What is the difference between a federal record and personal papers?

The difference between a federal record and personal papers comes down to one question: was the material made or received in connection with official government business? That single distinction determines who owns the material, who controls it, and what can lawfully be done with it.

What Makes Something a Federal Record

In general, federal records are materials made or received by a federal agency in the course of conducting agency business, and preserved (or appropriate for preservation) as evidence of the agency’s organization, functions, decisions, or activities. The format does not matter. A record can be a memo, an email, a spreadsheet, a database entry, a text message, or a photograph. What matters is the connection to official duties and the informational value the material holds.

Because federal records belong to the government rather than to any individual, they are subject to agency control. They must be scheduled, retained for required periods, and either destroyed or transferred to the National Archives under approved disposition authorities. They are also potentially subject to access requests and legal holds.

What Personal Papers Are

Personal papers are materials that relate solely to an individual’s private affairs and are not used to conduct agency business. Common examples include:

• Private correspondence and diaries unrelated to official duties
• Materials documenting outside professional, political, religious, or volunteer activities
• Personal financial, family, or medical documents

Personal papers remain the property of the individual. They are not scheduled, retained, or dispositioned under agency authority, and the person may keep or discard them.

Why the Distinction Matters

Mixing the two creates real risk. If official business is conducted through personal accounts or devices, the resulting material is still a federal record and must be captured and managed accordingly. Likewise, labeling something “personal” does not exempt it if it actually documents agency work. When in doubt, the safer practice is to treat work-related material as a record and consult your agency records officer.

Keeping personal papers clearly separate from official files protects the integrity of the agency’s recordkeeping and ensures records remain available for accountability, transparency, and legal obligations.

For more background, see the federal records topic hub.