2024 California Rules of Court
Rule 10.854. Standards and guidelines for trial court records
(a) The standards and guidelines
Judicial Council staff, in collaboration with trial court presiding judges and court executives, must prepare, maintain, and distribute a manual providing standards and guidelines for the creation, maintenance, and retention of trial court records (the Trial Court Records Manual), consistent with the Government Code and the rules of court and policies adopted by the Judicial Council. The manual should assist the courts and the public to have complete, accurate, efficient, and accessible court records. Before the manual is issued, it must be made available for comment from the trial courts.
(Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2016.)
(b) Contents of the Trial Court Records Manual
The Trial Court Records Manual must provide standards and guidelines for the creation, maintenance, and retention of trial court records. These standards and guidelines must ensure that all court records subject to permanent retention are retained and made available to the public in perpetuity as legally required.
(c) Updating the manual
Judicial Council staff, in collaboration with trial court presiding judges and court executives, must periodically update the Trial Court Records Manual to reflect changes in technology that affect the creation, maintenance, and retention of court records. Except for technical changes, corrections, or minor substantive changes not likely to create controversy, proposed changes in the manual must be made available for comment from the courts before the manual is updated or changed. Courts must be notified of any changes in the standards or guidelines, including all those relating to the permanent retention of records.
(Subd (c) amended effective January 1, 2016.)
(d) Adherence to standards and guidelines
Trial courts must adhere to the requirements contained in the Trial Court Records Manual, except as otherwise provided in the manual.
Rule 10.854 amended effective January 1, 2016; adopted effective January 1, 2011.