Functional Schedule
The latest version of the Functional Schedule for North Carolina State Agencies was released February 24, 2025. Analysts are currently working with agencies to secure formal agency approval and signatures. If you have questions regarding the status of your agency's approval of the 2025 Functional Schedule, please contact your Chief Records Officer or records management analyst.
The Functional Schedule for North Carolina State Agencies is an agreement between state agencies and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), serving as the inventory and schedule that DNCR is directed to provide by G.S. 121-5(c) and G.S. 132-8. The schedule must be approved by the individual agency before it can be used to authorize the destruction of public records. If you have questions about whether your agency has approved the current schedule, please contact your Chief Records Officer or Records Management Analyst.
The retention periods established in the Functional Schedule should be interpreted as minimums. If an agency chooses to retain records longer than required in the disposition instructions, this practice should be documented in internal agency procedures. In all cases, agencies shall maintain logs documenting record destructions.
The table below provides a brief description of each of the elements of the Functional Schedule. You can access the referenced documents by clicking on the relevant media page listed below as well as in the sidebar menu.
- Functional Schedule for North Carolina State Agencies: The entire schedule with all 16 functions combined into a single PDF.
- Search Guide: Resources for navigating the Functional Schedule and locating record types. See this page for video tutorials, interactive record type guides, and tips for keyword searching.
Records Series Evaluation Form: submit this form if you need to request a new record type for the Functional Schedule, request a change to an existing record type, or request permission to transfer records to the State Records Center. For instructions on how to complete the form, see our 7-minute tutorial on the State Archives YouTube page.
Unique Record Types: lists the record types that apply to particular agencies.
If you have records that you cannot find in the Functional Schedule, please contact your Records Management Analyst. The analyst will help determine whether there is an existing item on the schedule that specifies the disposition. If the records are not represented on the current schedule and are actively being maintained, the analyst can help you submit a Records Series Evaluation Form. If a record is not represented on the Functional Schedule, your agency may not destroy it without explicit authorization from DNCR.
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Overview | The overview provides a summary of the functional analysis initiative and elaborates on these topics: public records law and public records requests in NC, confidentiality, destroying public records, audits and litigation actions, electronic records, record copy, record custody, transitory records, historical value, schedules format. |
| Table of Contents | The Table of Contents lists all 16 functions of the Functional Schedule for North Carolina State Agencies and pinpoints the page number for each sub-function and appendix. A list of all record types can be found on each function’s individual table of contents. The Table of Contents on the whole-schedule PDF is internally hyperlinked to each function, sub-function, and appendix. |
| 1. Agency Management | Agency management is the overarching management that occurs in all government agencies. Agencies document the processes of making decisions for the agency and overseeing its operations. |
| 2. Asset Management | The asset management function encompasses acquisition, maintenance, inventory, and disposal of physical assets. Agencies document the management of physical assets, including facilities, land, equipment, vehicles, etc. |
| 3. Economic Development | Economic development is the function of encouraging the conditions for economic growth and improved quality of life. Agencies document efforts to support innovation and expand the availability of goods and services. |
| 4. Education | The function of education is primarily the purview of local education agencies but also has some activities at the state level. This schedule also applies to the Governor’s School program, the curriculum and assessment standards developed by DPI, and agencies that oversee professional credentialing. |
| 5. Financial Management | Financial management is the function of caring for the financial resources and obligations of a government agency. |
| 6. Governance | The governance function involves the creation of statutes and regulations, agency liaisons with government officials, the oversight provided by governing or advisory bodies, and the collection of archival election records. |
| 7. Healthcare | The function of healthcare entails the maintaining and restoration of health by the treatment and prevention of disease. |
| 8. Human Resources | Human resources records document the management of a government agency’s personnel. This function incorporates both the human and the payroll management aspects of personnel. |
| 9. Information Technology | The function of information technology addresses tangible resources like networking hardware and computers as well as intangible resources like software and data. |
| 10. Infrastructure Management | The function of infrastructure management involves the construction of public buildings, roads, and other public works. |
| 11. Law Enforcement | Law enforcement records document the efforts of state agencies to protect the lives and property of the state’s residents and people who visit and work in the state as well as to supervise adults and juveniles sentenced after conviction for violations of North Carolina law. This government function focuses on efforts to compel individuals to obey laws. |
| 12. Legal | The legal function involves protecting the rights, obligations, and interests of the agency or its individual employees or constituents. |
| 13. Monitoring and Compliance | The function of monitoring entails systematic, periodic reviews to ensure quality products, performance, and the accomplishments of objectives. Compliance ensures that people and organizations meet all obligations and comply with regulations. |
| 14. Public Assistance and Support Services | The function of public assistance and support services involves coordinating needs-related payments and providing a safety net for under-resourced populations. These functions also encompass workforce development and vocational rehabilitation. Agencies document programs offered, eligibility, and services rendered. |
| 15. Public Relations | Public relations is an outward-facing function of state agencies. Agencies document activities, promote initiatives, publicize accomplishments, provide instruction, and gather feedback from constituents. |
| 16. Risk Management | Risk management is the function of identifying, analyzing, and assessing unacceptable risks along with handling their avoidance, control, minimization, or elimination. |
| Glossary and Key | The Glossary defines some important records management terms that are used within the Functional Schedule for North Carolina State Agencies. The key provides an explanation of the abbreviations, symbols, and other cues that are used. |