Retention Schedules or Records Disposition Authorities (RDAs)

RDAs are issued by the Local Government Records Commission under the authority granted by the Code of Alabama 1975, Sections 41-13-23. RDAs list records created and maintained by the agency in carrying out its mandated functions and activities. It establishes minimum retention periods and disposition instructions for those records and provides the legal authority for the agency to implement records destruction.

Records Destruction

RDAs constitute authorization by the Local Government Records Commission for the disposition of records of the agency as stipulated in the document. Agencies must, however, submit a Local Government Records Destruction Notice to the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) each time that records, electronic or paper, are destroyed.

Local Government Records Commission

The Local Government Commission is charged with the responsibility of determining which local records shall be permanently preserved because of historical value and which local records may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of…No county, municipal, or other local government official shall cause any records to be destroyed or otherwise disposed of without first obtaining approval of the Local Government Records Commission.

Local Government Deposit Agreement

If counties or municipalities lack adequate space for preserving original permanent records, the Local Government Records Commission has approved a Local Government Records Deposit Agreement to assist them in finding a suitable off-site repository, such as a local library, archives, or commercial storage facility. This completed form must be reviewed by ADAH staff.