Should I destroy original documents after scanning?

For most business documents — yes, after a verification period (typically 3-6 months) to confirm scan quality and completeness. Exceptions include original signed deeds, wills, documents with official stamps, and any documents where law or regulation requires physical retention. Destruction should be certified with documentation.

How should original documents be destroyed after scanning?

Use certified secure destruction: cross-cut shredding to DIN 66399 standards (P-3 minimum), with chain of custody documentation, carried out by an EN 15713 certified provider. You should receive a destruction certificate for every batch. Retain certificates permanently as proof of proper disposal.

What Happens to Original Documents After Scanning?

Once your documents are scanned, you have a choice: return the originals to storage, securely destroy them, or hold them for a verification period before destruction. The right approach depends on the document type, your legal obligations, and how confident you are in the quality of the digital copies.

Option 1: Return to Storage

The most conservative approach is to return scanned originals to their normal storage location and keep both physical and digital copies. This eliminates any risk of losing information — the digital copy provides fast access and searchability, while the original remains available as a backup.

The downside is cost. You are now paying for both physical storage and digital storage. If the goal of scanning was to reduce physical storage costs or free up office space, keeping the originals defeats that purpose.

This approach makes sense for:

Documents where you are legally required to retain the physical original
A transition period while you build confidence in your digital archive
High-value irreplaceable documents where the original has intrinsic significance

Option 2: Verification Period Then Destruction

The most common approach is to hold the originals for a defined verification period after scanning — typically 3-6 months — then securely destroy them. During the verification period, you use the digital copies as your primary records while keeping the originals as a safety net.

This period allows you to:

Verify that scans are complete — no missed pages
Check image quality across a representative sample
Confirm that OCR is accurate and searchable
Test that your indexing and filing structure works in practice
Identify any issues before the originals are gone

After the verification period, if no issues have been found, the originals are securely destroyed and you rely entirely on the digital copies. This gives you the best of both worlds — a safety net during transition, followed by the full cost and space savings of going digital.

Option 3: Immediate Destruction

Some organisations choose to destroy originals immediately after scanning — particularly for low-value routine records where the risk of scanning errors is outweighed by the immediate storage savings. This approach requires high confidence in your scanning quality, ideally supported by 100% quality assurance checking during the scanning process.

Immediate destruction is appropriate for routine documents with no legal requirement for original retention — invoices, general correspondence, internal memos. It is not appropriate for any documents that might need to be produced in original form.

Documents You Should Always Keep as Originals

Deeds and conveyances: Original property deeds retain legal significance that copies do not
Wills: Probate courts require the original signed will
Documents under seal: Where the seal itself has legal significance
Court orders with original stamps: Some proceedings require the original stamped order
Share certificates: May be needed in original form for transfers
Historical or heritage documents: Where the physical artefact has value beyond its informational content

Secure Destruction Process

When you do destroy originals, the destruction must be secure — particularly for documents containing personal data (which is a GDPR requirement) or confidential business information. The process should include:

Cross-cut shredding to DIN 66399 standards (P-3 minimum, P-5 for sensitive material)
Chain of custody documentation from removal to destruction
Destruction carried out by a certified provider (EN 15713 standard)
A destruction certificate documenting what was destroyed, when, and by whom
Retention of the destruction certificate as a permanent record

Your scanning provider can usually arrange certified destruction of originals as part of the scanning project — either at their facility or through a partner shredding company.

BS 10008 and Destruction

If you plan to destroy originals and rely entirely on digital copies, compliance with BS 10008 provides the strongest legal protection. BS 10008 ensures your scanning process produces digital copies with the same evidential weight as the originals — meaning you can confidently destroy the paper knowing the digital version is legally equivalent.

Get a Free Quote

Every project is different, so the best way to understand your options is to get in touch with our team. We provide clear, no-obligation advice — usually within the same day.

Call us on 01691 650355 or use the form below.