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Policy, Data, Oversight Data, Analysis & Documentation

 

Overview

Our Agency issues Governmentwide guidance on documenting individuals' Federal employment. OPM and the agency human resources offices use these documents to make decisions about employees' rights and benefits throughout their careers. Here you'll find instructions for Federal agencies' human resources offices on preparing personnel actions and keeping the Official Personnel Folder.

Related Information

Guide to Processing Personnel Actions

The Guide available on this site is the most current. The Guide to Processing Personnel Actions was last revised March 2017. This document contains information on how to prepare personnel actions, Standard Forms 52 and 50.

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The most recent Updates reflecting changes to pages in the Guide are reflected below. Updates, recent or otherwise, are archived. Collectively, Updates are already included within the Guide available on this site.

Updates to the Guide to Processing Personnel Actions
UpdateDate
Update 72 03/05/17
Update 71 01/10/16
Update 70 11/01/15
Update 69 1/11/15

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Contact Information

Personnel Recordkeeping (GPR)

Personnel recordkeeping regulations are found in part 293 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations. These regulations establish policies and minimum requirements governing the creation, development, maintenance, processing, use, and disposition.

The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping is written in plain language and provides guidance to assist agencies with day to day personnel recordkeeping requirements.

The most recent Updates reflecting changes to pages in this Guide are reflected below. Updates, recent or otherwise, are archived. Collectively, Updates are already included within the Guide available on this site.

Updates to the Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping
UpdateDate
Update 13 Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping 06/01/2011
Update 13a 07/01/2017
Update 8 12/14/2001
Update 7 05/31/2001
Update 6 10/31/2000

Contact Information

Requesting Official Personnel Folder (eOPF)

Current Employees

The Official Personnel Folders (OPFs) and electronic official personnel folders (eOPF), including SF 50s, for current Federal employees are stored at the employee’s current employing agency. If you are a current Federal employee seeking guidance regarding specific circumstances of your employment, SF-50, records or if you want to access your OPF or eOPF or have questions about the same, contact your employing agency’s Human Resources Office for assistance.

OPF/eOPF Amendments

If you feel that your official personnel folder is in error, please contact your agency’s HR office.

Former Employees

The Official Personnel Folders (OPFs), including SF 50s, for most former civilian Federal employees are stored at the address below. Please mail your request to:

National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
1411 Boulder Boulevard
Valmeyer, IL 62295

Or you may fax your hand signed request to the NPRC at telephone number 618-935-3014. More information is available on the NPRC website.

The location of records of former military employees varies depending on the branch of service and date of separation from service. Please visit NARA’s site on Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs) for details.

OPF/eOPF Amendments

If you feel that your official personnel folder is in error, please submit a written request to:U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Chief, Records Management and Data Policy
1900 E Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20415-7900

Your request must include your hand written signature and all of the following information:

  • Social Security Number
  • Date of birth
  • Name of last agency where employed
  • Approximate date when you left Federal service
  • Details of the error you wish to be addressed

Have questions? Check out our Personnel Documentation Frequently Asked Questions or contact us at persdoc@opm.gov.

FAQs

  • How do I access and use eOPF?   View more
    You must contact your servicing Human Resources (HR) office or personnel department within the federal agency or organization you work for. These offices will provide you with information on how to access and use eOPF.
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  • What is the electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF)? View more
    The eOPF is an electronic version of the paper OPF and a system for accessing the electronic folder online. The eOPF system combines document management with workflow capabilities.   The eOPF allows each employee to have an electronic personnel folder instead of a paper folder. Benefits of eOPF include: *   Immediate access to personnel forms and information for a geographically dispersed workforce. *   E-mail notification to employee when documents are added to their eOPF. *   Multi-level secure environment with security rules for sensitive information. *   No loss of official personnel documents due to filing and routing errors. *   Reduced costs associated with storage, maintenance, and retrieval of records. *   Electronic transfer of human resources (HR) data. *   Integration with agency’s human resources information systems (HRIS). *   Compliance with OPM and federally mandated HR employee record management regulations.
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  • Who has access to the eOPF? View more
    HR Specialists have read-write access to employees’ eOPF within their service area. Employees are able to view their own eOPF documents, but cannot modify the documents.  eOPF system includes an audit trail that records when and why an individual has reviewed an eOPF.  
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  • What goes in my Official Personnel Folder? View more
    Your Official Personnel Folder contains records the Government needs to make accurate employment decisions throughout your Federal career.These documents:
    • Show your Federal appointment was valid (Examples: the Appointment Affidavit; the Declaration for Federal Employment).
    • Verify your military service credit for leave, reduction-in-force, or retirement (Examples: the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty; the Military Service Deposit Election).
    • Establish your employment history - your grades, occupations and pay (Example: the Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action).
    • Record your choices under Federal benefits programs (Examples: the Health Benefits Registration Form; the Designation of Beneficiary under the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program).
    Check Chapter 3 of The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping  [588KB] for more detailed information on what goes into the Official Personnel Folder.
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  • What if I forget my password for eOPF? View more
    If you forget or lose your password, you can click the ‘Forgot Your Password?’ link on the eOPF login screen. If you have logged into eOPF previously and have answered security questions, you are asked to verify your identity and, once successfully verified, you will be able to create a new password. If you have never previously logged into eOPF,  contact your agency's human resource office.  
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  • Where can I get my military personnel records? View more
    To obtain your military records, please visit the National Archives Center website at http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/
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  • What is an Official Personnel Folder (OPF)? View more
    The Official Personnel Folder (Standard Form 66) is a file containing records for an individual’s federal employment career. Employees with OPFs are those in the Executive Branch service, as listed in Title V of the United States Code and some federal employees not under Title V. The long-term records in the file are included to protect the legal and financial rights of the government and the employee. The OPF is part of the government-wide system of records, OPM/GOVT-1.
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  • Who can look at the records in my Official Personnel Folder? View more
    You.  Anyone you designate.  Government officials who need to see the records to do their jobs.  There are a limited number of special situations where others can see information from your personnel records.  These situations are described in routine uses under the Privacy Act System of Records Notice covering the Official Personnel Folder.For more information on the Privacy Act and the Office of Personnel Management's records systems under the Act, visit Privacy Act Information.
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  • I'm going to take a job in another agency, do I have to resign from my current Federal job? View more
    No.  Your new agency should contact your current agency to let them know when you'll be moving to your new civil service job.  Once your current agency has proof you've been hired, the Human Resources Office should process a Termination Appointment In (new agency).  This way you should avoid unintentional breaks in service.
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  • I'm taking discontinued service retirement but my Standard Form 50 doesn't show retirement as the personnel action. Is my Form 50 wrong? View more
    No. There isn't any official Discontinued Service Retirement action.  These actions are processed as separations.  The circumstances of the separation are what make you eligible for Discontinued Service Retirement.  For more information on Discontinued Service Retirement, refer to Chapter 44 of the CSRS and FERS Handbook  [118KB].
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Total Count: 22, Number of Pages: 3, Page: 1
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