NARA Bulletin 2005-06

August 22, 2005

TO: Heads of Federal agencies

SUBJECT: Additional requirement for transferring permanent records to the 

National Archives of the United States directly from agencies

EXPIRATION DATE: August 31, 2008 (per NARA Bulletin 2007-01)

1. What is the purpose of this bulletin? 

The purpose of this bulletin is to alert Federal agencies of additional 

documentation required when transferring records to the National Archives 

of the United States directly from agencies. The National Archives of the 

United States is the designation within NARA for holdings that are in the 

legal custody of NARA.

2. Why is NARA taking this action?

Agency records that are stored in a records storage facility must include 

documentation sufficient to identify and locate files as required by 36 CFR 

1228.154. For agencies that use NARA records centers, Standard Form (SF) 

135, Records Transmittal and Receipt, with a folder title list serves this 

purpose (36 CFR 1228.160). We are now requiring this documentation for 

transfers of permanent records to the National Archives of the United States 

that are transferred directly from the agency.

3. What are the current requirements?

As described in 36 CFR 1228.272(b), transfers of permanent records are 

initiated by submission of an SF 258, Agreement to Transfer Records to the 

National Archives of the United States. Each SF 258 must relate to a specific 

record series as identified on the SF 115, Request for Records Disposition 

Authority, in accumulations of one or more consecutive years.

4. What is the specific requirement described in this bulletin?

From this day forward, all SF 258s for transfers of records directly from 

agencies must be accompanied by a folder title list of the box contents or 

equivalent detailed records description. The detailed list will allow us to verify 

that we have received the records that the agency intended to transfer. It will 

also serve as an elementary finding aid to the records.

 a. For electronic records, this requirement is satisfied by providing the 

documentation and indexes specified in 36 CFR 1234.32 and by following 

the technical standards in 36 CFR 1228.270, and, where appropriate, NARA 

guidance on transfers of newer formats of electronic and digital records.

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 b. For other records, the detailed list may be provided in hard-copy or 

electronic format (word processing, spread sheet, database, or PDF).

5. Why is this change necessary? 

The volume of records being accessioned into the National Archives of the 

United States is growing annually, and most records cannot immediately be 

processed and described. As an example, in FY 2004 NARA received 248 

transfers of records directly from agencies amounting to over 12,000 cubic 

feet. Without a detailed list of the records transferred, NARA staff cannot 

effectively provide reference service on those records for your agency or 

other researchers. 

6. What if I am unable to meet the requirements described in this 

bulletin? 

If your agency is unable to comply with the requirements described in this 

bulletin, your agency's records officer should contact the NARA appraiser or 

records analyst with whom your agency normally works. Contact information 

is listed in paragraph 8 below.

7. Is further information available within my agency? 

Your agency's records officer has more information on your agency's current 

procedures for transferring records to the National Archives of the United 

States. The list of agency records officers is available online at 

http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/agency/officers-lists.html.

8. Is assistance available from NARA? 

 a. NARA's Life Cycle Management Division provides assistance and 

advice to agency records officers in the Washington, DC, area. Your 

agency's records officer may contact the NARA appraiser or records analyst 

with whom your agency normally works. A list of the appraisal and 

scheduling work groups is posted on the NARA web site at 

http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/appraisal/.

 b. The Records Management staff in NARA's regional offices provides 

assistance to records officers across the country. A complete list of NARA 

regional facilities may be found athttp://www.archives.gov/locations/regionalarchives.html.

ALLEN WEINSTEIN

Archivist of the United States

Contact Us Accessibility Privacy Policy Freedom of Information Act No FEAR Act USA.gov

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272 

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