How long do you keep it? Search every Michigan retention schedule.
All 2,149 record series with retention rules, from all 31 current DTMB General Retention Schedules for Michigan local government, in one searchable place. The state publishes these as separate PDFs; there is no official searchable database. So we built one. Free, no signup, no email gate.
Retention periods are shown exactly as the official schedule prints them. This lookup is an educational reading aid, not legal advice.
The Michigan Clerk’s Retention Cheat Sheet
The most-asked retention rules for clerks (minutes, ordinances, poll books, FOIA files, invoices, permits, and more) in one printable quick reference, quoted as the schedules print them. Pin it by your desk. The database above stays free either way.
Browse by schedule
Every current General Schedule for Michigan local government, with every record series that carries a retention rule. Each page links back to the official PDF on michigan.gov.
Michigan Public Schools
240 record series · approved 4-11-2023
Register of Deeds
21 record series · approved 10-17-2006
County Clerks
47 record series · approved 6-2-2026
Local Health Departments
56 record series · approved 4-24-2018, revised 2018, 2020, 2022
Municipalities
346 record series · approved 4-7-1998, updated 2010, 2026
County Road Commissions
120 record series · approved 8-4-1998
Michigan Townships
48 record series · approved 7-9-1997, updated 2009, 2014, 2026
Local Law Enforcement
130 record series · approved 5-6-2025
Public Libraries
141 record series · approved 1-18-2005, revised 3-16-2021
Fire and Ambulance Departments
82 record series · approved 3-6-2007
Prosecuting Attorneys
37 record series · approved 5-1-2007
Community Mental Health Services Programs
66 record series · approved 5-1-2007
County Veterans Affairs
26 record series · approved 11-6-2007
Veterans Trust Fund
8 record series · approved 12-4-2007
Elections Records
89 record series · approved 10-24-2023, revised 3-26-2024
City and Village Clerks
23 record series · approved 3-31-2026
Township Clerks
93 record series · approved 6-17-2008
Human Resources
68 record series · approved 8-16-2022
County Treasurers
56 record series · approved 8-18-2020
City and Village Treasurers
29 record series · approved 7-20-2010
Township Treasurers
35 record series · approved 9-1-2009
Local Government Information Technology
37 record series · approved 12-1-2009
Financial Records
54 record series · approved 4-7-2009
Local Parks and Recreation Departments
54 record series · approved 4-20-2010
9-1-1 Call Centers
32 record series · approved 8-26-2025
Administrative Records
27 record series · approved 6-6-2023
Drain and Water Resources Commissioners
40 record series · approved 2-24-2015
County Equalization Departments
17 record series · approved 10-24-2017
Local Conservation Districts
22 record series · approved 2-17-2026
Animal Control Records
4 record series · approved 12-14-2021
Assessors
101 record series · approved 2-17-2026
Extracted from the official schedules. Checked line by line. Re-verified weekly.
Every series here was extracted from the official DTMB PDF and reconciled against the source in both directions: an item in our data that is not in the document, or an item in the document that is not in our data, fails the check. Retention periods and statutory authority are quoted as the schedule prints them, never paraphrased. When a source document prints something unusual, we preserve it exactly and flag it rather than quietly correcting the state.
The state revises these schedules, so we check the official index every week and re-pull anything that changed. That close reading has already produced one fix in the public record itself: in July 2026 the process caught a defective row in the published General Schedule #29 (a truncated item with its disposition missing), we reported it to DTMB Records Management Services, and the state corrected the published file the next day.
This database answers “what is the rule?” Inside Dekree, the same 2,149 series are applied to your actual records: the right schedule attached as documents land, disposition dates tracked, legal holds enforced, and an audit-ready disposal log that builds itself.
Quoted, not paraphrased
Retention periods and statutory authority are reproduced as the schedule prints them. We quote the state. We do not rewrite it.
Watched weekly
The DTMB index is checked every week. A revised schedule is re-extracted from the corrected source, never patched from memory.
The source stays the authority
Every schedule page links to the official PDF on michigan.gov. Before you dispose of anything, confirm there and with your attorney.
Common questions
How long does a Michigan township, city, or county have to keep its records?
It depends on the specific record series. Michigan local government retention periods are set by the DTMB General Retention Schedules: 31 current schedules covering 2,149 record series, from meeting minutes (permanent) to routine correspondence. Under MCL 399.811-399.812, an approved Retention and Disposal Schedule is the only legal authority to destroy a local government record. This page lets you search every series for free.
Which retention schedule applies to my office?
Most offices work from several schedules at once: the schedule for the office itself (GS #10 for townships, GS #8 for cities and villages, GS #25 for township clerks, GS #29 for township treasurers, GS #6 for county clerks) plus the function schedules that apply to everyone, such as GS #35 (Administrative Records), GS #31 (Financial Records), GS #26 (Human Resources), GS #30 (Information Technology), and GS #23 (Elections Records).
Can we destroy a record as soon as its retention period ends?
Only if an approved schedule authorizes it and no hold applies. Retention periods are minimums that authorize disposal, not commands to destroy. Records involved in litigation, a pending investigation, an active audit, or a pending FOIA request must be kept until the matter concludes, even if the retention period has expired.
How current is this database?
Every series is extracted from the official DTMB PDFs and checked line by line against the source. The DTMB schedule index is re-checked every week, and when the state revises a schedule, the data here is re-pulled from the corrected document. The same process once caught a defective row in the published General Schedule #29; the state fixed the file the next day.
Is this legal advice?
No. Retention periods are reproduced exactly as the official schedules print them, and the schedules themselves remain the authority. Always confirm against the official PDF on michigan.gov and consult your municipal attorney before disposing of records.
Specific answers, in depth
The retention questions clerks and treasurers actually ask, each answered from the schedules with every rule quoted as printed:
- How long do we keep meeting minutes?
- How long do we keep meeting recordings?
- How long do we keep closed-session minutes?
- How long do we keep foia request files?
- How long do we keep election ballots?
- How long do we keep personnel files?
- How long do we keep emails and correspondence?
- How long do we keep bank statements?
- How long do we keep tax rolls?
- How long do we keep building permits?
This database is educational information for Michigan public bodies, reproduced from the official DTMB General Retention Schedules. It is not legal advice, and schedules are revised. The official PDFs on michigan.gov remain the authority. Confirm specifics with your municipal attorney before disposing of any record.