Frequently Asked Questions about GRS 5.5, Mail, Printing, and Telecommunication Service Management Records
Updated: April 2024
1. Why are records of certain agencies excluded from this schedule?
The schedule excludes documentation of printing and broadcasting services for certain agencies. These agencies have printing and broadcasting as part of their mission. The GRS does not cover these records when they are mission-specific. Agencies must schedule their mission-related records.
2. Item 010 says to destroy records when 3 years old or 3 years after the applicable agreement expires or is canceled. How should my agency implement this item?
Your agency will need to identify the proper event to use as the starting point for retention. Retention might be age-based or event-based (the event being when the record becomes superseded or obsolete). You may then destroy the records 3 years after the event. Agencies need to keep agreements for 3 years after the agreement ends. Other records can be destroyed based on their age.
3. What’s the difference between “telephone and mobile device use records” (item 010) and “telephone message registers and logs” (item 020)?
“Telephone and mobile device use records” (item 010) document use of a particular device. A phone bill is one common example. “Telephone message registers and logs” (item 020) record information about messages received by telephone. These registers and logs generally apply to many telephones. This latter record type may not be very common. Senior officials may have these records, however. Item 020 does not cover voicemail recordings.
4. Why are metered mail records (item 030) kept longer than other mail control records (item 020)?
Metered mail records document an agency’s financial activity. They are eligible for audit like any other record documenting an agency’s finances. So, agencies must keep them for 6 years like auditable records in GRS 1.1, item 010.