The schedule in appendix A to this part shows periods that designated records shall be preserved. The descriptions specified under the various general headings are for convenient reference and identification, and are intended to apply to the items named regardless of what the records are called in individual companies and regardless of the record media. The retention periods represent the prescribed number of years from the date of the document and not calendar years. Records not listed in appendix A to this part shall be retained as determined by the management of each company.
Sec. Appendix A to Part 379--Schedule of Records and Periods of
Retention ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Item and category of records Retention period------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Corporate and General
1. Incorporation and
reorganization:
(a) Charter or Note A.
certificate of
incorporation and
amendments.
(b) Legal documents Note A.
related to mergers,
consolidations,
reorganization,
receiverships and
similar actions which
affect the identity or
organization of the
company.2. Minutes of Directors, Note A.
Executive Committees,
Stockholders and other
corporate meetings.3. Titles, franchises and
authorities:
(a) Certificates of Until expiration or cancellation.
public convenience and
necessity issued by
regulating bodies.
(b) Operating Until expiration or cancellation.
authorizations and
exemptions to operate.
(c) Copies of formal Note A.
orders of regulatory
bodies served upon the
company.
(d) Deeds, charters, and Until disposition of property.
other title papers.4. Annual reports or 3 years.
statements to stockholders.5. Contracts and agreements:
(a) Service contracts, Until expiration or termination plus 3
such as for operational years.
management, accounting,
financial or legal
services, and agreements
with agents.
(b) Contracts and other Until expiration or termination plus 3
agreements relating to years.
the construction,
acquisition or sale of
real property and
equipment except as
otherwise provided in
(a) above.
(c) Contracts for the Until expiration.
purchase or sale of
material and supplies
except as provided in
(a) above.
(d) Shipping contracts Until expiration.
for transportation or
caretakers of freight.
(e) Contracts with Until expiration.
employees and employee
bargaining groups.
(f) Contracts, leases and Until expiration or termination plus 1
agreements, not year.
specifically provided
for in this section.6. Accountant's auditor's,
and inspector's reports:
(a) Certifications and 3 years.
reports of examinations
and audits conducted by
public accountants.
(b) Reports of 3 years.
examinations and audits
conducted by internal
auditors, time
inspectors, and others.7. Other..................... Note A.
B. Treasury
1. Capital stock records:
(a) Capital stock ledger. Note A.
(b) Capital stock Note A.
certificates, records of
or stubs of.
(c) Stock transfer Note A.
register.2. Long-term debt records:
(a) Bond indentures, Until redemption plus 3 years.
underwritings,
mortgages, and other
long-term credit
agreements.
(b) Registered bonds and Until redemption plus 3 years.
debenture ledgers.
(c) Stubs or similar Note A.
records of bonds or
other long-term debt
issued.3. Authorizations from Note A.
regulatory bodies for
issuance of securities
including applications,
reports, and supporting
papers.4. Records of securities Until the securities are sold, redeemed
owned, in treasury, or held or otherwise disposed of.
by custodians, detailed
ledgers and journals, or
their equivalent.5. Other..................... Note A.
C. Financial and Accounting
1. Ledgers:
(a) General and Until discontinuance of use plus 3 years.
subsidiary ledgers with
indexes.
(b) Balance sheets and 3 years.
trial balance sheets of
general and subsidiary
ledgers.2. Journals:
(a) General journals..... Until discontinuance of use plus 3 years.
(b) Subsidiary journals 3 years.
and any supporting data,
except as otherwise
provided for, necessary
to explain journal
entries.3. Cash books:
(a) General cash books... Until discontinuance of use plus 3 years.
(b) Subsidiary cash books 3 years.4. Vouchers:
(a) Voucher registers, 3 years.
indexes, or equivalent.
(b) Paid and canceled 3 years.
vouchers, expenditure
authorizations, detailed
distribution sheets and
other supporting data
including original bills
and invoices, if not
provided for elsewhere.
(c) Paid drafts, paid 3 years.
checks, and receipts for
cash paid out.5. Accounts receivable:
(a) Record or register of 3 years after settlement.
accounts receivable,
indexes thereto, and
summaries of
distribution.
(b) Bills issued for 3 years after settlement.
collection and
supporting data.
(c) Authorization for 1 year.
writing off receivables.
(d) Reports and 1 year.
statements showing age
and status of
receivables.6. Records of accounting 3 years after discontinuance.
codes and instructions.7. Other..................... Note A.
D. Property and Equipment
Note.--All accounts, records, and memoranda necessary for making acomplete analysis of the cost or value of property shall be retained forthe periods shown. If any of the records elsewhere provided for in thisschedule are of this character, they shall be retained for the periodsshown below, regardless of any lesser retention period assigned.
1. Property records:
(a) Records which 3 years after disposition of property.
maintain complete
information on cost or
other value of all real
and personal property or
equipment.
(b) Records of additions 3 years after disposition of property.
and betterments made to
property and equipment.
(c) Records pertaining to 3 years after disposition of property.
retirements and
replacements of property
and equipment.
(d) Records pertaining to 3 years after disposition of property.
depreciation.
(e) Records of equipment 3 years after disposition of property.
number changes.
(f) Records of motor and 3 years after disposition of property.
engine changes.
(g) Records of equipment Only current or latest records.
lightweighed and
stenciled.2. Engineering records of 3 years after disposition of property.
property changes actually
made.3. Other..................... Note A.
E. Personnel and Payroll
1. Personnel and payroll 1 year.
records.
F. Insurance and Claims
1. Insurance records:
(a) Schedules of Until expiration plus 1 year.
insurance against fire,
storms, and other
hazards and records of
premium payments.
(b) Records of losses and 1 year after settlement.
recoveries from
insurance companies and
supporting papers.
(c) Insurance policies... Until expiration of coverage plus 1 year.2. Claims records:
(a) Claim registers, card 1 year after settlement.
or book indexes, and
other records which
record personal injury,
fire and other claims
against the company,
together with all
supporting data.
(b) Claims registers, 1 year after settlement.
card or book indexes,
and other records which
record overcharges,
damages, and other
claims filed by the
company against others,
together with all
supporting data.
(c) Records giving the 3 years.
details of authorities
issued to agents,
carriers, and others for
participation in freight
claims.
(d) Reports, statements 3 years.
and other data
pertaining to personal
injuries or damage to
property when not
necessary to support
claims or vouchers.
(e) Reports, statements, 1 year.
tracers, and other data
pertaining to unclaimed,
over, short, damaged,
and refused freight,
when not necessary to
support claims or
vouchers.
(f) Authorities for 3 years.
disposal of unclaimed,
damaged, and refused
freight.3. Other..................... Note A.
G. Taxes
1. Taxes..................... Note A.
H. Purchases and Stores
1. Purchases and stores...... Note A.
I. Shipping and Agency
Documents
1. Bills of lading and
releases:
(a) Consignors' shipping 1 year.
orders, consignors'
shipping tickets, and
copies of bills of
lading, freight bills
from other carriers and
other similar documents
furnished the carrier
for movement of freight.
(b) Shippers' order-to- 1 year.
notify bills of lading
taken up and canceled.2. Freight waybills:
(a) Local waybills....... 1 year.
(b) Interline waybills 1 year.
received from and made
to other carriers.
(c) Company freight 1 year.
waybills.
(d) Express waybills..... 1 year.3. Freight bills and
settlements:
(a) Paid copy of freight
bill retained to support
receipt of freight
charges:
(1) Bus express 1 year.
freight bills
provided no claim
has been filed.
(2) All other freight 1 year.
bills.
(b) Paid copy of freight
bill retained to support
payment of freight
charges to other
carriers:
(1) Bus express 1 year.
freight bills
provided no claim
has been filed.
(2) All other freight 1 year.
bills.
(c) Records of unsettled 1 year after disposition.
freight bills and
supporting papers.
(d) Records and reports 1 year.
of correction notices.4. Other freight records:
(a) Records of freight 1 year.
received, forwarded, and
delivered.
(b) Notice to consignees 1 year.
of arrival of freight;
tender of delivery.5. Agency records:
(a) Cash books........... 1 year.
(b) Remittance records, 1 year.
bank deposit slips and
supporting papers.
(c) Balance sheets and 1 year.
supporting papers.
(d) Statements of 1 year.
corrections in agents'
accounts.
(e) Other records and 1 year.
reports pertaining to
ticket sales, baggage
handled, miscellaneous
collections, refunds,
adjustments, etc..------------------------------------------------------------------------
J. Transportation------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Records pertaining to
transportation of household
goods:
(a) Estimate of charges.. 1 year.
(b) Order for service.... 1 year.
(c) Vehicle load manifest 1 year.
(d) Descriptive inventory 1 year.2. Dispatchers' sheets, 3 years.
registers, and other records
pertaining to movement of
transportation equipment.3. Import and export records 2 years.
including bonded freight.4. Records, reports, orders 3 years.
and tickets pertaining to
weighting of freight.5. Records of loading and 2 years.
unloading of transportation
equipment.6. Records pertaining to the 2 years.
diversion or reconsignment
of freight, including
requests, tracers, and
correspondence.
7. Other..................... Note A.------------------------------------------------------------------------
K. Supporting Data for
Reports and Statistics
1. Supporting data for
reports filed with the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration, the Surface
Transportation Board, the
Department of
Transportation's Bureau of
Transportation Statistics
and regulatory bodies:
(a) Supporting data for 3 years.
annual financial,
operating and
statistical reports.
(b) Supporting data for 3 years.
periodical reports of
operating revenues,
expenses, and income.
(c) Supporting data for 3 years.
reports detailing use of
proceeds from issuance
or sale of company
securities.
(d) Supporting data for 3 years after disposition of the
valuation inventory property.
reports and records.
This includes related
notes, maps and
sketches, underlying
engineering, land, and
accounting reports,
pricing schedules,
summary or collection
sheets, yearly reports
of changes and other
miscellaneous data, all
relating to the
valuation of the
company's property by
the Federal Highway
Administration, the
Surface Transportation
Board, the Department of
Transportation's Bureau
of Transportation
Statistics or other
regulatory body.2. Supporting data for 6 months.
periodical reports of
accidents, inspections,
tests, hours of service,
repairs, etc..3. Supporting data for 3 years.
periodical statistical of
operating results or
performance by tonnage,
mileage, passengers carried,
piggyback traffic,
commodities, costs, analyses
of increases and decreases,
or otherwise.
M. Miscellaneous
1. Index of records.......... Until revised as record structure
changes.2. Statement listing records For the remainder of the period as
prematurely destroyed or prescribed for records destroyed.
lost.------------------------------------------------------------------------Note A--Records referenced to this note shall be maintained as
determined by the designated records supervisory official. Companies
should be mindful of the record retention requirements of the Internal
Revenue Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, State and local
jurisdictions, and other regulatory agencies. Companies shall exercise
reasonable care in choosing retention periods, and the choice of
retention periods shall reflect past experiences, company needs,
pending litigation, and regulatory requirements. [62 FR 32044, June 12, 1997, as amended at 77 FR 59824, Oct. 1, 2012]