Electronic Records Archives (ERA)

Agency’s Guide to Candidate Lists

Each May spreadsheets called “candidate lists” are sent to agencies with eligible permanent records in the coming year. These contain pertinent transfer data extracted from ARCIS and are created early in the annual move process so agencies can begin to review and verify accuracy of information and ensure permanent records can be transferred on time. 

Please conduct a thorough review of your agency's candidate list. If you find any inaccurate information fill out and return the provided template to note any discrepancies or corresponding data changes so that they can be made prior to the ARCIS to ERA data transformation.  Please send this template to annual.move@nara.gov.  

In addition we ask that you:

  • Distribute the list to program offices that are responsible for the eligible records and have the office confirm their eligibility for transfer. 
  • Compare each FRC Transfer on the candidate list to other transfer documentation such as the SF-135, ARCIS transfer data, and finding aids to ensure that the documentation is consistent for example, the subject and disposition. If needed, contact your FRC Transfer and Disposition Branch for retrieving a SF-135 not available in ARICS.  
  • Check that your agency has returned all records which were temporarily withdrawn back to the FRC before October 1st.  
  • Ensure the disposition authority is still current (for example if the FRC Transfer has a disposition authority from 1979, but your agency updated the schedule in 2011). Please note any changes to disposition authority on the provided template.
  • Check to see if the transfer includes intermixed permanent and temporary records.  NARA will not accept transfers with mixed dispositions of permanent and temporary records.  Please ensure all temporary records are removed.  
  • If the records are classified, check to see that they have gone through your agency’s internal declassification review. Prepare the form NA-14130 so that it can later be attached to the Transfer Request in ERA.  For more information on transferring classified records consult our training and resources page.
  • If your agency needs to keep the records in an FRC longer than the retention period, you need to submit a formal justification pursuant to 36 CFR 1235.14.
  • Communicate any needed ARCIS updates filling out and sending the provided template to annual.move@nara.gov.
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