What is the Federal Records Act?

The Federal Records Act (FRA) is the foundational U.S. law governing how federal agencies create and manage their records. First enacted in 1950 and amended several times since, it establishes the legal framework that makes recordkeeping a mandatory function of government rather than an optional one.

What it requires

At a high level, the Federal Records Act requires every federal agency to:

• Make and preserve records documenting its organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, and essential transactions — enough to protect the legal and financial rights of the government and of persons affected by its activities.
• Establish a records management program with policies and procedures for managing records throughout their lifecycle.
• Schedule its records — determine, with the National Archives, how long each type of record must be kept.
• Dispose of records only under authority granted by the Archivist of the United States. Destroying federal records without approved authority is unlawful.

The role of NARA

The Act gives the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) oversight responsibility. NARA issues regulations (found in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations), approves agency records schedules, provides guidance, and takes custody of permanent records for preservation. Agencies work with NARA to schedule records and to transfer those of enduring value.

Why it matters

The Federal Records Act is why U.S. government recordkeeping is one of the most structured systems in the world. It underpins transparency and accountability — including the ability to respond to FOIA requests — and it preserves the documentary history of the government. Related laws, such as the Presidential Records Act (covering the records of the President) and the E-Government Act, complement it.

Modern guidance built on the FRA, including the OMB/NARA push toward fully electronic recordkeeping, reflects the same core principle the Act established more than seventy years ago: government must document what it does, keep those records as long as required, and dispose of them only in an authorized, accountable way.