Section 33-A:3-a Disposition and Retention Schedule.
The municipal records identified below shall be retained, at a minimum, as follows:
I. Abatements: 5 years.
II. Accounts receivable: until audited plus one year.
III. Aerial photographs: permanently.
IV. Airport inspections-annual: 3 years.
V. Airport inspections-daily, including fuel storage and vehicles: 6 months.
VI. Annual audit report: 10 years.
VII. Annual reports, town warrants, meeting and deliberative session minutes in towns that have adopted official ballot voting: permanently.
VIII. Archives: permanently.
IX. Articles of agreement or incorporation: permanently.
X. Bank deposit slips and statements: 6 years.
XI. Blueprints-architectural: life of building.
XII. Bonds and continuation certificates: expiration of bond plus 2 years.
XIII. Budget committee-drafts: until superseded.
XIV. Budgets: permanently.
XV. Building permits-applications and approvals: permanently.
XVI. Building permits-lapsed: permanently.
XVII. Building permits-withdrawn, or denied: one year.
XVIII. Capital projects and fixed assets that require accountability after completion: life of project or purchase.
XIX. Cash receipt and disbursement book: 6 years after last entry, or until audited.
XX. Checks: 6 years.
XXI. Code enforcement specifications: permanently.
XXII. Complaint log: expiration of appeal period.
XXIII. Contracts-completed awards, including request for purchase, bids, and awards: life of project or purchase.
XXIV. Contracts-unsuccessful bids: completion of project plus one year.
XXV. Correspondence by and to municipality-administrative records: minimum of one year.
XXVI. Correspondence by and to municipality-policy and program records: follow retention requirement for the record to which it refers.
XXVII. Correspondence by and to municipality-transitory: retain as needed for reference.
XXVIII. Current use applications and maps: until removed from current use plus 3 years.
XXIX. Current use release: permanently.
XXX. Deed grantee/grantor listing from registry, or copies of deeds: discard after being updated and replaced with a new document.
XXXI. Deferred compensation plans: 7 years.
XXXII. Dig safe forms: 4 years.
XXXIII. Dredge and fill permits: 4 years.
XXXIV. Driveway permits and plans: permanently.
XXXV. Easements awarded to municipality: permanently.
XXXVI. Elections-federal elections ballots: 22 months after election.
XXXVII. Elections-not federal, all other ballots: 60 days after election.
XXXVIII. Elections-challenge affidavits: one year after election.
XXXIX. Elections-ward maps: until revised plus 1 year.
XL. Emergency medical services run reports: 10 years.
XLI. Equipment maintenance: life of equipment.
XLII. Excavation tax warrant and book or list: permanently.
XLIII. Federal form 1099s and W-2s: 7 years.
XLIV. Federal form 941: 7 years.
XLV. Federal form W-1: 4 years.
XLVI. Fire calls/incident reports: 10 years.
XLVII. Grants, supporting documentation: follow grantor's requirements.
XLVIII. Grievances: expiration of appeal period.
XLIX. Health-complaints: expiration of appeal period.
L. Health-inspections: 3 years.
LI. Health-service agreements with state agencies: term plus 7 years.
LII. Health and human services case records including welfare applications: active plus 7 years.
LIII. Inspections-bridges and dams: permanently.
LIV. Insurance policies: permanently.
LV. Intent to cut trees or bushes: 3 years.
LVI. Intergovernmental agreements: end of agreement plus 3 years.
LVII. Investigations-fire: permanently.
LVIII. Invoice, assessors: permanently.
LIX. Invoices and bills: until audited plus one year.
LX. Job applications-successful: retirement or termination plus 50 years.
LXI. Job applications-unsuccessful: current year plus 3 years.
LXII. Labor-public employees labor relations board actions and decisions: permanently.
LXIII. Labor union negotiations: permanently or until contract is replaced with a new contract.
LXIV. Ledger and journal entry records: until audited plus one year.
LXV. Legal actions against the municipality: permanently.
LXVI. Library:
(a) Registration cards: current year plus one year.
(b) User records: not retained; confidential pursuant to RSA 201-D:11.
LXVII. Licenses-all other except dog, marriage, health, and vital records: duration plus 1 year.
LXVIII. Licenses-dog: current year plus one year.
LXIX. Licenses-dog, rabies certificates: disposal once recorded.
LXX. Licenses-health: current year plus 6 years.
LXXI. Liens-federal liens upon personal property, other than IRS liens: permanently.
LXXII. Liens-hospital liens: 6 years.
LXXIII. Liens-IRS liens: one year after discharge.
LXXIV. Liens-tax liens, state liens for support of children: until court order is lifted plus one year.
LXXV. Liens-tax liens, state meals and rooms tax: until release plus one year.
LXXVI. Liens-tax sale and record of lien: permanently.
LXXVII. Liens-tax sales/liens redeemed report: permanently.
LXXVIII. Liens-Uniform Commercial Code leases: lease term plus 4 years; purge all July 1, 2007.
LXXIX. Liens-Uniform Commercial Code security agreements: 6 years; purge all July 1, 2007.
LXXX. Meeting minutes, tape recordings: keep until written record is approved at meeting. As soon as minutes are approved, either reuse the tape or dispose of the tape.
LXXXI. Minutes of boards and committees: permanently.
LXXXII. Minutes of town meeting/council: permanently.
LXXXIII. Minutes, selectmen's: permanently.
LXXXIV. Motor vehicle-application for title: until audited plus one year.
LXXXV. Motor vehicle-titles and voided titles: sent to state division of motor vehicles.
LXXXVI. Motor vehicle permits-void and unused: until audited plus one year.
LXXXVII. Motor vehicle permits and registrations-used: current year plus 3 years.
LXXXVIII. Municipal agent daily log: until audited plus one year.
LXXXIX. Notes, bonds, and municipal bond coupons-cancelled: until paid and audited plus one year.
XC. Notes, bonds, and municipal bond coupon register: permanently.
XCI. Oaths of office: term of office plus 3 years.
XCII. Ordinances: permanently.
XCIII. Payrolls: until audited plus one year.
XCIV. Perambulations of town lines-copy kept by town and copy sent to secretary of state: permanently.
XCV. Permits or licenses, pole: permanently.
XCVI. Personnel files: retirement or termination plus 50 years.
XCVII. Police, accident files-fatalities: 10 years.
XCVIII. Police, accident files-hit and run: statute of limitations plus 5 years.
XCIX. Police, accident files-injury: 6 years.
C. Police, accident files-involving arrests: 6 years.
CI. Police, accident files-involving municipality: 6 years.
CII. Police, accident files-property damage: 6 years.
CIII. Police, arrest reports: permanently.
CIV. Police, calls for service/general service reports: 5 years.
CV. Police, criminal-closed cases: statute of limitations plus 5 years.
CVI. Police, criminal-open cases: statute of limitations plus 5 years.
CVII. Police, motor vehicle violation paperwork: 3 years.
CVIII. Police, non-criminal-internal affairs investigations: as required by attorney general and union contract and town personnel rules.
CIX. Police, non-criminal-all other files: closure plus 3 years.
CX. Police, pistol permit applications: expiration of permit plus one year.
CXI. Property inventory: 5 years.
CXII. Property record card: current and last prior reassessing cycle.
CXIII. Property record map, assessors: until superceded.
CXIV. Property tax exemption applications: transfer of property plus one year.
CXV. Records management forms for transfer of records to storage: permanently.
CXVI. Road and bridge construction and reconstruction, including highway complaint slips: 6 years.
CXVII. Road layouts and discontinuances: permanently.
CXVIII. Scenic roads: permanently.
CXIX. School records: retained as provided under RSA 189:29-a.
CXX. Septic plan approvals and plans: until replaced or removed.
CXXI. Sewer system filtration study: permanently.
CXXII. Sign inventory: 7 years.
CXXIII. Site plan review: life of improvement plus 3 years.
CXXIV. Site plan review-lapsed: until notified that planning board action and appeal time has expired plus one year.
CXXV. Site plan review-withdrawn or not approved: appeal period plus one year.
CXXVI. Special assessment (betterment of property): 20 years.
CXXVII. Street acceptances: permanently.
CXXVIII. Street signs, street lights and traffic lights-maintenance records: 10 years.
CXXIX. Subdivision applications-lapsed: until notified that planning board action and appeal period has expired plus one year.
CXXX. Subdivision applications-successful and final plan: permanently.
CXXXI. Subdivision applications-withdrawn, or not approved: expiration of appeal period plus one year.
CXXXII. Subdivision applications-working drafts prior to approval: expiration of appeal period.
CXXXIII. Summary inventory of valuation of property: one year.
CXXXIV. Tax maps: permanently.
CXXXV. Tax receipts paid, including taxes on land use change, property, resident, sewer, special assessment, and yield tax on timber: 6 years.
CXXXVI. Tax-deeded property file (including registered or certified receipts for notifying owners and mortgagees of intent to deed property): permanently.
CXXXVII. Time cards: 4 years.
CXXXVIII. Trust fund minutes, quarterly reports, and bank statements: permanently.
CXXXIX. Vehicle maintenance records: life of vehicle plus 2 years.
CXL. Voter checklist-marked copy kept by town pursuant to RSA 659:102: 5 years.
CXLI. Voter registration:
(a) Purged record cards: 5 years.
(b) Same day, returned to undeclared status: 5 years.
CXLII. Vouchers and treasurers receipts: until audited plus one year.
CXLIII. Warrants-land use change, and book or list: permanently.
CXLIV. Warrants-property tax, and lists: permanently.
CXLV. Warrants-resident tax, and book or list: permanently.
CXLVI. Warrants-town meeting: permanently.
CXLVII. Warrants-treasurer: until audited plus one year.
CXLVIII. Warrants-utility and betterment tax: permanently.
CXLIX. Warrants-yield tax, and book or list: permanently.
CL. Welfare department vouchers: 4 years.
CLI. Work program files: current year plus 6 years.
CLII. Writs: expiration of appeal period plus one year.
CLIII. Zoning board of adjustment applications, decisions, and permits-unsuccessful: expiration of appeal period.
CLIV. Intent to excavate: completion of reclamation plus 3 years.
Source. 2005, 187:3, eff. Aug. 29, 2005. 2006, 119:2-5, eff. May 12, 2006.