20 CAR § 417-409 – Retention and preservation of records

(a) All medical records shall be retained in either the original, or other acceptable methods for a minimum of ten (10) years after the last discharge; and for a minor, three (3) years after a resident reaches legal age under state law, which is eighteen (18) years of age, in accordance with 42 C.F.R. § 483.70(h)(4)(iii).
(b) After the required retention time has passed, a medical record may be destroyed provided the psychiatric residential treatment facility permanently maintains the information contained in the master patient index.