Permanent Records Accession Transfer Checklist (NARA)

This checklist covers the steps needed to prepare permanent records for accession transfer, including inventory verification, folder and box labeling, packaging, shipment coordination, and required documentation. It is meant for records that have reached the end of their retention period and are ready for transfer of custody. It does not replace your agency records schedule or disposition authority. Use it to make sure the transfer package is complete before handoff.

Use it each time a permanent records accession transfer is planned, not on a fixed recurring cadence. In practice, that usually means whenever a records series reaches its transfer point or when NARA requests a shipment window. If your organization batches transfers, run the checklist for each batch. The checklist is a one-time workflow per transfer event.

The DRI is usually a records manager, archives specialist, or compliance lead who understands the series being transferred. Operations staff may handle packing and shipment, while the DRI verifies the inventory, documentation, and chain-of-custody details. If legal, privacy, or IT controls apply, those owners should review the package before release. The checklist works best when one person owns completion and others are assigned specific verification steps.

Yes, it supports compliance by prompting the team to confirm that the transfer is authorized, documented, and packaged according to the applicable records schedule and agency procedures. It is not legal advice and does not replace NARA guidance, agency directives, or retention schedules. Use it as an operational control to reduce missed forms, mislabeled boxes, and incomplete inventories. If your records include sensitive material, add the required handling checks before transfer.

Common failures include sending boxes with mismatched box numbers, missing inventories, incomplete transfer forms, or records that are not actually eligible for accession. Teams also miss packaging requirements, forget to confirm shipping dates, or fail to document who approved release. Another frequent issue is combining multiple record series without clear separation. This checklist makes each of those items independently verifiable before the transfer leaves your control.

Yes, and you should. Add the specific records series, accession identifiers, box counts, media types, and any agency-specific approval steps. If you transfer both paper and born-digital records, split the checklist items so each format has its own verification step. Keep the items atomic so each one can be answered yes, no, or N/A without interpretation.

An ad-hoc email thread is easy to start but hard to audit, because approvals, packing checks, and shipment details get scattered across messages. A checklist gives you a single task type with clear ownership, blocking items, and a repeatable sequence for every transfer. That makes it easier to prove what was verified and what still needs action. It also reduces the chance that a critical step is skipped when multiple people are involved.

This template pairs well with document management systems, records inventories, ticketing tools, and shared storage for transfer forms and manifests. You can link the checklist to the accession inventory, shipment tracking, and approval records so the DRI can verify everything in one place. If your workflow uses reminders, connect it to a calendar or task system to coordinate pickup and review deadlines. The goal is to keep the checklist tied to the source records and the final transfer packet.