You can’t save every record forever. But you can’t just get rid of stuff you don’t want whenever you feel like it. To maintain your sanity, you should follow Pennsylvania’s record disposition schedule. And to stay out of legal trouble, you also need to follow the proper steps before destroying any records.
To be clear: I am not a lawyer; this is not legal advice; consult your solicitor before taking any action.
Read Title 46 of the Pennsylvania Code, Museums and Archives, for the relevant guidance. Chapter 15, Statements of Policy, contains the sections covering destruction of records and specific disposition schedules.
In particular, pay attention to the following sub-sections:
- § 15.51 (e): Procedures for the destruction or transfer of municipal records (pages 5-6)
- § 15.58. Tax collection and assessment records
- This section lists how long you are required to keep certain types of records