Records Management Essentials

3.9. Transfer records as necessary

If you choose to send records to off-site storage because they are inactive (used less than once a month) but their retention has not yet been met, you may send them to the State Records Center. The State Records Center, located in Clearfield, Utah, is a secure storage facility for records that are still in the custody of the creating governmental agency. Records can be stored at the State Records Center at no cost to your agency. Although the records are stored off-site at the State Records Center, the creating agency still has the responsibility to maintain them; records officers can recall records as needed and are responsible for providing access to the records.

When the retention period for records stored at the State Records Center has been met, they will be handled according to their disposition. If the disposition is “Transfer to the State Archives,” the records need to be kept permanently and will be transferred directly to the State Archives without the creating agency being notified. If the disposition is “Destroy,” a destruction notice will be sent to the agency’s records officer, who must authorize the destruction of the records. If an agency has more than one records officer, the agency should designate which records officer will be responsible for responding to destruction notices and provide that information to their RIM specialist. Once agency approval of the destruction is obtained, the staff at the Records Center arranges for the secure destruction of the records.

 

 

Instructions for sending boxes of records to the State Records Center for storage can be found on our website. The process consists of:

1. verifying that the records have been scheduled by obtaining a record series number;
2. purchasing records center boxes from Office Depot;
3. preparing records for transfer by correctly filling, inventorying, and labeling the boxes;
4. completing a Records Transfer Sheet (RTS) (see image below);
5. arranging delivery (after you submit the RTS, the Records Center staff will contact you to discuss your plans for delivering the boxes);
6. delivering the boxes to the Records Center. Agencies located along the Wasatch Front usually send boxes via the State Mail system, which will deliver up to six boxes per day free of cost and larger shipments for a fee. If you send them in multiple shipments, you will need to complete a Records Transfer Sheet for each shipment. Boxes can also be delivered in person or through an alternative postal delivery system.

 

 

If you need to recall records that are stored at the Records Center, you can submit an online Records Center File Retrieval form and the records will be processed and on their way to you within seventy-two business hours. When you return the recalled records to the State Records Center (via mail or in person), you do not need to submit a Records Transfer Sheet, but be sure to attach the recall request sheet that accompanied the box or file when you received it.

When transferring records of historical value that have met their retention, and that have a disposition of “Transfer to the State Archives” or “May transfer to the State Archives,” you will send them to the State Archives, which is located in downtown Salt Lake City, just south of the Rio Grande building. It is a repository for non-active historical records with a permanent retention, and the custody of records stored there is held by the Utah Division of State Archives and Records Service. This means that the State Archives is responsible for preserving, caring for, storing, and providing access to the records. Records held at the State Archives are available for use in the research center located in the Rio Grande building, but will not be returned to the creating agency for use. In order to transfer records to the State Archives, contact your RIM specialist at 801-531-3863 or recordsmanagement@utah.gov.

 

 

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