Every government in New York has rules for how long it must keep its records and when it may destroy them. Those rules are called retention schedules. Most people never see one.
A reporter or resident who knows how to read them can ask for a record by its name, push back when told “no records exist,” and know when a record can legally disappear.
In September 2026 the New York Coalition for Open Government sent Freedom of Information Law requests to 220 governments across the state: 54 municipalities, 54 school districts, 54 public libraries and 58 state agencies. New York City is not part of the audit because it runs under its own records law.
We asked each local government for two records the law already requires it to have: the board resolution adopting its retention schedule, and its subject matter list, the index of records every agency must keep under Public Officers Law section 87(3)(c). State agencies were asked for their equivalents.
Each government is scored on five yes-or-no checks:
We will publish the results in March 2027, for Sunshine Week, with every government named.
The Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic is working with us on the project.
On October 15, 2026, journalist and NYCOG board member Brad Racino explained what retention schedules are, where to find them, and how reporters use them to get records.
Coming March 2027.
