This series represents all extant state schedules that have received approval from the State Archivist as required by law. The series includes schedules that have been amended or superseded by later schedules and, therefore, may no longer be in effect. Questions regarding current schedules should be directed to the agency that creates the record. Inquiries about extant schedules can also be directed to the Records Management Division of the Department of General Services.

A schedule is an official document listing and describing all records of an agency or office, and providing: (a) Authorization for the destruction of those records that are not essential to its operations after the lapse of a stated period of time; and (b) For the permanent retention of those records deemed by statute or considered by the Archives to be of permanent value, or both. COMAR 14.18.02

It is required by law, under the State Records Management Program, that each agency, division, office, etc. must prepare, and have approved by the authority of the State Archivist, a records retention and disposal schedule to legally destroy a public record. (Chapter 436, Acts 1953; revised under Chapter 286, Acts 1984)

Below is an itemized finding aid for each retention schedule on file with the Maryland State Archives for years 1953-present. The finding aid displays five columns: "Date" lists the date the schedule was approved; "Description" lists the agency and/or the division within the agency as well as any additional information about the schedule; "PDF" links to the electronic image of a schedule in pdf format; "Schedule Number" is the schedule number assigned by Department of General Services Records Management Division; "MSA Citation" is the series-unit number, a unique identifier, assigned to it by the Maryland State Archives.