Who approves record retention schedules?

• A. The Florida Department of State
• B. The Florida Archives
• C. The Department of Education
• D. The City Clerk

Answer: (A)

Understanding why this is the right choice: in Florida, the responsibility for approving record retention schedules sits with the state agency that oversees records management, which is the Florida Department of State through its Archives and Records Management program (the Florida State Archives). This office establishes and approves the official retention periods for records used by state and local governments. Local offices, like a City Clerk, must follow these state-approved schedules, but they don’t have the authority to approve them for the entire state. The Florida Archives is the archival division within that department, serving as the keeper of records and guidance, not the separate approving body. So the Department of State is the correct approving authority.