Record Copy

Record copy is the version of a document that an organization designates as the official, authoritative instance for recordkeeping. When the same content exists in many places, an inbox, a shared drive, a printout, only one copy carries the legal and evidential weight; that designated copy is the one governed by the retention schedule and subject to formal disposition, holds, and eventual transfer or archiving.

This distinction matters because it tells staff which instance to preserve and which they may delete as transitory or convenience copies. Tying retention to a single record copy prevents redundant storage, conflicting versions, and the risk of destroying the authoritative version while a casual duplicate lingers.

For example, if a policy memo is emailed to ten recipients, the office of record keeps the official record copy under the appropriate retention period, while recipients’ copies are nonrecord duplicates that can be discarded once no longer useful. In electronic systems, the record copy should carry the metadata that proves its authenticity, integrity, and provenance over time.