Circular No. 07/2025/TT-BTP on the retention period for records and documents in the Justice sector

CIRCULAR
Regulations on the retention period for judicial sector files and records

Pursuant to the Law on Archives dated June 21, 2024;

Pursuant to the Government Decree No. 113/2025/NĐ-CP dated June 3, 2025 detailing some provisions of the Law on Archives;

Pursuant to Decree No. 39/2025/NĐ-CP dated February 26, 2025 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Justice;

At the proposal of the Director of the Ministry of Justice's Office;

The Minister of Justice issues this Circular to regulate the retention period for files and records in the judicial sector.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular stipulates the retention periods for files and records in areas under the management of the Ministry of Justice.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to agencies and units within the judicial sector and other relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Article 3. Files and Records and Retention Periods for Judicial Sector Files and Records

1. Files and records stored in the judicial sector include:

a) Files and records related to legislative work;

b) Files and records related to inspection, review, consolidation, and systematization of legal regulations, codification of legal norms;

c) Files and records related to administrative violation handling; inspection, investigation, survey, and implementation results of laws;

d) Files and records related to international law;

đ) Files and records related to international cooperation in law and judicial reform;

e) Files and records related to legal education and dissemination; access to justice; grassroots mediation; legal support for small and medium-sized enterprises;

g) Files and records related to legal aid;

h) Files and records related to civil enforcement; administrative enforcement; notarized public officers;

i) Files and records related to security measures registration, contracts;

k) Files and records related to state compensation;

l) Files and records related to household registration; nationality; adoption;

m) Files and records related to lawyers; legal consultation; notarization; authentication; forensic examination; auctioning of assets; commercial arbitration; trade mediation; bankruptcy trustees;

n) Files and records related to information access.

2. The retention periods for files and records listed in Clause 1 of this Article include permanent retention and limited-term retention as specified in the Appendix attached to this Circular.

3. For files and records formed in areas under the management of the Ministry of Justice that have not been provided with retention periods in this Circular, the retention periods shall be determined according to those applicable to similar files and records already defined in this Circular and other relevant laws.

4. The retention period for files and records containing state secrets shall be implemented in accordance with the laws on state secret protection.

Article 4. Effective date

This Circular shall take effect from July 1, 2025.

State-owned enterprises that have been assigned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to conduct offshore wind power project surveys before the effective date of this Circular shall continue to implement according to the assigned documents; any new matters arising after the effective date of this Circular shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of this Circular.

1. The Director of the Ministry's Office, heads of agencies, organizations, and individuals specified in Article 2 shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.

2. During implementation, if there are any difficulties, please report them to the Ministry of Justice for guidance./.