District Of Columbia
Medical Records Custodian & Retention Laws
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District of Columbia Medical Record Retention Law:
D.C. Code s.3-1210.11
- Adult patients: A minimum of 5 years.
- Patients who were minors: A minimum of 5 years after the minor reaches the age of majority.
- The retention period runs from: The date of last contact.
- Amended 10 March 2023 by D.C. Law 24-290.
If you are closing, selling or relocating your practice District of Columbia sets out what has to happen to patient records. The points below are taken from the source above.
- None in s.3-1210.11 - DC sets no cessation-of-practice duty in this section
District of Columbia closing-practice checklist
The same requirements as a checklist you can print and work through, with the retention periods, the notice each rule requires and what you may charge for copies.
Open the District of Columbia checklist →
Cost
- Electronic: 68 cents per page, up to $89.66.
- A search-and-handling fee of $23.70 may be charged even if no record is found.
- Non-electronic: 91 cents per page, with no stated maximum.
Fee figures as published; D.C. adjusts them - confirm before billing. Verified September 2026
This page summarises the source above and is not legal advice. Retention periods change and several states adjust their copying fees every year, so confirm the current text before you rely on a date or a figure.