Aliases
Disambiguation
Not to be confused with document preservation codes or archival retention marks. 'DO NOT DESTROY' is a specific Federal Records Act disposition instruction indicating pending NARA authorization, not a classification level or archival designation.
Stats
Concept
A Federal Records Act disposition instruction issued by NARA indicating that records must be retained pending approval of their final disposition (permanent archival preservation or destruction).
Uma instrução de disposição da Lei de Registros Federais emitida pela NARA indicando que registros devem ser retidos até aprovação de sua disposição final (preservação de arquivo permanente ou destruição).
Enrichment
- Preparing Disposition InstructionsNational Archives and Records Administration▎ high· 2026-05-14
- Official NARA guidance for federal records disposition
- DO NOT DESTROY used when disposition authority pending NARA approval
- Applies to records with uncertain permanent or temporary value
- Records Freeze Frequently Asked QuestionsUnited States Department of Agriculture▎ high· 2026-05-14
- Records holds override retention schedules
- Applies across federal agencies
- Used in litigation and investigation holds
DO NOT DESTROY
Description (EN)
Stub generated by entity dedup. Will be enriched in Phase 6.
Descrição (PT-BR)
Stub gerado pela deduplicação de entidades. Será enriquecido na Fase 6.
<!-- enrichment:start -->Enrichment (EN)
Disambiguation: Not to be confused with document preservation codes or archival retention marks. 'DO NOT DESTROY' is a specific Federal Records Act disposition instruction indicating pending NARA authorization, not a classification level or archival designation.
DO NOT DESTROY is a formal disposition instruction used by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) when federal agencies propose record retention schedules but have not yet received NARA approval for the proposed disposition. When records are marked with this phrase, agencies are legally prohibited from destroying or transferring records until NARA grants disposition authority. This term appears in comprehensive federal records schedules as a holding statement, particularly applicable to government documents of uncertain permanent or temporary value. In the context of Department of Defense records, including potential UAP-related materials, this marking ensures records remain protected pending proper authorization for their final handling.
Enriquecimento (PT-BR)
Desambiguação: Not to be confused with document preservation codes or archival retention marks. 'DO NOT DESTROY' is a specific Federal Records Act disposition instruction indicating pending NARA authorization, not a classification level or archival designation.
DO NOT DESTROY é uma instrução de disposição formal usada pela National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) quando agências federais propõem cronogramas de retenção de registros, mas ainda não receberam aprovação da NARA para a disposição proposta. Quando registros são marcados com essa frase, as agências são legalmente proibidas de destruir ou transferir registros até que a NARA conceda autoridade de disposição. Este termo aparece em cronogramas abrangentes de registros federais como uma declaração de retenção, particularmente aplicável a documentos governamentais de valor permanente ou temporário incerto. No contexto de registros do Departamento de Defesa, incluindo materiais potencialmente relacionados a UAP, essa marcação garante que os registros permaneçam protegidos até que a autorização adequada para seu manuseio final seja concedida.
External Sources
- Preparing Disposition Instructions · National Archives and Records Administration · reliability:
high— Official NARA guidance for federal records disposition; DO NOT DESTROY used when disposition authority pending NARA approval; Applies to records with uncertain permanent or temporary value - Records Freeze Frequently Asked Questions · United States Department of Agriculture · reliability:
high— Records holds override retention schedules; Applies across federal agencies; Used in litigation and investigation holds