Disposition Holds

Placing Records in the State Records Center on Audit or Legal Hold

The purpose of the forms below is to notify the Office of the Secretary of State, Division of Records Management that certain records in its possession need to be withheld from destruction. The forms are not intended to be used as a substitute for an agency’s internal notice of a hold. Records Management requests a formal letter from an agency whenever boxes and/or record series are placed on hold with our office. Please fill out the form, sign and email, fax or mail to the Division of Records Management.

If additional boxes and/or record series need to be added to this hold, or if the hold is modified, an agency must send the Division of Records Management an updated list. Records Management requires updates at least every six months from an agency regarding the status of the hold. A hold placed on boxes and/or record series in the State Records Center will not be lifted until the agency notifies Records Management to do so.

As an agency may have multiple holds occurring at one time, Records Management needs to be notified of each hold’s subject matter. This allows Records Management to quickly identify boxes and/or record series related to a specific hold after it has been implemented and reduces the possibility of miscommunication between the division and agency. Providing this information to Records Management may also prove beneficial to the agency if it must produce evidence as to when and why a hold was enacted.

The practice of the Division of Records Management is to access files and boxes in its possession only upon the request of the owning agency or if ownership cannot be determined. Records Management never removes, adds or alters documents stored in the Records Center; agencies can be assured Records Management staff will adhere to this policy. Because Records Management has minimal information about boxes stored at the State Records Center, the division needs direction from the owning agency in order to place the correct boxes and/or record series on hold. Placing records on hold does not interfere with an agency’s ability to request or send records to the State Records Center.

The form is provided as a convenience by the Division of Records Management. If an agency modifies the attached form, or creates their own containing the same information, that is acceptable. A list of record series and/or boxes is still required. In such cases, Records Management will notify the agency that such a form has been received and what actions have been taken.

Records Management will accept a notice and removal of audit hold from an agency’s director or records custodian. However, notice or removal of legal holds must be from an agency’s general counsel.

Please send the notice and list of boxes and/or record series to:

Office of the Secretary of State

Division of Records Management

600 West Main Street

Jefferson City, MO 65102

To expedite deployment, the forms may also be faxed to (573) 522-6289 or emailed to [email protected]. However, Records Management requires an original form with an original signature.

If your agency has any questions, please feel free to contact the Division of Records Management at (573) 751-3319 or at the email address above.