Preparing the Standard Form 135 (SF 135), Records Transmittal and Receipt


General Instructions for Suitland (WNRC)

Items to be Completed by Federal Agencies:

Item 1: Complete the e-mail Address: suitland.transfer@nara.gov

Item 2: Original signatures, if required by your agency, should be included on a copy of the SF 135 placed in the first box of the shipment.

Item 3: Provide the name and commercial telephone number, including area code, of the person to contact concerning the records. An e-mail address is also required so the approved SF-135 can be returned by e-mail.

Item 5: Please provide the complete mailing address for the office retiring the records.

Item 6: (a) The NARA record group number assigned to the records of the agency making the transfer and (b) the last two digits of the current fiscal year.

Item 6: (c) In most centers, regional staff assign a sequential number in this column. At WNRC, agency records officers typically control and assign transfer numbers, except to some military agencies.

Item 6: (d) For transfer and billing purposes, a standard-size box equals one cubic foot.

Item 6: (e) Agency box numbers column can be used to indicate the inclusive range of numbers (e.g., 1-30).

Item 6: (f) - The Series Description should describe the records in sufficient detail to allow records center personnel to verify compliance with your records schedule. A complete series description includes the closing date (or inclusive dates) of the records. Include the organizational component that created the records when it is other than that shown in item 5. Item 6(f) should include a detailed box-by-box listing, if the records are scheduled for permanent retention, unscheduled, or if disposition instructions indicate sampling or screening of records is necessary. You must indicate if the series of records is Subject to the Privacy Act. Since SFs 135 are public records, information included on SFs 135 should not be subject to the Privacy Act.

Stratified Report Invoicing: For agencies participating in Stratified Report Invoicing a caret (^) followed by a valid two digit charge code must be placed at the beginning of the series descriptions.

Special description requirements apply for certain records and should be stated in item 6f:

Site Audit Records: State "GAO Site Audit" if the records have been so designated by the General Accounting Office and indicate whether the site audit records do or do not pertain to Native Americans.

Non-paper based Records: These are other than paper records, such as microfilm, engineering drawings (because of the special format), etc.

Item 6: (g) - Restriction: complete this section using one of the following codes:

Code Restriction
Q Security classification
T Top Secret security classification
S Secret security classification
C Confidential security classification
R Restricted use - witnessed disposal not required (specify in column (f))
W Restricted use - witnessed disposal required (specify in column (f))
N No restrictions

Unclassified Privacy Act System Records - Code "W" should be used for unclassified Privacy Act System records. Explain any special restrictions at the bottom of the page, if needed.

Restricted Data (RD) or Formerly Restricted Data (FRD) records - Please add "E" to designate Restricted Data (RD) or Formerly Restricted Data (FRD) records. This must be shown as well as the appropriate classification (Top Secret, Secret, Confidential) set forth in EO 12356. These restriction codes apply to documents pertaining to National Security Information rather than information of a proprietary nature.

Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) records - Please add "SCI" to designate Sensitive Compartmented Information records. This must be shown as well as the appropriate classification (Top Secret, Secret, Confidential) set forth in EO 12356. These restriction codes apply to documents pertaining to National Security Information rather than information of proprietary nature.

Vault-type Storage at Agency Request - Use "A" code for records that are not national security classified, but vault-type storage is being requested at an additional storage fee.

Item 6: (h) - Cite the appropriate schedule identifier and item number in your agency records schedule, job number or the General Records Schedule (GRS). For accountable officers' records, cite the appropriate item from GRS 6. Also, use the General Records Schedules (36 CFR 1228.42) when dealing with records common to most offices such as contracts, civilian personnel records, travel and transportation records. Contact center staff for additional information.

Unscheduled Record Series: Consistent with 36 CFR 1228.154(c )(vii), records centers can accept unscheduled record series that have a SF 115, Request for Records Disposition Authority, registered and pending with NARA's Life Cycle Management Division (NWML). Customer agencies should cite the pending job number and the date it was submitted to NARA and the series item that corresponds to the transfers. The customer should type "pending" in block 6h.

Also attach a copy of the pending job number with the SF 135.

Item 6: (i) Follow the instructions on your record schedule to compute the disposition date. Because disposal is accomplished in quarterly cycles (i.e. January, April, July and October), advance the date to the beginning of the next calendar quarter to obtain the actual date of disposal. Permanent records are offered to NARA on an annual basis; no month is shown in the disposition date field. Place "P" after the offer year.

Items to be Completed by Records Center:

Item s 4, 6j thru m.
Specific Instructions for the MS Word Electronic SF 135
Specific Instructions for the Electronic SF 135

NOTE: You must have a full version of Adobe Acrobat in order to save the annotations made to this electronic form.

PDF files require the free Adobe Reader.
More information on Adobe Acrobat PDF files is available on our Accessibility page.

FRC Training

FRC Training Local Federal Records Centers offer training on FRC services (including transfer, disposition and reference procedures), either at records centers or onsite at agency facilities.

Please contact your local FRC for more information.


In addition, NARA's records management team offers a comprehensive certification course for Federal employees on records management.