There are times when records may be transferred to external storage outside of the office where they are created/received/used. When records are not needed to conduct daily business, but need to be maintained for legal or business reasons, they may be transferred to a lower-cost storage facility.

It is important to account for any third-party storage changes on the applicable retention schedule. If storage methods for records change, ensure that CalRIM is notified and the retention schedule updated.

To notify CalRIM of records stored or digitized by an external third party, please complete the online notification form.

Storing at the Department of General Services (DGS)’s State Records Center (SRC)

The State Records Center (SRC) is one option for State agencies to store their records, and it is a storage facility specifically used by California State agencies to use for records storage.

The SRC is located at 3240 Industrial Blvd., West Sacramento, CA, 95691, and can be contacted by phone at (916) 375- 6760 or by email at staterecordscenter@dgs.ca.gov.

Their hours are 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and receiving hours are from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

When choosing to store records that are not needed on a daily basis, but still need to be stored for the remainder of their retention period due to the law or due to business needs, the State Records Center can help. RMCs can work with agency staff, management, and SRC staff to transfer records using the Records Transfer List STD. 71.

Note: The SRC will not store any records that are not on a current (within the last 5 years) retention schedule. The approval number must be current and the records listed on the Transfer List should correspond with a record series on that current schedule. If you do not have a current schedule, but need to store at the SRC, reach out to your agency RMC and CalRIM analyst as soon as possible.

SRC fulfills all the necessary requirements for off-site storage for agency records. Agency staff can retrieve files and records as necessary using the SRC’s online retrieval method, and can also request holdings reports to view the records their agency has stored there.

Please contact the SRC if there are any questions about agency records, or their services at StateRecordsCenter@dgs.ca.gov.

For more information, please attend SRC’s monthly class, RMA 102 Introduction to the State Records Center.

Considerations For Third-Party Storage

The SRC is not the only storage option for records, but regardless of where agencies choose to store their records anywhere, it’s of utmost importance to ensure that the records are being stored safely. Records should never be stored in basements or attics, as these are prone to bugs, mold, and critters, all of which can destroy the records stored there before their retention is up. Another thing to consider are water leaks—if there was a roof leak or a burst pipe, would the records be safe? Is there a way to remediate the damage done to them if an accident occurs?

Before sending records—regardless of format—to be stored in a third-party system or facility, State agencies must inform CalRIM and perform their due diligence to verify the third-party storage provides for the security and safety of the records while enabling staff access to the records when needed.

The Statutory Authorities governing state agency use of external records storage are:

  1. “Agencies may not establish and/or create new facilities to store their records without prior written approval by CalRIM.” (State Administrative Manual, Section 1621)
  2. “Each state agency shall establish an alternate storage site, including the necessary agreements to permit the storage and recovery of backup information. Each state agency shall ensure that the alternate storage site provides information security safeguards equivalent to that of the primary site.” (State Administrative Manual, Section 5325.4)
  3. “Notify the Secretary of State when records are stored with a third-party vendor or digitized.” (Government Code 12274(f))