FAR 4.805—Storage, handling, and contract files.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 4.805 tells agencies how to handle, store, convert, and dispose of contract files and related procurement records, and it ties those practices to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) General Records Schedule 1.1 for Financial Management and Reporting Records. It covers recordkeeping across all media, including paper, microfilm, and electronic records, and it allows agencies to convert original documents to alternate media if the conversion process preserves the record accurately and securely. The section also addresses when original signed documents may be destroyed, how to treat mixed files that contain both administrative and program records, and when an agency must seek NARA approval for shorter retention periods. Most importantly, it establishes retention periods for specific record types such as contracts and related proposals, contractor payrolls on construction contracts, unsolicited proposals, canceled solicitations, administrative copies, general contractor information, FPDS submissions, and records involved in investigations, protests, litigation, or enforcement actions. In practice, this section is the core FAR rule for contract file retention and records management, helping agencies preserve audit trails, support litigation and oversight, and avoid premature destruction of records that may still have legal, fiscal, or administrative value.
Key Rules
Follow NARA records schedules
Agencies must establish procedures for handling, storing, and disposing of contract files in accordance with NARA General Records Schedule 1.1. Those procedures must account for all media types, including paper, microfilm, and electronic records.
Preserve record integrity
If an agency converts records to another medium, the process must reproduce the original document completely, accurately, and clearly, including signatures and graphic images. Data transfer, storage, and retrieval methods must protect original data from alteration.
Destroy originals only when allowed
Original documents may be destroyed after the responsible agency official verifies that the alternate-media record copy and any reproduced copies are accurate, complete, and clear, unless law or other regulations require the signed originals to be retained.
Apply retention periods in Table 4-1
The rule sets specific retention periods for major record categories, including contracts and related proposals, contractor payrolls under construction contracts, unsolicited proposals, canceled solicitations, administrative copies, contractor background documents, FPDS data, and records tied to investigations or litigation.
Keep mixed files as long as needed
If administrative records are mixed with program records and cannot be economically separated, the entire file is kept for the retention period approved for the program records. Likewise, documents listed in Table 4-1 that are part of a larger subject or case file follow the retention treatment of that file.
Seek approval for shorter retention
If an agency wants to keep a record for less time than Table 4-1 requires, it must request NARA approval through the agency records officer. Agencies cannot unilaterally shorten retention periods.
Extend retention for disputes and enforcement
Records involved in investigations, protests, litigation, or similar matters must be kept until final clearance or settlement, or longer if the related base record has a longer retention period. This prevents destruction while the record may still be needed for legal or enforcement purposes.
Responsibilities
Agency
Prescribe and maintain records-handling, storage, and disposal procedures that comply with NARA schedules and FAR requirements. Ensure procedures cover all media, protect record integrity, and address conversion, retention, and destruction rules.
Responsible agency official
Verify that record copies stored on alternate media are accurate, complete, and clear before original documents are destroyed, unless another law or regulation requires the originals to be kept.
Agency records officer
Coordinate any request to NARA for approval of a shorter retention period than Table 4-1 allows, and ensure the agency’s records practices align with records-management requirements.
Contracting activity / file custodian
Maintain contract files and related records for the required retention periods, separate or manage mixed files appropriately, and ensure records are not destroyed before the applicable retention period ends or before disputes are resolved.
Records management personnel
Implement storage, conversion, indexing, retrieval, and disposal controls that preserve authenticity, prevent alteration, and support long-term access to records in all media.
Contractor (for submitted payroll records under construction contracts)
Provide payrolls and related certifications or affidavits as required by Department of Labor regulations; these submissions become part of the agency’s retention-managed record set.
Practical Implications
Contract files are not all kept the same length of time; the retention period depends on the record type, so file managers need a reliable records schedule and indexing system.
Electronic conversion is allowed, but only if the agency can prove the scanned or migrated record is complete, accurate, clear, and protected from tampering; poor scanning or weak controls can create compliance risk.
Litigation holds, protests, investigations, and enforcement actions override routine destruction timelines, so records staff must suspend disposal when a matter is pending.
Administrative convenience copies can be destroyed when business use ends, but agencies should distinguish them from official record copies to avoid accidental loss of required records.
Mixed files are a common trap: if records cannot be economically separated, the whole file may need to be retained longer than some documents would otherwise require, so file structure and labeling matter from the start.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Agencies must prescribe procedures for the handling, storing, and disposing of contract files, in accordance with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) General Records Schedule 1.1 , Financial Management and Reporting Records. The Financial Management and Reporting Records can be found at http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/grs.html . These procedures must take into account documents held in all types of media, including microfilm and various electronic media. Agencies may change the original medium to facilitate storage as long as the requirements of the part, law, and other regulations are satisfied. The process used to create and store records must record and reproduce the original document, including signatures and other written and graphic images completely, accurately, and clearly. Data transfer, storage, and retrieval procedures must protect the original data from alteration. Unless law or other regulations require signed originals to be kept, they may be destroyed after the responsible agency official verifies that record copies on alternate media and copies reproduced from the record copy are accurate, complete, and clear representations of the originals. When original documents have been converted to alternate media for storage, the requirements in Table 4-1 of this section also apply to the record copies in the alternate media. (b) If administrative records are mixed with program records and cannot be economically segregated, the entire file should be kept for the period of time approved for the program records. Similarly, if documents described in the following table are part of a subject or case file that documents activities that are not described in the table, they should be treated in the same manner as the files of which they are a part. (c) An agency that requires a shorter retention period than those identified in Table 4-1 shall request approval from NARA through the agency’s records officer. Table 4-1 - Retention Periods Record Retention period (1) Contracts (and related records or documents, including successful and unsuccessful proposals, except see paragraph (c)(2) of this section regarding contractor payrolls submitted under construction contracts). 6 years after final payment. (2) Contractor’s payrolls submitted under construction contracts in accordance with Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR 5.5 (a)(3)), with related certifications, anti-kickback affidavits, and other related records. 3 years after contract completion unless contract performance is the subject of an enforcement action on that date (see paragraph (c)(8) of this section). (3) Unsolicited proposals not accepted by a department or agency. Retain in accordance with agency procedures. (4) Files for canceled solicitations. 6 years after cancellation. (5) Other copies of procurement file records used for administrative purposes. When business use ceases. (6) Documents pertaining generally to the contractor as described at 4.801 (c)(3). Until superseded or obsolete. (7) Data submitted to the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). Electronic data file maintained by fiscal year, containing unclassified records of all procurements exceeding the micro-purchase threshold, and information required under 4.603 . 6 years after submittal to FPDS. (8) Investigations, cases pending or in litigation (including protests), or similar matters (including enforcement actions). Until final clearance or settlement, or, if related to a document identified in paragraphs (c)(1) through (7) of this section, for the retention period specified for the related document, whichever is later.