Can this list be e-signed?

Yes. Electronic signatures are enforceable under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and UETA when parties manifest consent, the signature is attributable, and records are reproducible.

Is notarization required?

Not generally required for most destruction lists, but state or contract terms can require notarization for specific records; check state or contractual obligations before execution.

How do I handle a litigation hold?

Do not destroy any item subject to a litigation or regulatory hold. Preserve the items, notify legal, and document that preservation took precedence over destruction.

What proof of destruction is acceptable?

A vendor certificate of destruction or a verified sanitization report is standard. Retain these artifacts with the signed list to demonstrate compliance.

How should electronic media be sanitized?

Follow industry standards (e.g., NIST SP 800-88) for media sanitization and retain tool or vendor logs as proof of sanitization.

How can I revoke or amend a list?

Amendments require the same approval path as the original list; treat revocation as a signed addendum and retain previous versions for auditability.

Project Destroy List

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PROJECT DESTROY LIST

Project Name:

Client Name: Contractor Name:

WHEREAS

WHEREAS, the Client and Contractor are parties to a project identified above that requires the permanent destruction and disposition of specified physical and electronic materials and assets in accordance with applicable law and contractual obligations; and

WHEREAS, the parties desire a contemporaneous, itemized record of all items scheduled for destruction, the method of destruction, chain-of-custody steps, and certification of destruction to be maintained as a Project Destroy List and relied upon for audit and compliance purposes; and

WHEREAS, the parties agree that destruction performed in accordance with this Project Destroy List will constitute final disposition and that the party performing destruction will provide certification to the Client upon completion.

SCOPE OF WORK

Scope Description

ITEMIZED DESTRUCTION LIST

The following items are approved for destruction under the Project Name and will be disposed of in accordance with the Method of Destruction selected for each line item. A Certificate of Destruction shall be issued upon completion for each item or batch as indicated.

#	Item Description	Qty	Serial / Asset ID	Current Location	Scheduled Date
1	Method: Shred Incinerate Secure Delete Recycle Other
2	Method: Shred Incinerate Secure Delete Recycle Other
3	Method: Shred Incinerate Secure Delete Recycle Other
4	Method: Shred Incinerate Secure Delete Recycle Other
5	Method: Shred Incinerate Secure Delete Recycle Other
6	Method: Shred Incinerate Secure Delete Recycle Other

CHAIN OF CUSTODY & CERTIFICATION

Custody Transfer Procedure: At each transfer of physical or electronic items designated for destruction, the transferring individual shall record their name, organization, date and time, and purpose of transfer. The receiving individual shall acknowledge receipt and sign the applicable Certificate of Destruction when final disposition occurs.

Certifying Person (on-site) Certifying Organization Certificate of Destruction Reference / Batch No.

PAYMENT TERMS

The Client shall compensate the Contractor for destruction services as follows. Payment obligations are independent of destruction certifications and shall not be withheld except as set forth in this Agreement.

Total Fee Payment Schedule Late Payment

Late payments shall accrue interest at or the maximum rate permitted by law, whichever is less. In addition, Contractor may suspend destruction activities after days' written notice for nonpayment.

TERM AND TERMINATION

This Project Destroy List is effective as of Start Date and will remain in effect until End Date or until all listed items are destroyed and certified, whichever occurs later. Either party may terminate for cause upon written notice if the other party materially breaches any material obligation and fails to cure within the specified cure period.

Start Date End Date Notice Period for Termination

CONFIDENTIALITY

Each party shall maintain the confidentiality of non-public information disclosed in connection with the destruction activities and the itemized list, and shall not disclose such information except to employees, agents, or subcontractors with a need to know, and who are bound by confidentiality obligations no less protective than those set forth herein. Confidential information shall remain protected for a period of years following termination or until lawful release is obtained.

GOVERNING LAW

This Project Destroy List shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of without regard to principles of conflicts of law.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This document, together with any referenced schedules, appendices, and Certificates of Destruction executed under it, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, representations, and understandings, whether written or oral.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND CERTIFICATION

By signing below, the signatories certify that they are authorized to bind their respective party, that the information in this Project Destroy List is accurate to the best of their knowledge, and that destruction performed in accordance with the instructions herein will be final. The certifying party agrees to maintain records of destruction and to provide Certificates of Destruction upon request to the Client.

Client

Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Contractor

Printed Name:

By:

Date:

What the Project Destroy List Is and when it’s used

A Project Destroy List is a formal record that enumerates project-related materials approved for destruction or secure disposal. It documents item descriptions, custodians, retention start and end dates, legal or contractual exceptions, and the authorized signers who approve removal. Organizations use this list to ensure compliance with retention policies, privacy laws, and internal audit requirements while creating an auditable trail for later review or litigation hold verification.

Why documenting destruction protects organizations

A clear Project Destroy List reduces legal and compliance risk by documenting who approved disposal and why, preserves defensible disposition evidence, and supports downstream audits. It also helps coordinate security controls, chain-of-custody, and any required data sanitization steps for physical and electronic records.

Typical roles that prepare or approve a Project Destroy List

The signatory set typically includes the records custodian, a compliance officer, and an authorized executive; additional signatures may be required for regulated records.

Records Managers — Maintain retention schedules, verify legal holds, and coordinate secure destruction with vendors.
Legal / Compliance — Review for litigation holds, privacy law obligations, and regulatory retention exceptions.
Project Managers / IT Leads — Identify project assets, confirm decommissioning steps, and certify safe data erasure.

Essential elements to include on a professional Project Destroy List

A complete list combines item-level detail, retention rationale, authorization metadata, and disposition method so destruction is defensible and repeatable across projects.

Item Description

Clear item titles and unique identifiers such as file numbers, server paths, or physical box IDs so each record is unambiguously scoped for destruction.

Retention Basis

The legal, contractual, or policy reason for retention and the date the retention period began, enabling reviewers to confirm eligibility for destruction.

Custodian

Name and contact of the person responsible for the record while it was active, used to verify chain of custody and to answer follow-up questions.

Disposition Method

Specify secure disposal approach—shredding, degaussing, certificate of destruction for hardcopy or media sanitization standard for electronic storage.

Authorizations

Signatures, dates, and role titles for each approving party; include witness or notarization details when required by law or policy.

Audit Trail

Timestamps, identity of the approver, and a retained copy of the approved list for legal and regulatory review.

Step-by-step: preparing and approving a Project Destroy List

Follow a short approval workflow to confirm eligibility, collect signatures, and execute secure disposal.

01

Identify Records: Compile candidate items using retention schedules and project inventories.
02

Check Holds: Verify no litigation or regulatory hold applies to listed items.
03

Approve List: Collect required signatures and record the approval timestamps.
04

Execute Disposal: Perform destruction and retain certificates or logs as proof.

From list creation to destruction: typical workflow overview

A concise flow helps teams coordinate responsibilities and maintain an auditable record of every destruction event.

Drafting: Records custodian compiles items and proposed disposition methods.
Review: Legal and compliance confirm no holds or exceptions apply.
Authorization: Designated approvers sign; date and role are recorded for audit.
Destruction: Records destroyed, certificate added to file, and list archived.

Digital workflow configuration for online completion and approvals

Configure fields, authentication, and retention rules before issuing the list electronically to maintain compliance and reduce errors.

Field	Configuration
Item ID Field	Required, unique validation enabled
Retention Date Field	MM/DD/YYYY format enforced
Signer Authentication	Email + SMS code or stronger
Audit Trail	Capture IP, timestamp, and backup PDF

Technical and integration considerations for eSubmission

Integrations with systems such as Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace, or cloud repositories streamline record discovery and post-destruction archiving of certificates.

Document Formats: PDF, DOCX supported
Authentication: Email, SMS, KBA
Integrations: CRM and cloud storage

Typical timelines and processing expectations

Establish clear timeframes for review, approval, and execution to reduce backlog and ensure compliant destruction.

Review Window:

7–14 days for legal and compliance review

Approval Period:

Approvers respond within 5 business days

Destruction Execution:

Conduct within 30 days of final approval

Certificate Delivery:

Vendor certificate received within 7 days

Archive Retention:

Retain list and certificates per retention policy

Core data elements the list must contain

Item Identifier: Unique ID

Description: Brief title

Custodian: Name and role

Retention End: MM/DD/YYYY

Disposal Method: Shred or sanitize

Approval Metadata: Signer and timestamp

Key penalties and compliance risks from incorrect destruction

Regulatory Penalty: Data breach fines possible

Tax Penalty: Incorrect returns — IRC §6721

HIPAA Violation: Civil fines — 45 CFR §164

Litigation Risk: Spoliation sanctions risk

Contract Breach: Vendor/partner claim exposure

Business Impact: Operational disruption

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing the list

Including ambiguous item descriptions that make it unclear which records are covered and lead to accidental destruction or retention.
Failing to check active litigation holds or email preservation orders, which can create legal exposure and sanctions.
Using inconsistent identifiers or mismatched custodian names, making post-action audits time-consuming and error-prone.
Skipping proof of destruction such as certificates or media sanitization reports, which undermines compliance and vendor accountability.

Real-world examples of digital approval and destruction

Customer stories illustrate how standardized lists and electronic approvals reduced cycle time and provided defensible disposal records.

Optica Ventures LLC — Brian Fitzgibbons

The team adopted electronic approvals for project closeout lists to centralize destruction records.

The change improved traceability across vendors.
"The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers."

Martin Properties — Tim Martin

Property management used signed destroy lists to remove tenant files after retention expired.

Records were securely shredded offsite.
"I can process and execute all of these documents online with 100% compliance and built-in security."

eSignature provider comparison for executing Project Destroy Lists

Compare common plan attributes for platforms used to collect approvals and maintain audit trails for disposal lists. Pricing reflects typical starting tiers and common compliance features.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

Practical tips for accurate, defensible destruction

Adopt consistent practices to minimize risk and ensure every destruction is auditable and legally defensible.

Map Retention

Maintain an updated retention schedule mapped to record types and legal bases so eligibility for destruction is clear.

Check Holds First

Always confirm there are no litigation or regulatory holds before approving destruction to avoid spoliation risks.

Use Secure Vendors

Select certified disposal vendors and require a signed certificate of destruction for each batch or media item.

Retain Proof

Keep the signed Project Destroy List and vendor certificates in a searchable archive for the full retention period.

Key milestones from approval to post-destruction archive

Track milestones to demonstrate timely action and to support audits or potential litigation inquiries.

01

Draft Complete

List compiled and validated by records custodian.

02

Legal Review

Compliance and legal confirm absence of holds.

03

Final Approval

Authorized signers sign and date the list.

04

Destruction Archived

Certificate and signed list stored in archive.

Frequently asked questions about the Project Destroy List

Answers address common legal, technical, and procedural questions encountered when preparing or executing destruction lists.

Need help? Contact support

Can this list be e-signed?
Yes. Electronic signatures are enforceable under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and UETA when parties manifest consent, the signature is attributable, and records are reproducible.
Is notarization required?
Not generally required for most destruction lists, but state or contract terms can require notarization for specific records; check state or contractual obligations before execution.
How do I handle a litigation hold?
Do not destroy any item subject to a litigation or regulatory hold. Preserve the items, notify legal, and document that preservation took precedence over destruction.
What proof of destruction is acceptable?
A vendor certificate of destruction or a verified sanitization report is standard. Retain these artifacts with the signed list to demonstrate compliance.
How should electronic media be sanitized?
Follow industry standards (e.g., NIST SP 800-88) for media sanitization and retain tool or vendor logs as proof of sanitization.
How can I revoke or amend a list?
Amendments require the same approval path as the original list; treat revocation as a signed addendum and retain previous versions for auditability.

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