Electronic Records Archives (ERA)

Getting Started With ERA 2.0

ERA Account Management

Follow the five-step process below to get started with ERA. For further details, consult the ERA 2.0 Agency User Manual or our training materials.

Step One: Register for a MAX.gov Account

ERA users must have a MAX.gov account to access ERA. ERA users should register on MAX.gov with their PIV/CAC card. For agencies unable to employ a PIV/CAC card for access, contact ERAaccounts@nara.gov.

Step Two: Designate an ERA Account Manager

The agency should designate an ERA Account Manager and notify NARA's ERA Account Official at ERAaccounts@nara.gov giving the name and contact information of the ERA Account Manager.

The ERA Account Manager is the person within an agency who approves access to ERA. Frequently, the Agency Records Officer serves as the ERA Account Manager. The ERA Account Manager should review the ERA 2.0 Agency User Manual to become familiar with the account management procedures

Step Three: Determine ERA User Roles

ERA users perform certain functions in ERA depending on their roles.  Please refer to the ERA 2.0 Agency User Manual for more information.

Scheduling Records

  • Records Scheduler
    • Records Schedulers are agency staff responsible for preparing draft Records Schedules and submitting them to the Certifying Official. Each agency can have multiple individuals assigned to this role.
  • Certifying Official
    • Certifying Officials are agency representatives who can draft Records Schedules, but are primarily responsible for certifying that the agency is officially submitting Records Schedules to NARA for review and approval.

Transferring Permanent Records to NARA

  • Transferring Official
    • Transferring Officials are agency representatives who create Transfer Requests and submit them to the Approving Official. There can be multiple Transferring Officials within an agency.
  • Approving Official
    • Approving Officials are agency representatives who can draft Transfer Requests, but are primarily responsible for officially submitting Transfer Requests to NARA for review and proposal.

Step Four: Get ERA Users Trained

Once the ERA Account Manager has assigned a system role to ERA users, they will need to ensure the user completes the training for the role. Each user should complete training prior to submitting an ERA Account Request Form (NA 3070).

Step Five: Submit ERA User Account Requests

Individual users must complete the online ERA User Account Request Form (NA 3070) and submit it to NARA by clicking on the Submit Form button. Once submitted, the form will automatically be sent to ERAaccounts@nara.gov. The NARA ERA Account Official reviews the information and forwards it to the ERA Account Manager via email. The ERA Account Manager should verify that the request is correct and complete, and then forward the request via email back to the NARA ERA Account Official at ERAaccounts@nara.gov.

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