The Office of Public Records is mandated by DC Law 6-19 and the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, Title 1, Chapter 15, to review and approve agency records retention schedules; train records officers in implementing the policies, procedures, and guidelines of managing records; collect, store, preserve, conserve and service historical records in the custody of the Archives; collect, store and service temporary records in the custody of the Records Center; and collect, store and service publications in the custody of the Library of Government Information.
Public Records and Archive Services is managed and administered through the Office of Public Records and Archives.
Service Details:
Research Building Permits and Architectural Plans
Related Services:
Library of Government Information
Service Contact:
Office of Public Records, Administrator
Contact Email: archives@dc.gov
Contact Phone: (202) 671-1105
Contact Fax: (202) 727-6076
Contact TTY: 711
Office Hours: Monday to Friday 8:15 am to 4:45 pm
Service Location:
GIS Address:
1300 Naylor Court, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Office Hours
Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm
Connect With Us
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 419, Washington, DC 20004
Phone: (202) 727-6306
Fax: (202) 727-3582
TTY: 711
Alternate Number: Notary: (202) 727-3117
Email: secretary@dc.gov
Ask the Secretary of the District of Columbia
Secretary of the District of Columbia
Preparing Records for Storage at the DC Records Center
Once records become inactive, meaning they are no longer needed to conduct day to day business they are stored according to the Records Retention Schedule. This document is often unique to each agency. However, some documents can be managed using the General Schedule. Only inactive records are stored at the DC Records Center.
This is the only size boxes accepted by the Office of Public Records and Federal Records Center are GSA or FRC Boxes
Boxes:
Purchase Information:
Things to remember:
To Determine Number of Boxes Needed
Step 1: Screen Records to Remove All Non-Record Material (duplicate copies, reference materials, etc)
Step 2: Identify & Separate Records into Series by Title (e.g. patient medical records, director’s correspondence files, grant application files, clinical record files, construction contracts)
Step 3: Place Records in either Letter or Legal Size Manila Folders
Step 4: Arrange Records by the Closing Date or Cut off Year and thereunder by the Particular Numerical, Alphabetical, Chronological or Other Identifiable Sequence for that Series
Step 5: Give each file a unique identifier
NOTE: We recommend labeling folders using pencil and not stick on labels. These tend to lose their adhesive and fall off over time.
After packing your boxes, you must create a box list to identify for both Agency and OPR Reference the contents of each box. There are 5 steps that must be completed when preparing your box lists.
To begin please complete the following steps:
Step 1: Create a Heading
Example of Box List Header (click to view header)
RESOURCE: Click Here to Download the Box List Template
Step 2: Add header to subsequent pages:
Step 3: Place a copy of the completed box list in each box
Step 4: Create a master box list
Step 5: Place a copy of the Master Box List in the first AND last box of the accession.
You have successfully prepared your boxes for transfer to the custody of the Office of Public Records. Your next step is to prepare the SF-135 and contact the Office of Public Records to begin the transfer process. For detailed instructions on that process please visit our "How to Prepare an SF-135" page.