Government Code section 26205

At the request of the county officer concerned, the board of supervisors of any county may authorize the destruction of any record, paper, or document that is not expressly required by law to be filed and preserved if all of the following conditions are complied with:

(a)

The record, paper, or document is photographed, microphotographed, reproduced by electronically recorded video images on magnetic surfaces, recorded in the electronic data processing system, recorded on optical disk, or reproduced on film or any other medium that is a trusted system and that does not permit additions, deletions, or changes to the original document and is produced in compliance with Section 12168.7 for recording of permanent records or nonpermanent records.

(b)

The device used to reproduce the record, paper, or document on film, optical disk, or any other medium is one that accurately reproduces the original thereof in all details and which does not permit additions, deletions, or changes to the original document images.

(c)

The photographs, microphotographs, electronically recorded video images on magnetic surfaces, records in the electronic data processing system, records recorded on optical disk, or other reproductions on film or any other medium are placed in conveniently accessible files and provision is made for preserving, examining, and using the files.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, destruction of the original records, papers, or documents is not authorized when the method of reproduction pursuant to this section is reproduction of electronically recorded video images on magnetic surfaces unless a duplicate videotape of the images is separately maintained. A duplicate copy of a record contained in the electronic data processing system, on optical disk, or on any other medium that does not permit additions, deletions, or changes to the original document images shall also be separately maintained.

Source: Section 26205, https://leginfo.­legislature.­ca.­gov/faces/codes_displaySection.­xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=26205.­ (accessed May 4, 2025).

Last Updated

Apr. 24, 2025

§ 26205’s source at ca​.gov