Because the delegation of authority may differ from State to State, the organizational unit where the records are located may also differ. This makes it difficult to specify the exact office of record on an organizational level. Exclusion statements are added to some series descriptions. These statements are used to cross-reference record series that may be similar in title and function but which have different filing and disposition requirements. The disposition authority column identifies the records as either permanent or temporary and provides instructions for cutting off the files and their ultimate disposition - either by transfer or destruction.
All records are either permanent or temporary.
Cutting off files involves breaking or ending files at regular intervals, usually at fiscal or calendar year end, to permit their disposal or transfer. Case files are usually cutoff at end of the fiscal year in which they close. Permanent records are never destroyed and are always identified for transfer to NARA at a specific time after cutoff. All temporary records are scheduled for destruction, either at their cutoff date, after a specific period of time after cutoff, or when no longer needed. Temporary records may first transfer to FRC where they will be destroyed when they reach their authorized disposal date.