The following schedule shows periods that designated records shall be preserved. The descriptions specified under the various general headings are for convenient reference and identification, and are intended to apply to the items named regardless of what the records are called in individual companies and regardless of the record media. The retention periods represent the prescribed number of years from the date of the document and not calendar years. Records not listed below shall be retained as determined by the management of each company.
Schedule of Records and Periods of Retention
Item and category of records
Retention period
A. Corporate and General
1. Incorporation and reorganization:
(a) Charter or certificate of incorporation and amendments
Note A.
(b) Legal documents related to mergers, consolidations, reorganization, receiverships and similar actions which affect the identity or organization of the company
Do.
2. Minutes of Directors, Executive Committees, Stockholders and other corporate meetings
Do.
3. Titles, franchises and authorities:
(a) Certificates of public convenience and necessity issued by regulating bodies
Until expiration or cancellation.
(b) Operating authorizations and exemptions to operate
Do.
(c) Copies of formal orders of regulatory bodies served upon the company
Note A.
(d) Deeds, charters, and other title papers
Until disposition of property.
(e) Patents and patent records
Note A.
4. Annual reports or statements to stockholders
3 years.
5. Contracts and agreements:
(a) Service contracts, such as for operational management, accounting, financial or legal services, and agreements with agents
Until expiration or termination plus 3 years.
(b) Contracts and other agreements relating to the construction, acquisition or sale of real property and equipment except as otherwise provided in (a) above
Do.
(c) Contracts for the purchase or sale of material and supplies except as provided in (a) above
Until expiration.
(d) Shipping contracts for transportation or caretakers of freight
Do.
(e) Contracts with employees and employee bargaining groups
Until expiration.
(f) Contracts, leases and agreements, not specifically provided for in this section
Until expiration or termination plus 1 year.
6. Accountant's auditor's, and inspector's reports:
(a) Certifications and reports of examinations and audits conducted by public accountants
3 years
(b) Reports of examinations and audits conducted by internal auditors, time inspectors, and others
Do.
7. Other: (See Note A)
B. Treasury
1. Capital stock records:
(a) Capital stock ledger
Note A.
(b) Capital stock certificates, records of or stubs of
Do.
(c) Stock transfer register
Do.
2. Long-term debt records:
(a) Bond indentures, underwritings, mortgages, and other long-term credit agreements
Until redemption plus 3 years.
(b) Registered bonds and debenture ledgers
Do.
(c) Stubs or similar records of bonds or other long-term debt issued
Note A.
3. Authorizations from regulatory bodies for issuance of securities including applications, reports, and supporting papers
Do.
4. Records of securities owned, in treasury, or held by custodians, detailed ledgers and journals, or their equivalent
Until the securities are sold, redeemed or otherwise disposed of.
5. Other: (See Note A)
C. Financial and Accounting
1. Ledgers:
(a) General and subsidiary ledgers with indexes
Until discontinuance of use plus 3 years.
(b) Balance sheets and trial balance sheets of general and subsidiary ledgers
3 years.
2. Journals:
(a) General journals
Until discontinuance of use plus 3 years.
(b) Subsidiary journals and any supporting data, except as otherwise provided for, necessary to explain journal entries
3 years.
3. Cash books:
(a) General cash books
Until discontinuance of use plus 3 years.
(b) Subsidiary cash books
3 years.
4. Vouchers:
(a) Voucher registers, indexes, or equivalent
Do.
(b) Paid and canceled vouchers, expenditure authorizations, detailed distribution sheets and other supporting data including original bills and invoices, if not provided for elsewhere
Do.
(c) Paid drafts, paid checks, and receipts for cash paid out
3 years.
5. Accounts receivable:
(a) Record or register of accounts receivable, indexes thereto, and summaries of distribution
3 years after settlement.
(b) Bills issued for collection and supporting data
Do.
(c) Authorization for writing off receivables
1 year.
(d) Reports and statements showing age and status of receivables
Do.
6. Records of accounting codes and instructions
3 years after discontinuance.
7. Other: (Note A)
D. Property and Equipment
Note. —All accounts, records, and memoranda necessary for making a complete analysis of the cost or value of property shall be retained for the periods shown. If any of the records elsewhere provided for in this schedule are of this character, they shall be retained for the periods shown below, regardless of any lesser retention period assigned
1. Property records:
(a) Records which maintain complete information on cost or other value of all real and personal property or equipment
3 years after disposition of property.
(b) Records of additions and betterments made to property and equipment
Do.
(c) Records pertaining to retirements and replacements of property and equipment
Do.
(d) Records pertaining to depreciation
Do.
(e) Records of equipment number changes
Do.
(f) Records of motor and engine changes
Do.
(g) Records of equipment lightweighed and stenciled
Only current or latest records.
2. Engineering records of property changes actually made
3 years after disposition of property.
3. Other: (Note A)
E. Personnel and Payroll
1. Personnel and payroll records
1 year (Note A).
F. Insurance and Claims
1. Insurance records:
(a) Schedules of insurance against fire, storms, and other hazards and records of premium payments
Until expiration plus 1 year.
(b) Records of losses and recoveries from insurance companies and supporting papers
1 year after settlement.
(c) Insurance policies
Until expiration of coverage plus 1 year.
2. Claims records:
(a) Claim registers, card or book indexes, and other records which record personal injury, fire and other claims against the company, together with all supporting data
1 year after settlement.
(b) Claims registers, card or book indexes, and other records which record overcharges, damages, and other claims filed by the company against others, together with all supporting data
Do.
(c) Records giving the details of authorities issued to agents, carriers, and others for participation in freight claims
3 years.
(d) Reports, statements and other data pertaining to personal injuries or damage to property when not necessary to support claims or vouchers
Do.
(e) Reports, statements, tracers, and other data pertaining to unclaimed, over, short, damaged, and refused freight, when not necessary to support claims or vouchers
1 year.
(f) Authorities for disposal of unclaimed, damaged, and refused freight
3 years.
3. Other: (See Note A)
G. Taxes
1. Taxes. (Note A)
H. Purchases and Stores
1. Purchases and stores. (Note A)
I. Shipping and Agency Documents
1. Bills of lading and releases:
(a) Consignors' shipping orders, consignors' shipping tickets, and copies of bills of lading freight bills from other carriers and other similar documents furnished the carrier for movement of freight
1 year.
(b) Shippers' order-to-notify bills of lading taken up and cancelled
Do.
2. Freight waybills:
(a) Local waybills
Do.
(b) Interline waybills received from and made to other carriers
Do.
(c) Company freight waybills
Do.
(d) Express waybills
Do.
3. Freight bills and settlements:
(a) Paid copy of freight bill retained to support receipt of freight charges:
(1) Bus express freight bills provided no claim has been filed
Do.
(2) All other freight bills
Do.
(b) Paid copy of freight bill retained to support payment of freight charges to other carriers:
(1) Bus express freight bills provided no claim has been filed
Do.
(2) All other freight bills
Do.
(c) Records of unsettled freight bills and supporting papers
1 year after disposition.
(d) Records and reports of correction notices
1 year.
4. Other freight records:
(a) Records of freight received, forwarded, and delivered
Do.
(b) Notice to consignees of arrival of freight; tender of delivery
Do.
5. Agency records (to include conductors, pursers, stewards, and others):
(a) Cash books
Do.
(b) Remittance records, bank deposit slips and supporting papers
Do.
(c) Balance sheets and supporting papers
Do.
(d) Statements of corrections in agents' accounts
Do.
(e) Other records and reports pertaining to ticket sales, baggage handled, miscellaneous collections, refunds, adjustments, etc
Do.
J. Transportation
1. Records pertaining to transportation of household goods:
(a) Estimate of charges
1 year.
(b) Order for service
Do.
(c) Vehicle-load manifest
Do.
(d) Descriptive inventory
Do.
2. Records and reports pertaining to operation of marine and floating equipment:
(a) Ship log
3 years.
(b) Ship articles
Do.
(c) Passenger and room list
Do.
(d) Floatmen's barge, lighter, and escrow captain's reports, demurrage records, towing reports and checks sheets
2 years.
3. Car distribution and movement-railroads only:
(a) Records of car allotment and distribution
Do.
(b) Records of cars ordered, furnished and loaded
Do.
(c) Records showing dates and numbers of trains, initials and number of cars, movement of cars, and mileage of cars and trains
Do.
(d) Report of cars interchanged with connecting lines
Do.
(e) Reports of unfilled car orders
1 year.
(f) Per diem and mileage reports made and received, including reclaims and discrepancy and adjustment reports
2 years.
(g) Demurrage and storage records
Do.
4. Dispatchers' sheets, registers, and other records pertaining to movement of transportation equipment
3 years
5. Import and export records including bonded freight and steamship engagements
2 years.
6. Records, reports, orders and tickets pertaining to weighting of freight
3 years.
7. Records of loading and unloading of transportation equipment
2 years.
8. Records pertaining to the diversion or reconsignment of freight, including requests, tracers, and correspondence
Do.
9. Other: (See Note A)
K. Tariffs and Rates
1. Official file copies of tariffs, classifications, division sheets, and circulars relative to the transportation of persons or property
3 years after expiration or cancellation.
2. Authorities and supporting papers for transportation of property or passengers free or at reduced rates
3 years.
3. Records and documents required by provisions of § 1253.20 to be maintained
2 years.
L. Supporting Data for Reports and Statistics
1. Supporting data for reports filed with the Surface Transportation Board and regulatory bodies:
(a) Supporting data for annual financial, operating and statistical reports
3 years.
(b) Supporting data for periodical reports of operating revenues, expenses, and income
Do.
(c) Supporting data for reports detailing use of proceeds from issuance or sale of company securities
Do.
(d) Supporting data for valuation inventory reports and records. This includes related notes, maps and sketches, underlying engineering, land, and accounting reports, pricing schedules, summary or collection sheets, yearly reports of changes and other miscellaneous data, all relating to the valuation of the company's property by the Surface Transportation Board or other regulatory body
3 years after disposition of the property.
2. Supporting data for periodical reports of accidents, inspections, tests, hours of service, repairs, freight car locations, etc
3 years.
3. Supporting data for periodical statistical of operating results or performance by tonnage, mileage, passengers carried, piggyback traffic, commodities, costs, analyses of increases and decreases, or otherwise
Do.
M. Miscellaneous
1. Index of records
Until revised as record structure changes.
2. Statement listing records prematurely destroyed or lost
For the remainder of the period as prescribed for records destroyed.
Note A: Records referenced to this note shall be maintained as determined by the designated records supervisory official. Companies should be mindful of the record retention requirements of the Internal Revenue Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, state and local jurisdictions and other regulatory agencies. Companies shall exercise reasonable care in choosing retention periods, and the choice of retention periods shall reflect past experiences, company needs, pending litigation, and regulatory requirements.
