NEW UPDATES!
OARs governing county retention were updated November 2025. Your Multnomah County Retention Series has been updated accordingly. Please make sure to double check - some series may have new retention periods.
Series Title (Agency Series #)
Description. (Legal Citations)
Retention
Benefit Provider Payment Records (BW-001)
Documents payments to service providers for medical, dental, life insurance, and disability insurance benefits. Includes summary invoices for services, payment vouchers, and employee benefits listing. (OAR 166-150-0110(1))
Retention:
Retain 3 years after annual audit report has been completed.
(NOTE: Recent retention changes.)
Benefits Contracts and Agreements (BW-003)
Documents contracts and amendments with benefits carriers. Includes service agreements, contracts, amendments, associated insurance policies, summary plan descriptions (SPD), evidence of coverage (EOC), and similar plan documents. (OAR 166-150-0200(9))
Retention:
BW-003(a) Group health and life insurance policies: Retain 75 years after expiration if no claims pending.
BW-003(b) Other records: Retain 10 years after expiration if no claims pending.
Benefits Payroll Reports (BW-002)
Documents deductions made for benefit coverage, medical, dental, life and disability insurance payments made for employee on behalf of county, and number of people covered by service providers. Includes the Employer and Employee Paid Benefits Report, a monthly report indicating the amounts paid by the county for medical, dental, life and disability insurance benefits; and the Benefits Deduction Report, a cumulative monthly report indicating deductions for optional insurance, flexible spending accounts, medical/dental premiums paid by the employee, opt-out payments, and taxation values for domestic partner/non-IRS eligible dependent insurance. (OAR 166-150-0110(17)(b) and OAR 166-150-0155(8)(b,a))
Retention:
BW-002(a) Employer and employee paid benefits report: Retain 15 years;
BW-002(b) Year end benefits deduction report: Retain 75 years.
BW-002(c)) Deduction Registers. Retain 5 years.
Catastrophic Leave Program Records (BW-015)
Documents the administration and use of the catastrophic leave program. Includes correspondence, leave applications, donation solicitations, and related records. (OAR 166-150-0155(5))
Retention:
Retain 3 years.
(NOTE: Recently reduced from 4 years)
COBRA Records (BW-004)
Documents payments and benefit coverage for employees choosing to continue coverage after termination under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA Program). Includes COBRA accounting sheet, payment vouchers, correspondence regarding coverage status, Employee Election Form completed to continue coverage, and medical and dental enrollment forms. (OAR 166-150-0200(9)(a))
Retention:
Group employee health and life, property, and liability insurance: Retain 75 years after expiration if no claims pending.
Death Claim Records (BW-005)
Documents payment of life insurance benefits to beneficiaries upon death of employee/spouse-domestic partner/retiree. Includes claim forms, death certificate or other proof of death, beneficiary form, and payment records. (OAR 166-150-0200(8))
Retention:
Retain 5 years after final claim paid or denied.
Employee Benefits Board Meeting Records (BW-009)
Documents official proceedings or regularly scheduled, special, executive session, and emergency meetings of the Employee Benefits Board (EBB) and its predecessors. The EBB existed to provide a cooperative labor - management forum to make decisions about employee benefit program and plan design. It was originally established as the Multnomah County Employee Benefits Board (MCEBB) in 1999, then changed to the Employee Benefits Board (EBB) in 2000. The EBB was abolished on June 30, 2007. (OAR 166-150-0005(17))
Retention:
BW-009(a) Minutes (except executive session minutes), agendas, resolutions, packets, indexes, and exhibits (not retained permanently elsewhere in agency records): Retain permanently.
BW-009(b) Executive session minutes: Retain 10 years.
BW-009(c) Audio and video recordings: Retain 1 year after minutes approved, if no minutes approved recordings are treated as minutes.
BW-009(d) All other records and exhibits not pertinent to minutes: Retain 5 years.
(NOTE: Recently divided into four parts)
Employee Benefits Records (BW-006)
Note: Recently divided into two parts, per the OAR. Please ensure you separate out any enrollment records before disposing of benefits files that have reached minimum retention.
Documents county employees' benefits histories. Includes records relating to enrollment and subsequent changes to medical, dental, life insurance, long and short term disability, and continuation of medical, dental, and life insurance benefits after termination or retirement. See also Benefits Payroll Reports (BW-002), and COBRA Records (BW-004). (OAR 166-150-0160(9))
Retention:
BW-006(a) Official copy of retirement enrollment records: Retain 75 years after date of hire.
BW-006(b) All other records: Retain 3 years after employee separation or eligibility expired.
(NOTE: Recently divided into two parts)
Flexible Spending Account Records (BW-007)
Documents the administration of the Dependent Care Assistance Plan, the Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan, and employee authorized salary reductions and reimbursement payments. Includes plan document describing guidelines for operation of plan, and employee authorizations for salary deductions or to change status.(OAR 166-150-0155(1))
Retention:
BW-007(a) Employee authorizations: Retain 3 years after superseded, terminated, or employee separation.
BW-007(b) Plan documents and guidelines: Retain 20 years after superseded or obsolete.
Leave Records (BW-017)
Documents employee requests for leave and the county's response. Includes records for leave requests under FMLA/OFLA, military, and other types of leave. Records include leave requests and supporting documentation (including medical certifications), employee notifications, leave logs, and related correspondence. (OAR 166-150-0155(5)) (29 CFR 825.500) (29 CFR 1626.3)
Retention:
Retain 3 years.
(NOTE: Recent reduction from 4 years)
Short and Long Term Disability Claim Records (BW-016)
Documents the eligibility for and administration of short and long term disability benefits for Multnomah County employees. Includes copies of benefits checks to ensure proper payments from provider; correspondence with provider regarding claim status; claim applications; copies of position descriptions; salary information; correspondence with employees regarding COBRA payments and status of claims; and related records.(OAR 166-150-0200(20)(b)) (OAR-166-150-0160(9)(b))
Retention:
Retain 6 years after claim closed or final action.
Tri-Met Bus Pass Records (BW-013)
Documents the issuance of Tri-Met bus passes to county employees. Includes sign-up sheets and photo ID logs. (OAR 166-150-0160(9)(b))
Retention:
Retain 3 years after employee separation or eligibility expired.
(NOTE: Recent reduction from 4 years)
Voluntary Employees' Beneficiary Association (VEBA) Program Records (BW-008)
Documents the establishment of VEBA programs for employees. Includes correspondence, copies of Memoranda of Understanding, and related records. For enrollment records, see Employee Benefits Records (BW-006). (OAR 166-150-160(4)(a,b)) (OAR 166-150-0005(7)(b))
Retention:
BW-008(a) Records documenting establishment of VEBA programs and not duplicated elsewhere: Retain permanently.
BW-008(b) Other records: Retain 10 years.
Wellness Program Records (BW-014)
Documents the participation of employees in various wellness programs. Records include enrollment and attendance records for participation in fitness classes and use of the fitness center; records relating to the loan of breast pumps to employees; employee requests for use of the stipend fund in support of community events; and records documenting employee remittances for activities requiring fee payments. (OAR 166-150-0160(19)) (OAR 166-150-0110(2)) (OAR 166-150-0160(9)(b)) (OAR 166-150-0166(9))
Retention:
Retain 3 years.
Wellness Training and Education Records (BW-018)
Records developed by the Benefits and Wellness Program to educate and train employees about strategies to improve their wellness. Currently the series contains a series of videos developed for the Power Me campaign. It also includes HIPAA information releases related to some of the video content. (OAR 166-150-0005(6))
Retention:
Retain 10 years