records include the apprenticeship program. The records are those maintained by offices dealing with employee relations functions, regardless of office placement in organizational structure. |
Last Modified August 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Employee Compensation and Benefits Records Records created or received while conducting payroll functions and while managing specific programs that offer employees monetary or other tangible benefits. Additionally, this schedule includes records needed to support various departmental Health Programs that require records to be maintained for an extended period of time (75 years to 250 years). See DOE/GRS 2.3 (Employee Relations Records) and DOE/GRS 2.7 (Employee Health and Safety Records) for other programs that provide intangible benefits, protections, or assistance to employees. |
Last Modified August 2022 (Transmittal 05) | Employee Separation Records (no DOE RDS exists) This schedule covers records created in the process of employees leaving Federal service whether that service status is career, temporary, or political appointment. These records divide into two categories: records of managing an employee separation program in general, and case files specific to individual separations. Bullet lists describe records that may be contained in these files. They do not mean to convey that all of these records must be contained in every file. In particular, records pertinent to individual separating employees will vary depending on the type of service (career, temporary, or political appointment) and an employee’s responsibilities. |
Last Modified August 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Employee Training Records Records documenting design, development, and implementation of employee training. Records includes both administrative and mission related training. This schedule includes documentation of employee training provided from internal or external vendors, DOE, or other agencies; and is applicable to Federal and contractor employees. |
Last Modified October 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Employee Health and Safety Records Records documenting employee health and safety functions, including non-occupational health records, medical records, health unit records, radiation exposure, and hazardous concentrations of toxic chemical exposure. |
Last Modified August 2022 (Transmittal 05) | Employee Ethics Records (no DOE RDS exists) This schedule covers records documenting the activities of executive branch agency ethics program offices. Records not covered by this schedule: Records pertaining to legislative branch and judicial branch ethics programs, the Hatch Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, procurement integrity, and other areas often associated with, but not expressly under, the authority of executive branch ethics programs. |
| 3.0 TECHNOLOGY | |
| Records Disposition Schedule Number | Records Disposition Schedule Title |
Last modified September 2023 (Transmittal 06) | General Technology Management Records This schedule covers records created and maintained by Federal agencies related to the general management of technology. It includes records related to developing, operating, and maintaining computer software, systems, and infrastructure improvements; complying with information technology policies and plans; and maintaining data standards. |
Last modified February 2023 (Transmittal 05) | Information Systems Security Records This schedule covers records created and maintained by Federal agencies related to protecting the security of information technology systems and data and responding to computer security incidents. This schedule does not apply to system data or content. |
| 4.0 INFORMATION MANAGEMENT | |
| Records Disposition Schedule Number | Records Disposition Schedule Title |
Last modified June 2023 (Transmittal 06) | Records Management Records This schedule covers records created and maintained by Federal agencies that relate to the management of records and information. It includes records related to tracking and controlling agency records and documents, records management, forms management, and managing vital or essential records. |
Last modified June 2023 (Transmittal 06) | Information Access and Protection Records This schedule covers records created in the course of agencies (1) responding to requests for access to Government information and (2) protecting information that is classified or controlled unclassified or contains personal data that is required by law to be protected. |
Last modified August 2022 (Transmittal 05) | Library Records (no DOE RDS exists) Agency library and information centers collect material related to their agency’s mission or focus. This schedule only applies to library or information centers within agencies, not agencies that are themselves libraries. Library services include administering the program, collecting data and information, and transferring collected data and information to the end customer. This schedule covers records that document agency library and information center administration and daily operations. |
Last modified June 2023 (Transmittal 06) | Digitizing Records This schedule covers source records that have been digitized and documentation related to digitization projects and processes. |
| 5.0 GENERAL OPERATIONS | |
| Records Disposition Schedule Number | Records Disposition Schedule Title |
Last modified August 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Common Office Records This schedule covers certain records common to most offices in Federal agencies, whether those offices are involved in administrative or mission-related activities. Most of these records are administrative housekeeping records. Agencies create and maintain administrative records when carrying out general, non-mission-related activities that keep an office operating. In contrast, agencies create mission records when carrying out the unique activities for which the agency was established. The only mission-related records this schedule covers are non-recordkeeping copies of electronic records (item 020) that are maintained for decision-making purposes or taking action. Copies maintained solely for convenience of reference are considered non-record materials. This schedule may be applied to records in offices that carry out mission-related activities, but only those records that are described here. |
Last modified June 2023 (Transmittal 06) | Transitory and Intermediary Records This schedule covers records of a transitory or intermediary nature. Transitory records are routine records of short-term value (generally less than 180 days). Intermediary records are those involved in creating a subsequent record. These records do not document significant decisions or actions an agency takes. |
Last modified August 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Continuity and Emergency Planning Records This schedule covers records related to federal agency internal emergency planning to protect people, government facilities, equipment, and records; safeguard classified or controlled unclassified information; ensure continuity of agency operations in the face of potential natural and man-made disasters; and facilitate timely recovery and return to normal agency operations once the emergency or disaster has passed. |
Last modified August 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Facility, Equipment, Vehicle, Property, and Supply Records This schedule covers records Federal agencies create and receive while managing, operating, and maintaining Government-owned and -leased real property, facilities, equipment, vehicles (land, water and air), personal property, and supplies. This includes allocating space and managing supply stock. |
Last modified August 2022 (Transmittal 05)
| Mail, Printing, and Telecommunication Service Management Records This schedule covers records related to:
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Last modified August 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Security Records Security Management involves the physical protection of an organization’s personnel, assets, and facilities (including security clearance management). Activities include security operations for protecting agency facilities, staff, and property; managing personnel security; and insider threat protection. |
Last modified March 2024 (Transmittal 06) | Administrative Management and Oversight Records This schedule covers records about administrative management activities in Federal agencies. It includes activities such as internal controls oversight and reporting, policies and procedures, and results management and reporting, but only when they relate to administrative functions. It also includes some records related to the Federal Register. |
Last modified January 2025 (Transmittal 08) | Administrative Help Desk Records Help desk services are provided by service centers to respond to Government and contract employees' technical and administrative questions. This schedule covers records on managing administrative, technical, and information technology (IT) help desks. It includes records on assistance provided both within the agency and through inter-agency service agreements on functions such as IT help, security, parking, payroll, timekeeping, human resources, etc. |
| 6.0 MISSION SUPPORT | |
| Records Disposition Schedule Number | Records Disposition Schedule Title |
Last Modified August 2023 (Transmittal 06)
| Email Managed Under a Capstone Approach (This schedule is mandatory for all DOE email accounts) This schedule applies only to Federal agencies that implement a Capstone approach as described in this GRS. When implementing this GRS, agencies should consult the FAQs about GRS 6.1, Email Managed under a Capstone Approach. Agencies are reminded that this GRS should not be implemented in isolation and should be supplemented with agency-wide policies and training, as well as incorporated into agency records management implementation tools, such as manuals and file plans. Agencies adopting a Capstone approach should also consult other resources available from NARA related to email management, specifically the Capstone approach. These resources are available on NARA’s Frequently Asked Questions page and are summarized in the introduction to the FAQ. |
Last Modified September 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Federal Advisory Committee Records This schedule covers Federal records created or received by Federal advisory committees and their subgroups pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended) and records related to the management of these committees by their sponsoring agencies or departments. If a committee is a Presidential advisory committee, check with the agency’s General Counsel before applying this schedule. If records are determined to fall under the Presidential Records Act, this schedule does not apply. For convenience, the term “committee” is used in this schedule to mean “advisory committee” pursuant to FACA. |
Last Modified November 2023 (Transmittal 06) | Information Technology Records (no DOE RDS exists) This schedule covers records about Federal agency Information Technology (IT) program planning, which includes designing and operating major IT management processes; acquiring and managing IT capital investments; monitoring IT program performance; and developing and maintaining an agency’s IT architecture. |
Last Modified August 2022 (Transmittal 05) | Public Affairs Records This schedule covers records about public affairs functions within Federal agencies. Public affairs involves communications and information exchanges between the Federal Government, citizens, and stakeholders in direct support of citizen services, public policy, and national interest. |
Last Modified August 2022 (Transmittal 05) | Public Customer Service Records (no DOE RDS exists) This schedule covers records an agency creates or receives while providing customer service to the public. Federal agencies that provide direct services to the public operate customer call centers or service centers to assist external customers. They may provide customer support through telephone discussions (toll-free numbers), dialogue (via chat), and email. |
Last modified August 2024 (Transmittal 08) | Special Collections Required by Statute (no DOE RDS exists) On occasion, Congress passes laws that require agencies to transfer special collections of records to the National Archives. This schedule provides disposition authority for agencies to transfer copies of these records to comply with the law. Examples of special record collections include The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-426) and The 2024 National Defense Authorization Act: Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Collection (Public Law 118-31, Sections 1841-1843). |
DOE Administrative and Environmental Records Schedules
The following NARA-approved records disposition schedules contain items still authorized for use, as well as documenting items that have been superseded, or rescinded. For easier searching, a PDF has been created that consolidates all of the Administrative and Environmental schedules into one file.
Note: Not all Requests for Disposition Authorities (SF115s) were consolidated into the Administrative or Environmental Schedules, many of which are still active. NARA approved SF115s can be found on the NARA website under record groups 326, 430 and 434.
| DOE Records Disposition Schedule, Title, and Brief Description | Relates to New NARA-approved Records Disposition Schedule(s) |
Administrative Schedule (ADM) 1 Personnel Records Records include personnel, medical, training, employee health (medical, radiation exposure, and toxic chemicals), radiation program, employee concerns programs, labor agreements and negotiations, labor relations, academic and outreach programs, apprenticeship programs, job vacancies, unemployment compensation, and recruitment. Last Modified August 2024 |
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Administrative Schedule (ADM) 2 Payroll and Pay Administration Records– Inactive Records include tax withholdings, savings plan deduction requests, payroll administration records and individual employee pay records. Last Modified August 2024 |
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Administrative Schedule (ADM) 3 Procurement, Supply and Grant Records Procurement and supply records document the acquisition of goods and nonpersonal services, controlling the volume of stock on hand, reporting procurement needs, and related supply matters which are part of daily procurement operations. Last Modified August 2024 |
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Administrative Schedule (ADM) 4 Property Disposal Records These records pertain to the sales by agencies of real and personal property surplus to the needs of the Government. Last Modified August 2024 |
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Administrative Schedule (ADM) 5 Budget Preparation, Presentation and Apportionment Records – Inactive Last Modified August 2024 |
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Administrative Schedule (ADM) 6 Accountable Officers’ Accounts Records This schedule covers accountable officers’ returns and related records, including records under the cognizance of the General Accountability Office (GAO). Last Modified August 2022 |
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| General Records Schedule (GRS) 7 Expenditure Accounting Records– Inactive |
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| General Records Schedule (GRS) 8 Stores, Plants and Cost Accounting Records– Inactive |
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Administrative Schedule (ADM) 9 Travel and Transportation Records This schedule covers records documenting the movement of goods and persons under Government orders. The records include bills of lading, transportation requests, transportation vouchers, per diem vouchers, travel authorizations, and all supporting documentation, including that prescribed by Title 5 of the General Accounting Office Policy and Procedures Manual. Record copies of all travel, transportation, and freight documents used to support payments become components of the accountable officers' accounts. Last Modified August 2024 |
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| General Records Schedule (GRS) 10 Motor Vehicle and Aircraft Maintenance and Operation Records– Inactive |
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Administrative Schedule (ADM) 11 Space and Maintenance Records Records documenting these functions pertain to the acquisition, allocation, utilization, and release of space and include related correspondence and reports submitted to the General Services Administration. Last Modified September 2023 |
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Administrative Schedule (ADM) 12 Communication Records The principal records documenting communication functions include messenger service data; telecommunications service control and operational records; long distance telephone reports; postal records, consisting of post office forms and supporting papers; mail control records and supporting and related papers; agency copies of penalty mail reports; and records relating to private delivery service (such as United Parcel Service). Last Modified August 2024 |
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| General Records Schedule (GRS) 13 Communications Records – Inactive | |
Administrative Schedule (ADM) 14 Information Services Records This schedule covers certain records pertaining to informational services performed by the Department in their day-to-day affairs and in their relations with the public, including records created in administering Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act) programs. Last Modified September 2023 | |
| General Records Schedule (GRS) 15 Housing Records– Inactive |
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Administrative Schedule (ADM) 16 Administrative Management Records This schedule covers those administrative management activities not covered by other Administrative Schedules. Included are disposable records created in the course of organizational planning, development, and simplification of procedures; records management activities; and administration of management improvement programs. Last Modified August 2024 |
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DOE creates and receives cartographic, aerial photographic, architectural, and Engineering design records in connection with official activities. Last Modified April 2024 | |
Administrative Schedule (ADM) 18 Security, Emergency Planning and Safety Records Records pertaining to the control and protection of safeguards and security interest (e.g., classified information, sensitive unclassified information, special nuclear materials, nuclear weapons, other Government property), emergency planning, and safety records documenting safe operations. Last Modified August 2024 |
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| General Records Schedule (GRS) 19 - Reserved | |
Administrative Schedule (ADM) 20 Electronic Records – Inactive This schedule authorizes the disposition of specified electronic records and hard-copy or microform records and are integrally related to them. Last Modified March 2024 |
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Administrative Schedule (ADM) 21 Audiovisual Records Audiovisual records include still and motion picture photography, graphic materials, and sound and video recordings. Related documentation includes (1) production files or other files documenting the creation, justification, ownership, and rights to the records and (2) finding aids used to identify or access the records. Last Modified August 2024 |
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Administrative Schedule (ADM) 22 Audit / Investigation Records Records associated with audits, investigations, appraisals, surveillance, self-assessments and management assessments, including those conducted by the Office of Inspector General. Last Modified October 2021 | |
Administrative Schedule (ADM) 23 Records Common to Most Offices Records like administrative subject files; facilitative records such as suspense files, tracking and control records, calendars, and indexes; and documents of transitory value. Last Modified March 2024 |
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| General Records Schedule (GRS) 24 Information Technology Operations and Management Records – Inactive | |
| General Records Schedule (GRS) 25 Ethics Program Records – Inactive |
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Records created to comply with or needed to support compliance with Federal environmental laws and implementing regulations. The laws and implementing regulations encompass but are not limited to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act, Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977, United States Code (USC) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, as well as other regulatory requirements. Last Modified September 2024 |
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DOE is working to modernize the DOE Records Disposition Schedules, which will be a 5+year project. If you have questions regarding the status of the project, please contact the DOE RM.