PHMC Compliance Deadlines for Pennsylvania County Clerks in 2026

Pennsylvania county offices operate under records-retention and disposition rules administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). For county clerks, staying compliant in 2026 comes down to three things: working from a current retention schedule, documenting every disposition, and keeping long-term records accessible in an approved format.

Confirm your retention schedule is current

PHMC publishes county records retention and disposition schedules that specify how long each record series must be kept. Records may only be destroyed after their scheduled retention period has elapsed and a disposition authorization has been filed. Before any 2026 disposition, verify that your office is working from the latest approved schedule rather than an outdated internal list.

Document every disposition

Compliance is demonstrated through documentation. Each time records reach the end of their retention period, the disposition should be recorded: what was destroyed, the authorizing schedule item, the date, and the responsible staff member. A complete disposition log is the single most useful artifact in an audit.

Preserve long-term records in an accessible format

Permanent and long-retention records — deeds, minutes, court dockets, and similar series — must remain legible and accessible for decades. Digitizing these records to a PHMC-aligned standard protects them against media degradation and makes retrieval straightforward during an audit or a public-records request.

How Reynolds supports Pennsylvania counties

Reynolds Business Systems has served Pennsylvania organizations since 1970. We provide PHMC-aligned document scanning, indexing, and records-management programs for county offices — including retention-schedule mapping, secure digitization, and audit-ready disposition documentation. Our local team supports counties across the Lehigh Valley and the broader Mid-Atlantic.