ISO 15489 and ISO 16175: The International Records Standards

While the United States leans on the product-focused DoD 5015.2 standard, the global records management profession is anchored by two ISO standards: ISO 15489 and ISO 16175. They are complementary — one defines the principles, the other the functional requirements for digital systems.

ISO 15489: the principles

ISO 15489 is the international standard for records management. It is principles-based: rather than testing software, it describes the concepts of good recordkeeping that apply regardless of technology or jurisdiction. Its most cited contribution is the four characteristics of an authoritative record:

• Authenticity — the record is what it claims to be.
• Reliability — its content can be trusted as accurate.
• Integrity — it is complete and unaltered.
• Usability — it can be located, retrieved, and interpreted.

It also describes the core processes — creation and capture, classification, access control, retention and disposition, and metadata — that produce and maintain such records. ISO 15489 is, in effect, the shared vocabulary and conceptual foundation of the profession.

ISO 16175: the digital functional requirements

ISO 16175 complements 15489 by setting out principles and functional requirements for managing records in digital environments. Where 15489 says what good records management is, 16175 helps specify what a digital system must do to deliver it — capture, classification against a file plan, retention and disposition, metadata, access control, and the like. It is widely used internationally as a basis for evaluating records management functionality, much as 5015.2 is in the U.S.

How they work together

Think of it as layers:

• ISO 15489 — the principles (what trustworthy records and recordkeeping are).
• ISO 16175 — the functional requirements for digital systems (what software must do to uphold those principles).
• Audit and certification — the practices that demonstrate an organization actually meets them.

Why they matter

These standards elevate records management from local custom to recognized discipline. They give organizations a defensible, internationally accepted basis for designing programs and evaluating tools, and they let professionals across countries and industries speak the same language. For buyers and program managers, aligning with ISO 15489 and 16175 (and, in the U.S., 5015.2) is strong evidence that recordkeeping is being done right. See the compliance and standards hub for more.