Anthony LaFaziaCEO, Atlantic Training · CEO at Atlantic Training | EdTech & Safety Compliance Leader

What Quantifies as a Federal Record? Understanding NARA Guidelines for Paper Documents

27 May 2026 · 1 min

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1:20

In this instructional segment, the presenter explains the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) definition of a federal record. A federal record is any recorded information—regardless of its form—created or received by a federal agency under federal law or in connection with public business. The speaker emphasizes that records are not limited to final reports; they also include drafts, printed emails, handwritten meeting notes, maps, photographs, and any other material that documents agency activities, policies, or decisions. The discussion highlights that the regulations apply to the information itself, whether it resides on paper, a hard drive, or in the cloud, and underscores the legal responsibility of agencies to manage and preserve these records according to established schedules, prohibiting unilateral destruction.

Chapters

First, we must establish a fundamental definition. What is a record? According to the National Archives and Records Administration, or or NARA. Federal records are defined as all recorded information, regardless of form, made or received by a federal agency under federal law or in connection with public business. This is crucial. A record isn't just a formal final report. It can include drafts, emails you've printed out, handwritten notes from a meeting, maps, and photographs. If it documents agency activities, policies, or decisions, it is likely a federal record. Remember, paper is just one format. The regulations we discuss today apply to the information itself, whether it's on a piece of paper, a hard drive, or in the cloud. You have a legal responsibility to manage these records according to established schedules. You cannot simply decide on your own to destroy a federal record.