Requesting GRS Deviations
Agencies are required to use the GRS. Deviations are only allowed if a GRS allows for deviations, which most do. However, an agency also must have a specific need to deviate.
Your agency requests a GRS Deviation when you want a new disposition item that covers records already scheduled by the GRS.
A GRS deviation is something an agency requests via submission of a records schedule.
How to tell if you need a GRS Deviation
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is a deviation allowed? Look at the GRS disposition instruction. If it says it is mandatory, you must use the GRS
- Do you need a GRS Deviation? Most GRS disposition instructions allow for longer retention to meet agency business needs. You do not need to request a deviation to keep records longer if it is already allowed
If the answer to both questions is yes, submit a new records schedule. Identify the GRS disposition authorities you are deviating from (GRS disposition authority look-up table). Provide a justification explaining your request.
Possible justifications are:
- My agency wants to aggregate records covered by the GRS with records that are not covered by the GRS.
- My agency requests a shorter retention for these records than the GRS allows.
Requesting a shorter retention from some GRS authorities may need GAO approval. Contact your appraisal archivist or GRS_team@nara.gov for more information.
How to know if you have an approved GRS Deviation
To see if you have an approved GRS Deviation, look at the approved schedule. You can find agency-specific schedules in the Records Control Schedule Repository.
- If your schedule was approved before September 2014 (GRS Transmittal 23): It is unlikely that your GRS Deviation is current. These GRS Deviations are only valid if your agency submitted a GRS Notification as NARA updated the GRS between 2014-2019. See GRS Notifications for more information on notifications.
- For schedules approved after September 2014: Look for the fields “GRS or Superseded Authority Citation” or “Is this item a deviation from the GRS?.”
- If either of these fields cite a current GRS disposition authority, you have an approved deviation.
- If the GRS citation is not current and your agency did not submit a notification at the time that GRS was last updated, you no longer have an approved deviation. You can use the GRS Disposition Authority Lookup Table to determine if an authority is current.
You may also contact GRS_team@nara.gov to see if you have an approved GRS Deviation or a GRS Notification.
Temporary deviations from the GRS
Authority: 36 CFR 1226.18(a)
Agencies may temporarily keep records approved for destruction under a records freeze. See Freeze Process Overview/FAQ for more information.
Agencies do not need to submit a schedule to temporarily deviate from the GRS.