USDA NARA-Approved Records Schedules

Welcome to the Office of Information Affairs (OIA) Records Management Division page for records schedules.

This page serves as a reference for all active USDA records disposition authorities.

To learn more about records management and your records responsibilities (PDF, 222 KB), visit the USDA Departmental Records Management Division page. If you need assistance or have questions about how these schedules apply to your program, please contact your Agency Records Officer (PDF, 245 KB).

USDA NARA-Approved Records Schedules

Federal records oversight falls under the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). NARA must approve all proposed records schedules and assign a legally binding disposition authority number. USDA no longer uses agency-created file codes.

Records schedules—including agency‑specific schedules that support each agency’s mission, and the General Records Schedules (GRS) that apply to functions common across all Federal agencies—are living documents and may be updated over time.

On this page, you will find links to:

• Active USDA agency‑specific records schedules, for mission records.
• The USDA NARA-Approved General Records Schedule, for records common to all Federal agencies, such as budget, personnel, facilities, and information technology. This version is mandatory for all USDA agencies and replaces the GRS posted on the NARA website.
• Unscheduled Records Quick Guide - Records that are not NARA-approved, or not found on the schedules below, and must be treated as permanent.

USDA Records Schedules

• USDA Agency Records Schedules
• USDA NARA-Approved General Records Schedules (GRS)
  • USDA Machine-Readable General Records Schedule (GRS) Questions and Answers (QA) (Awaiting PDF)
  • USDA Machine-Readable General Records Schedule (GRS) Full Detail Version (XLSX, 174 KB)
  • USDA Machine-Readable General Records Schedule (GRS) Lite Version (XLSX, 177 KB)
• Unscheduled Records Quick Guide (PDF, 197 KB)