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
Accounts Payable Records (PUR1-015)
Records documenting payment of program bills. Includes reports, invoices, statements, vouchers, purchase orders, payment authorizations, receipt records, cancelled checks or warrants, and similar records. (OAR 166-150-0110(1))
Retention:
Retain 3 years after annual audit report has been completed.
Accounts Receivable Records (PUR1-005)
Records documenting revenues owed to Purchasing by vendors, citizens, organizations, governments, and others to be credited to general accounts excluding grants. Also documents billing, collection and deposits of moneys. May include reports, receipts, invoices, awards, logs, lists, summaries, statements, deposit notices and similar records. Information often includes, receipt amount, date, invoice number, name, account number, account balance, adjustments, and similar data. (OAR 166-150-0110(2))
Retention:
Retain 3 years after collected or deemed uncollectible.
Budget Preparation Records (PUR1-009)
Records documenting the preparation of program budget requests presented to the department. May include staff reports, budget instructions, worksheets, surveys, allotment reports, spending plans, contingency plans, budget proposals, financial forecasting reports, and similar records. (OAR 166-150-0110(11))
Retention:
Retain 2 years.
Competitive Solicitation Records : Construction Solicitations : Alternative Contracting Methods (CM/GC and ESCO) (PUR1-021)
Documents purchasing activities involving solicitations utilizing alternative contracting methods as defined in PCRB Rule 49-0610(1). Includes Environmental Impact Statements, public comments, architecture and engineering plans and specifications, and related records in addition to standard construction-related documents. (OAR 166-150-0005(7)(a))
Retention:
Retain 10 years after substantial completion [as defined by ORS 12.135].
Competitive Solicitation Records: Construction Solicitations (PUR1-001C)
Documents the publicizing, evaluation, and awarding of formal solicitations to vendors and other individuals or organizations. Provides evidence of accepted and rejected offers. includes requests for advertisement, vendor lists, specifications, proofs of advertisement, addenda, vendor responses, offer tabulations, award notices, copies of contracts, agency transmittal letters, phone qualification sheets, requests for proposals and requests for qualification, pre-qualification records, RFP/RFQ committee records, conflict of interest statements, correspondence, and other related records. (NOTE: File non-construction solicitation records under PUR1-001.) (OAR 166-150-0110(14)(c)) (OAR 166-150-0110(14)(a))
Retention:
PUR1-001C(a) Rejected offers and exemption records: Retain 2 years.
PUR1-001C(b) Successful construction solicitation records: Retain 10 years after substantial completion, as defined in ORS 12.135(3)
Competitive Solicitation Records: Non Construction (PUR1-001)
Documents the publicizing, evaluation, and awarding of formal solicitations to vendors and other individuals or organizations. Provides evidence of accepted and rejected offers. Includes requests for advertisement, vendor lists, specifications, proofs of advertisement, addenda, vendor responses, offer tabulations, award notices, copies of contracts, agency transmittal letters, phone qualification sheets, requests for proposals and requests for qualification, RFP/RFQ committee records, conflict of interest statements, correspondence, and other related records. (NOTE: File construction solicitation records under PUR1-001C.) (OAR 166-150-0110(14)(c)) (OAR 166-150-0110(14)(b))
Retention:
PUR1-001(a) Rejected offers and exemption records: Retain 2 years
PUR1-001(b) Other records: Retain 6 years after awarded or cancelled.
Contracts (PUR1-016)
Documents the duly executed and binding contractual agreements between the county and other parties. May include contracts, amendments, exhibits, insurance certificates, change orders, bonds, and significant related correspondence. Information in contracts usually includes contract number, certificate of required insurance, dates, terms, parties involved, period covered, and signatures. (NOTE: File construction contracts under PUR1-016C.) (OAR 166-150-0005(7)(b))
Retention:
Retain 6 years after expiration.
Contracts: Construction (PUR1-016C)
Documents the duly executed and binding contractual agreements between the county and other parties. May include contracts, amendments, exhibits, insurance certificates, change orders, bonds, and significant related correspondence. Information in contracts usually includes contract number, certificate of required insurance, dates, terms, parties involved, period covered, and signatures. Also includes contractor prequalification records. (NOTE: File non-construction contracts under PUR1-016.) (OAR 166-150-0005(7)(a))
Retention:
Retain 10 years after substantial completion as defined in ORS 12.135(4).
Contracts: Construction Alternative Contracting Methods (CM/GC and ESCO) (PUR1-020)
Documents contracting activities involving an alternative contracting method as defined in PCRB Rule 49-0610(1). Includes contracts, amendments, exhibits, insurance certificates, change orders, bonds, significant related correspondence, plans, specifications and related records. Information in contracts usually includes contract number, certificate of required insurance, dates, terms, parties involved, period covered, signatures, and other related documents. (OAR 166-150-0005(7a))
Retention:
Retain 10 years after substantial completion as defined in ORS 12.135(4).
Employee Discipline Records (PUR1-023)
Records document every step the county takes when an employee's performance or behavior leads to discipline or termination. Records include documentation of progressive discipline (verbal warnings, written warnings, action, dismissal); records of investigations with interviews from witnesses and physical evidence or photography related to an incident; disciplinary meeting records (including hearings, if held); documentation of the final decision; and related records. (OAR 166-150-0160(7))
Retention:
PUR1-023(a) Investigations resulting in disciplinary action, exoneration, or found to have no foundation: Retain 5 years after resolution.
PUR1-023(b) Investigations resulting in termination: Retain 10 years after employee separation.
Employee Personnel Records (PUR1-019)
Records document an individual employee's work history. Records may include but are not limited to applications; notices of appointment; employment applications; training and certification records; records of health limitations; salary schedules; tuition reimbursement records; personnel actions; performance appraisal evaluations; letters of commendation and recommendation; letters of reprimand; notices of disciplinary action; notices of layoff; letters of resignation; home address and telephone disclosures; emergency notification forms; grievance and complaint records; and related correspondence and documentation. (NOTE: Employee disciplinary records and medical files have different retentions. Please file under the appropriate series.) (OAR 166-150-0160(12))
Retention:
Retain 6 years after separation.
Employee Time Records (PUR1-014)
Records documenting hours worked, leave hours accrued, and leave hours taken by program employees. Information usually includes employee name, hours worked, type and number of leave hours taken, total hours, dates, and related data. (OAR 166-150-0155(2))
Retention:
Retain 4 years.
Employee Travel Records (PUR1-008)
Records documenting requests, authorizations, reimbursements, and other actions related to employee travel. Includes expense reports and receipts, vouchers, requests, authorizations, and related documents. Retention applies to private vehicle usage as well. Information often includes estimated costs, prepayments, final costs, destination, method of transportation, travel dates, approval signatures, and related data. (OAR 166-150-0110(26))
Retention:
Retain 3 years.
Informal Solicitations (PUR1-002)
Documents soliciting quotations for purchases that do not require formal competitive solicitation (less than $150,000 and not involving capital construction) as specified in PCRB 47.0270. Records include written records of each quote and quotation tabulation forms. (OAR 166-150-0110(23)
Retention:
Retain 3 years.
Legislative Tracking Records (PUR1-006): Series used to monitor legislation which may have an impact on the program's current operations or policies. Records include concept statements, proposals, bill logs, fiscal/organizational impact analysis papers, copies of bills, testimony summaries, committee reports, agendas, and correspondence. (OAR 166-150-0005(14))
Retention:
Retain 4 years.
(NOTE: Recently increased from 2 years)
Minority, Women, and Emerging Small Business Program Administrative Records (PUR1-018))
Records documents county tracking and administration of MWESB contractors. Records are primarily maintained in electronic form, but periodic reports printed for internal use and other related information is also maintained. Information includes contractor name, status, dates of contracts awarded, dollar amounts awarded, and related information. (OAR 166-150-0005(7)
Retention:
PUR1-018(a) Records documenting building construction, alterations, or repair: Retain 10 years after substantial completion [as defined by ORS 12.135].
PUR1-018(b)All other records: Retain 6 years after expiration.
Office Procedure Manuals (PUR1-012)
Written instructions, rules, and guidelines in manual form documenting current and past authorized agency policies and procedures. Used for new employee orientation and for ongoing reference. Includes routine documentation and basic clerical instructional procedures covering such subjects as formatting letters, data entry, telephone etiquette, and others. (OAR 166-150-0005(13)(a))
Retention:
Retain 2 years after superseded or obsolete.
Payroll Wage Certifications (Contractors) (PUR1-022)
The prevailing wage rate payroll/certified statement form submitted by contractors for reporting their payroll, as required by ORS 279C.845, on public works projects subject to the Prevailing Wage Rate (PWR) Law. (OAR 839-025-0025)
Retention:
Retain 3 years after completion of contract work.
Policy Statements and Directives (PUR1-010)
Series documents review, assessment, development, and authorization of the program's policies and procedures. Records may include authorizing bulletins and advisories, mission and goal statements, manuals, and final policy statements and directives. Information often includes policy and procedure numbers, revision dates, subject identification, narrative description, authorization information, and effective date. (OAR 166-150-0005(31))
Retention:
PUR1-010(a) Enacted policies or procedures: Retain 2 years after superseded or obsolete.
PUR1-010(b) Public policy statements and directives: Retain permanently.
(NOTE: Recent retention changes.)
Procurement Schedules (PUR1-017)
Documents active procurements for the calendar week. Schedules include opening and closing dates, procurement numbers and names, and assigned Purchasing staff. (OAR 166-150-0005(39))
Retention:
Retain 1 year.
Staff Meeting Records (PUR1-007)
Records documenting staff meetings which are not subject to Oregon's Public Meetings Law (ORS 192.610 to 192.690). These routine staff meetings deal with tasks and actions within existing policies and procedures. Records may include minutes, notes, reports, and related items. Some records may merit inclusion in other record series with longer retention periods if the subject matter adds significant information to that series. (OAR 166-150-0005(18))
Retention:
Retain until no longer needed.
(NOTE: Recently decreased from 2 years)