48 CFR · Federal Acquisition Regulation and Defense supplement

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The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

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6 sections with “retention periods”

  • FAR 4.704 Calculation of retention periods.
    (a) The retention periods in 4.705 are calculated from the end of the contractor's fiscal year in which an entry is made charging or allocating a cost to a Government contract or subcontract. If a specific record contains a series of entrie…
  • FAR 4.705 Specific retention periods.
    …in the records identified in 4.705-1 through 4.705-3 for the periods designated, provided retention is required under 4.702. Records are identified in this subpart in terms of their purpose or use and not by specific name or form number. Al…
  • FAR 4.703 Policy.
    …d supporting evidence for a longer period of time than is required in 4.703(a) if— (1) A retention period longer than that cited in 4.703(a) is specified in any contract clause; or (2) The contractor, for its own purposes, retains the for…
  • FAR 4.702 Applicability.
    …partment of Energy contracts for which the Comptroller General allows alternative records retention periods. Apart from this exception, this subpart applies to record retention periods under contracts that are subject to 10 U.S.C. chapter 1…
  • FAR 4.805 Storage, handling, and contract files.
    …same manner as the files of which they are a part. (c) An agency that requires a shorter retention period than those identified in Table 4-1 shall request approval from NARA through the agency's records officer. Table 4-1—Retention Period…
  • FAR 2.101 Definitions.
    …States or against an opposing military force; or (2) Results in the call or order to, or retention on, active duty of members of the uniformed services under sections 688, 12301(a), 12302, 12304, 12304a, 12305, or 12406 of title 10 of the …

FAR (chapter 1)

DFARS (chapter 2, Defense)

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Rule changes in progress: FAR, DFARS. Terms: glossary.