Can any manager authorize destroying records, or does it have to be someone specific?

Short answer: destroying records is not something just any manager can decide on their own. In a sound records program, destruction is governed by an approved records retention schedule and a defined disposition authority — not by individual discretion.

Authority Comes from the Schedule, Not the Person

A retention schedule is the formal instrument that authorizes destruction. It states what record types an organization holds, how long each must be kept, and what happens at the end of that period. When a record reaches the end of its approved retention and no holds apply, destruction is authorized by the schedule — regardless of who pushes the button.

This is an important distinction. The legitimacy of a disposition decision rests on the documented rule, not on a manager’s personal judgment that something is “no longer needed.” A manager who deletes records outside an approved schedule may be creating legal and compliance exposure rather than reducing it.

Who Approves and Who Executes

Most organizations separate two roles:

• Approving the schedule — Setting retention periods and disposition rules is a governance function, often involving a records manager, legal counsel, and senior leadership. In government, schedules typically require approval by a designated authority (in the U.S. federal context, the National Archives).
• Executing disposition — Once the schedule exists, designated staff carry out destruction following the documented process. Their authority is delegated and procedural, not discretionary.

Before Anything Is Destroyed

Even with schedule authority, destruction should be paused when a legal hold, audit, investigation, or open records (FOIA-type) request applies. Holds override routine disposition.

Good practice also calls for documenting each destruction — what was destroyed, under which schedule item, by whom, and when — so the program can demonstrate that disposition was authorized and defensible. International guidance (ISO 15489) treats this controlled, documented disposition as a core records-management requirement.

Bottom Line

A single manager generally cannot authorize destruction on their own. Destruction should flow from an approved retention schedule, be carried out by designated staff, respect any holds, and be documented. For more on how schedules and disposition work together, see the retention and disposition topic hub.