Records Destruction
When disposing of University records or information, you must ensure that the records have met all reporting and retention requirements since knowledge of disposal eligibility is the responsibility of the requestor. You must also document the disposition of any original public records in your custody regardless of the provenance of those records. Please refer to Chapter 1B-24.003 of the Florida Administrative Code for more information on the disposal of public records.
Requesting Disposal of Public Records
All original records (including electronic records/data) must be documented on a Records Disposition Request form prior to disposal. There may be instances where you are required to contact another office prior to your disposal request, or where you will be required to submit supporting documentation from another applicable office or outside agency. For electronic records, you will need to provide additional information regarding when all instances of the records will be purged (including back-ups.)
For public records listed with a retention period of “retain until obsolete, superseded, or administrative value is lost,” you are not required by State law to submit a request for disposal.
For original paper records scanned and converted into an electronic format, yes, you will be required to submit a disposition request prior to disposing of the paper originals. (This is the disposal method ‘Scan & Destroy’ on the request form.) Chapter 1B-26.003 of the Florida Administrative Code outlines the minimum requirements for maintaining electronic records, including minimum scanning requirements and format readability for electronic records with long-term value. The State of Florida considers any record with a retention of 10 years or longer to be a “permanent or long-term record.”
Record Disposition Request Form
- Records Disposition Request (BLANK)
- Instructions for Completing the Disposition Request
- Disposition Request (Paper) – EXAMPLE
- Disposition Request (Electronic) – EXAMPLE
Records with Archival Value
You may find that some of the records you wish to dispose of have been determined to have archival value, or may have archival value at the discretion of the University Records Manager and other archival personnel. Prior to any records transfer, the University Records Manager will consult with University of Florida Archives or Health Science Center Library Archives staff to determine the best course of action. You will still need to submit a Records Disposition Request form prior to transferring the materials to either repository. For more on this process, please consult the following websites:
Transferring records to University of Florida Archives
Transferring records to Health Science Center Archives (HSC departments/offices ONLY)
Arranging Destruction Services
Shred-It is authorized to provide destruction and disposal services for restricted and sensitive documents/data in any format including paper, videos, computer tapes and hard drives. Shred-It can provide either on-premise or local off-premise destruction or disposal service; and, account pricing will be based on the service option that is chosen. Shred-It provides shredding for a higher level of document destruction for the most sensitive material. See the Procurement Services’ webpage for more information.
For non-confidential documents, Facilities Services can dispose of most paper materials. Please visit their website for more detailed information.