What is the Presidential Records Act?

The Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978 governs the records created or received by the President and Vice President in carrying out their official duties. Its central change was to establish that these are public property, not the personal property of the officeholder.

What it does

• Public ownership. Presidential records belong to the United States, not the President personally. This reversed the prior tradition in which presidents treated their records as private.
• Custody by NARA. At the end of an administration, the Archivist of the United States (NARA) assumes custody of the presidential records and is responsible for their preservation and eventual public access.
• Public access. Presidential records become available to the public through NARA — subject to certain restrictions and a process for time-limited access delays — generally beginning a set period after the administration ends. FOIA access applies on a defined timeline.

How it differs from the Federal Records Act

The Federal Records Act governs the records of executive-branch agencies. The Presidential Records Act specifically governs the records of the President and Vice President. They’re parallel laws for different parts of the executive branch, both administered with NARA’s involvement, but with distinct rules — for example, presidential records have their own access regime and restriction categories.

Why it matters

The PRA is why presidential libraries exist and why the documentary record of each administration is preserved for history and accountability. It’s also a recurring subject of public attention when questions arise about how presidential and vice-presidential records are created, preserved, and handled — underscoring that even at the highest level, recordkeeping obligations apply.