Mandatory Elements

Mandatory Elements for Record Groups and Collections
Mandatory Elements for Series, File Units, and Items
Mandatory Elements for Archival Creators

Mandatory Elements for Record Groups and Collections

Record Group	Collection
Title	Title
	Collection Identifier
Record Group Number
Inclusive Start Date	Inclusive Start Date
Inclusive End Date	Inclusive End Date
Description Type	Description Type

Mandatory Elements for Series, File Units, and Items

Series	File Unit	Item
Title	Title	Title
Function and Use 1
Inclusive Start Date 2
Inclusive End Date 2
General Records Type	General Records Type	General Records Type
Access Restriction Status 3	Access Restriction Status 3	Access Restriction Status 3
Specific Access Restrictions 3	Specific Access Restrictions 3	Specific Access Restrictions 3
Security Classification 3	Security Classification 3	Security Classification 3
Use Restriction Status 3	Use Restriction Status 3	Use Restriction Status 3
Specific Use Restrictions 3	Specific Use Restrictions 3	Specific Use Restrictions 3
Creating Individual 4
Creating Individual Type 4
Creating Organization 4
Creating Organization Type 4
Description Type	Description Type	Description Type
Copy Status	Copy Status	Copy Status
Extent
GPRA Indicator
Holdings Measurement Type
Holdings Measurement Count
Location Facility	Location Facility	Location Facility
Reference Unit	Reference Unit	Reference Unit
Specific Media Type	Specific Media Type	Specific Media Type

NOTES:

¹ Function and Use is mandatory for newly created descriptions of organizational records, but not for descriptions of personal papers or legacy descriptions.

² The Inclusive Dates for the File Unit and Item descriptions are inherited down from the Series descriptions.

³ If a Restriction Status of "Restricted - Fully" or "Restricted - Partly" is selected, then the Specific Restriction becomes mandatory. If a Specific Access Restriction of "FOIA (b)(1) National Security", "Donated - Security Classified", or "Security Classified - Mandatory Review" is selected, then the Security Classification also becomes mandatory.

⁴ A creator and creator type is mandatory. The creator can either be a creating individual or a creating organization. Creators for the File Unit and Item descriptions are inherited down from the Series descriptions.

Mandatory Elements for Archival Creators

Organization Elements	Person Elements
Organization Name	Name
Abolish Date
Establish Date

Source:
http://www.archives.gov/research/search/lcdrg/mandatoryelements.html