Records · California practice · reviewed 28 August 2026
Record retention and destruction schedule
An inventory for deciding what is retained, under which rule, where, and how destruction is documented.
Use the resource →Use before adopting a retention policy and before any scheduled destruction cycle.
This does not calculate the lawful retention period for a particular record or resolve litigation holds.
Recheck the source links before relying on an older saved copy. Entries stay in this open page. Copy or print the working copy before leaving.
Working resource
Make the invisible facts visible.
Review point 01
Inventory record classes
Separate clinical, billing, consent, communication, supervision, personnel, and business records.
Review point 02
Record the controlling basis
For each class, cite the current rule, contract, payer term, or professional advice supporting the period.
Review point 03
Identify special cases
Flag minors, audits, disputes, subpoenas, holds, investigations, and other facts that may change ordinary handling.
Review point 04
Map every copy
Include EHR, email, backups, devices, paper, vendor exports, and duplicate working files.
Review point 05
Define secure destruction
Match the method to the medium and preserve vendor or internal completion evidence.
Review point 06
Approve each cycle
Record scope, authority, date, exceptions, and completion without listing client names in this worksheet.
Private working copy
Carry the review into your own next action.
Your entries remain only in this open page. They are not saved, uploaded, transmitted, or placed in the URL. Use a non-identifying reference—not a client name.
Your working copy
Controlling material
Read the authority, not merely the worksheet.
Educational information only; not legal, clinical, tax, billing, or regulatory advice. A resource cannot resolve facts it was not given or authority that changed after the review date.
