If I scanned a paper document, can I delete the electronic copy and keep only the paper, or vice versa?

The short answer is: it depends, and the decision is rarely yours to make casually. Whether you may discard the paper, discard the scan, or must keep both is governed by your retention schedule, the rules that apply to your records, and how trustworthy your digitized copy is. Either copy may be a legitimate record, but neither can be deleted simply because the other exists.

Start With the Record, Not the Format

A record is defined by its content and the obligation to keep it, not by whether it lives on paper or in a file. When you scan a document, you create two manifestations of the same information. Before destroying either one, ask three questions:

• What does my retention schedule say? The schedule sets how long the information must be kept, regardless of format. It does not authorize destruction simply because a duplicate exists.
• Is there a rule requiring the original? Some legal, financial, or contractual situations require the wet-signature paper original (for example, certain notarized or sealed documents). In those cases the paper is the record and the scan is a convenience copy.
• Is the scan trustworthy enough to be the record? If the digital copy will replace the paper, it must be complete, accurate, legible, and reliably retained for the full retention period.

Keeping Only the Scan

Many organizations legally destroy paper after scanning (“scan-and-toss”), but only under a defined process. Typically you need: an approved policy authorizing it, capture standards that ensure quality and completeness (image resolution, color, metadata), quality control, and a system that protects the digital copy from loss or alteration for its full lifecycle. Capture standards like those published by FADGI help ensure the scan is a faithful, durable substitute.

Keeping Only the Paper

If you keep the paper, you can usually delete a scan made only for temporary access or convenience, provided no rule requires the electronic version (for example, a system of record kept electronically, or e-discovery preservation obligations).

Practical Guidance

Do not improvise. Confirm the retention requirement, check whether an original must survive, and follow a documented destruction process with proof of authorization. When in doubt, keep both until the schedule clearly permits otherwise.

Learn more on the electronic records hub.