From the National Genealogical Society
The National Archives and Records Administration recently published a notice in the Federal Register of its intent to adjust the records schedule for federal civilian employees. The public comment period is open, and the agency must receive responses by 24 August 2026, at 11:59 PM EDT. Genealogy Issue Federal civilian Official Personnel Folders (OPFs) can contain valuable genealogical information about a person’s government employment. Today, many OPFs for employees who left federal service before 1952 are archived at NARA. Later files generally remain under OPM control and are much harder to access. The 1952 cutoff was created for administrative filing purposes, not because the records on either side of that date have different historical value. In 2025, NARA proposed making OPFs for employees separated through 31 December 1973 permanent records, but this schedule has apparently not yet been approved. The National Genealogical Society and the Records Preservation and Access Coalition (RPAC) support that proposal and call on NARA to sign that record schedule. This new proposal, however, would allow OPFs for employees separated on or after 1 January 1974 to be destroyed after 65 years (right now, all post-1951 OPFs have a 129-year retention). RPAC seeks to:
This is simple: federal civilian personnel files should become more accessible as they age—not disappear. To submit your comments on the proposal, go to https://www.regulations.gov/ |
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