Records and Information Management (RIM) Practice Exam

Disposition authority is a formal document that sets and approves how long records should be kept and what should happen to them when they reach the end of their life. It codifies retention periods and specific disposal actions (such as destroying records or transferring them to archives) and provides the official guidance used to manage records across the organization. This authority is used to implement the retention schedule consistently, ensuring legal and regulatory compliance and providing a clear basis for accountability and audits. It applies to both physical and electronic records and may include holds or exceptions for ongoing investigations or legal matters. It is not a casual filing guideline, not a complete list of every record, and not a budget for storage costs.