At least how many years must records have remaining retention to be shipped to a federal records center?

Records must have a minimum of three years of remaining retention to be eligible for shipment to a federal records center. This requirement is in place to ensure that records are retained long enough for review and management before being moved to a storage facility. This time frame allows agencies to maintain access to those records for operational needs or potential audits while also complying with retention schedules. Shifting records to a federal records center too soon can hinder an organization's ability to effectively manage its documentation responsibilities, such as legal compliance and organizational memory. Therefore, the three-year requirement strikes a balance between adequate retention and the efficient use of storage resources.