Skip to main content
Transparency data

Home Office retention and disposal standards

Outlines the Home Office standards for keeping and disposing of corporate information.

Updates to this page

From:
Home Office
Published:
23 June 2015
Last updated:
17 November 2025
Show all updates

  1. Updated version added with new information on the scope of the schedules.

  2. What to keep – corporate retention schedules, the accessible version, has been added.

  3. Guidance updated.

  4. Guidance updated.

  5. Updated details about the current moratoria.

  6. Removed the 2 entries relating to Internal and External Publications and ISBNs from section 2.5 as ISBNs are no longer issued as they are not a legal requirement.

  7. The standard retention period has changed from '0 to 5 years destroy' to '2 years destroy'. The last review date and next review date has also been updated.

  8. Updated to add 2 new record types: e-discovery and Nuix searches.

  9. Standard approaches updated.

  10. Under '2.2 Information requests', responses to routine subject access requests (SAR) changed from 5 years to 2 years.

  11. Added DPIA information.

  12. Updated details.

  13. Updated information.

  14. Guidance updated.

  15. Guidance updated.

  16. Row on 'contracts' added.

  17. Updated guidance published.

  18. Updated guidance published

  19. First published.

Documents

What to keep – corporate retention schedules (accessible)

HTML

What to keep – corporate retention schedules

PDF, 222 KB, 11 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

Outlines how long Home Office units keep corporate information held by the department.

The standards apply to all media of records, including (but not restricted to) paper, digital, audio and video tapes, films, DVDs and CD ROMs.

Sign up for emails or print this page