This RSA section is an unofficial mirror, is not legal advice, and may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrectly processed.
RSA 33-A:3-a · Disposition and Retention Schedule
33-A:3-a Disposition and Retention Schedule. – The municipal records identified below shall be retained, at a minimum, as follows:
Copy linkAnnual reports, town warrants, meeting and deliberative session minutes in towns that have adopted official ballot voting: permanently.
Copy linkCapital projects and fixed assets that require accountability after completion: life of project or purchase.
Copy linkContracts-completed awards, including request for purchase, bids, and awards: life of project or purchase.
Copy linkCorrespondence by and to municipality-policy and program records: follow retention requirement for the record to which it refers.
Copy linkDeed grantee/grantor listing from registry, or copies of deeds: discard after being updated and replaced with a new document.
Copy linkElections-federal elections: ballots and absentee ballot applications, affidavit envelopes, lists, and electronic ballot counting device external storage devices: by the town clerk until the contest is settled and all appeals have expired or at least 22 months after the election, whichever is longer. Extra electronic ballot counting device external storage devices programmed for, but not used during the election are exempt from preservation.
Copy linkElections-not federal: ballots and absentee ballot applications, affidavit envelopes, lists, and electronic ballot counting device external storage devices: by the town clerk until the contest is settled and all appeals have expired or at least 60 days after the election, whichever is longer. Extra electronic ballot counting device external storage devices programmed for, but not used during the election are exempt from preservation.
Copy linkElections-challenge affidavits by the town clerk: until the contest is settled and all appeals have expired or 22 months after the election, whichever is longer.
Copy linkHealth and human services case records including welfare applications: active plus 7 years.
Copy linkLabor union negotiations: permanently or until contract is replaced with a new contract.
Copy linkLicenses-all other except dog, marriage, health, and vital records: duration plus 1 year.
Copy linkLiens-tax liens, state liens for support of children: until court order is lifted plus one year.
Copy linkLiens-Uniform Commercial Code leases: lease term plus 4 years; purge all July 1, 2007.
Copy linkLiens-Uniform Commercial Code security agreements: 6 years; purge all July 1, 2007.
Copy linkMeeting minutes, tape recordings: keep until written record is approved at meeting. As soon as minutes are approved, either reuse the tape or dispose of the tape.
Copy linkNotes, bonds, and municipal bond coupons-cancelled: until paid and audited plus one year.
Copy linkPerambulations of town lines-copy kept by town and copy sent to secretary of state: permanently.
Copy linkPolice, non-criminal-internal affairs investigations: upon the retirement or termination of the subject officer plus 20 years, except that the municipality shall follow the retention period for non-criminal internal affairs investigations as set forth in any applicable union or collective bargaining agreement in effect as of July 1, 2021 until such agreement expires, at which time the 20-year retention period in this paragraph shall apply.
Copy linkRoad and bridge construction and reconstruction, including highway complaint slips: 6 years.
Copy linkSite plan review-lapsed: until notified that planning board action and appeal time has expired plus one year.
Copy linkSubdivision applications-lapsed: until notified that planning board action and appeal period has expired plus one year.
Copy linkSubdivision applications-withdrawn, or not approved: expiration of appeal period plus one year.
Copy linkSubdivision applications-working drafts prior to approval: expiration of appeal period.
Copy linkTax receipts paid, including taxes on land use change, property, resident, sewer, special assessment, and yield tax on timber: 6 years.
Copy linkTax-deeded property file (including registered or certified receipts for notifying owners and mortgagees of intent to deed property): permanently.
Copy linkForms, including absentee voter registration forms: until voter is removed from checklist plus 7 years.
Copy linkSame day, returned to undeclared status, form and report from statewide centralized voter registration database: 7 years. (c)(1) Party change form: until voter is removed from checklist plus 7 years.
Copy linkList of undeclared voters from the statewide centralized voter registration database: 7 years.
Copy linkForms, rejected, including absentee voter registration forms, and denial notifications: 7 years.
Copy linkVerifiable action of domicile document: until voter is removed from checklist plus 7 years.
Copy linkOverseas absentee registration affidavit: until voter is removed from checklist plus 7 years.
Copy linkAbsentee ballot voter application form in the federal post card application format, for voters not previously on the checklist: until voter is removed from checklist plus 7 years.
Copy linkAbsentee ballot affidavit envelope for federal post card applicants not previously on the checklist: until voter is removed from checklist plus 7 years.
Copy linkUndeliverable mail or change of address notice from the United States Postal Service: until voter is removed from checklist plus 7 years.
Copy linkZoning board of adjustment applications, decisions, and permits-unsuccessful: expiration of appeal period.
Copy linkAffidavits of religious exemption: until voter is removed from checklist plus 7 years. Source. 2005, 187:3, eff. Aug. 29, 2005. 2006, 119:2-5, eff. May 12, 2006. 2010, 172:1-3, eff. Aug. 16, 2010; 191:1, eff. Aug. 20, 2010. 2012, 113:1, eff. May 31, 2012; 284:13, eff. Sept. 1, 2015. 2014, 319:1, eff. Sept. 30, 2014. 2015, 4:1, eff. July 4, 2015. 2017, 205:15, eff. Sept. 8, 2017. 2018, 247:1, 2, eff. Aug. 11, 2018. 2021, 227:2, eff. July 1, 2021. 2025, 174:1, eff. Sept. 13, 2025.
Copy linkSource note
Source. 2005, 187:3, eff. Aug. 29, 2005. 2006, 119:2-5, eff. May 12, 2006. 2010, 172:1-3, eff. Aug. 16, 2010; 191:1, eff. Aug. 20, 2010. 2012, 113:1, eff. May 31, 2012; 284:13, eff. Sept. 1, 2015. 2014, 319:1, eff. Sept. 30, 2014. 2015, 4:1, eff. July 4, 2015. 2017, 205:15, eff. Sept. 8, 2017. 2018, 247:1, 2, eff. Aug. 11, 2018. 2021, 227:2, eff. July 1, 2021. 2025, 174:1, eff. Sept. 13, 2025.
Source history
- 2005, 187:3, eff. Aug. 29, 2005
- 2006, 119:2-5, eff. May 12, 2006
- 2010, 172:1-3, eff. Aug. 16, 2010; 191:1, eff. Aug. 20, 2010
- 2012, 113:1, eff. May 31, 2012; 284:13, eff. Sept. 1, 2015
- 2014, 319:1, eff. Sept. 30, 2014
- 2015, 4:1, eff. July 4, 2015
- 2017, 205:15, eff. Sept. 8, 2017
- 2018, 247:1, 2, eff. Aug. 11, 2018
- 2021, 227:2, eff. July 1, 2021
- 2025, 174:1, eff. Sept. 13, 2025
Related materials
Bill relationships
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2026 HB1298
amend
ed by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened: 1 Disposal and Retention Schedule; Electronic Ballot Counting Device External Storage Devices. Amend RSA 33-A:3-a, XXXVI-XXXVII to read as follows: XXXVI. Elections-federal elections: ballots and absentee ballot applications, affidavit envelopes, lists, and electronic ballot counting device external storage devices: by the town
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2026 HB1300
reference · effective 2026-11-01
secretary of the school administrative unit board shall certify the results of the votes to the department of revenue administration. Preservation of ballots shall be pursuant to RSA 33-A:3-a, XXXVII. VII.(a) Any 10 registered voters from any municipality served by a school district, before the expiration of 7 days from the date of the general election, may apply in writing to the school district clerk f
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2026 HB1300-FN
reference · effective 2026-11-01
secretary of the school administrative unit board shall certify the results of the votes to the department of revenue administration. Preservation of ballots shall be pursuant to RSA 33-A:3-a, XXXVII. VII.(a) Any 10 registered voters from any municipality served by a school district, before the expiration of 7 days from the date of the general election, may apply in writing to the school district clerk f
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2026 HB1821
amend
ion. 2 Public Access to Images and Cast Vote Records. Amend RSA 656:42, IX to read as follows: IX.(a) Ballot images and cast vote records shall be retained as provided in RSA 33-A:3-A, XXXVI and XXXVII relative to paper ballots. (b) All ballot images are backed up in at least 2 secure storage locations, one at the state level and one at the municipal level, to prevent tampering or data loss. (c)
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2026 HB1821-FN
amend
ion. 2 Public Access to Images and Cast Vote Records. Amend RSA 656:42, IX to read as follows: IX.(a) Ballot images and cast vote records shall be retained as provided in RSA 33-A:3-A, XXXVI and XXXVII relative to paper ballots. (b) All ballot images are backed up in at least 2 secure storage locations, one at the state level and one at the municipal level, to prevent tampering or data loss. (c)
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2025 HB270
reference
[memory] external storage device used at each election [until after the recounts for such election are complete and any and all legal challenges to the outcome of that election are adjudicated] as provided in RSA 33-A:3-a or as directed by the secretary of state. [(c) The town or city clerk shall securely preserve each memory device used in any election as directed by the secretary of state.] (d)(1) To help ensure that the coun
Opinions and discipline decisions mentioning this RSA
- 2024 N.H. 11, Stone v. City of Claremont Supreme Court opinion · March 20, 2024
- 2021-0253, Laura Colquhoun v. City of Nashua Supreme Court opinion · October 26, 2022