(a) With the exception of actions which affect the title to land and actions which have been disposed of pursuant to Section 7-10, the files in civil, family and juvenile actions in which judgment has been rendered may be stripped and destroyed pursuant to the schedule set forth in subsection (d), except that requests relating to discovery, responses and objections thereto may be stripped after the expiration of the appeal period.
Section 7-11.—Judgments on the Merits— Stripping and Retention
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceFor cases decided on the merits, this section lets the clerk strip out most papers from the file and destroy them at set intervals, keep the core documents, and eventually retain or transfer the remaining file according to a detailed schedule by case type.
Full Text of Section 7-11
(b) When a file is to be stripped, all papers in the file shall be destroyed except:
(1) The complaint, including any amendment thereto, substituted complaint or amended complaint;
(2) All orders of notice, appearances and officers’ returns;
(3) All military or other affidavits;
(4) Any cross complaint, third-party complaint, or amendment thereto;
(5) All responsive pleadings;
(6) Any memorandum of decision;
(7) The judgment file or notation of the entry of judgment, and all modifications of judgment;
(8) All executions issued and returned.
(c) Upon the expiration of the stripping date, or at any time if facilities are not available for local retention, the file in any action set forth in subsection (d) may be transferred to the records center or other proper designated storage area, where it shall be retained for the balance of the retention period. Files in actions concerning dissolution of marriage or civil union, legal separation, or annulment may, upon agreement with officials of the state library, be transferred to the state library at the expiration of their retention period.
(d) The following is a schedule which sets forth when a file may be stripped and the length of time the file shall be retained. The time periods indicated herein shall run from the date judgment is rendered, except receivership actions or actions for injunctive relief, which shall run from the date of the termination of the receivership or injunction. Type of Case Stripping Retention Date Date
(1) Administrative appeals 3 years
(2) Contracts (where money dam- 1 year 20 years ages are not awarded)
(3) Eminent domain (except as 10 years provided in Section 7-12)
(4) Family -Dissolution of marriage or civil 5 years 75 years union, legal separation, annulment and change of name -Delinquency Until subject is 25 years of age -Family with service needs Until subject is 25 years of age -Termination of parental rights Permanent -Neglect and uncared for 75 years -Emancipation of minor 5 years -Orders in relief from physical 5 years abuse (General Statutes § 46b-15) -Other 75 years
(5) Family support magistrate 75 years matters -Uniform Reciprocal Enforce- 75 years ment of Support -Uniform Interstate Family Sup- 75 years port Act
(6) Landlord/Tenant -Summary process 3 years -Housing code enforcement 5 years (General Statutes § 47a-14h) -Contracts/Leases (where 1 year 20 years money damages are not awarded) -Money damages (except 1 year 26 years where a satisfaction of judgment has been filed)
(7) Miscellaneous -Bar discipline 50 years -Civil Protection Order (Gen- 5 years eral Statutes § 46b-16a) -Money damages (except 1 year 26 years where a satisfaction of judgment has been filed) -Mandamus, habeas corpus, 10 years arbitration, petition for new trial, action for an accounting, interpleader -Injunctive relief (where no 5 years other relief is requested)
(8) Property (except as provided 5 years 26 years in Section 7-12)
(9) Receivership 10 years
(10) Small claims 15 years
(11) Torts (except as noted below) 1 year 26 years -Money damages if the judg- Permanent ment was rendered in an action to recover damages for personal injury caused by sexual assault where the party at fault was convicted under General Statutes § 53a-70 or § 53a-70a (except where a satisfaction of judgment has been filed)
(12) Wills and estates 10 years
(13) Asset forfeiture (General Stat- 10 years utes § 54-36h)
(14) Alcohol and drug commitment 10 years (General Statutes § 17a-685)
(15) All other civil actions (except as 75 years provided in Section 7-12)
Amendment History
(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 403C.) (Amended June 29, 1998, to take effect Jan. 1, 1999; amended June 28, 1999, to take effect Jan. 1, 2000; amended June 30, 2003, to take effect Jan. 1, 2004; amended June 26, 2006, to take effect Jan. 1, 2007; amended June 15, 2012, to take effect Jan. 1, 2013; amended June 23, 2017, to take effect Jan. 1, 2018; amended June 9, 2023, to take effect Jan. 1, 2024.)
Plain-English Summary
Once judgment has been rendered on the merits in a civil, family, or juvenile case — other than land title actions or cases already covered by the destruction rule for withdrawals and dismissals — the file may be stripped and destroyed under the schedule in this section. Discovery requests, responses, and objections may be stripped once the appeal period ends. When a file is stripped, the clerk destroys everything except the core papers: the complaint and its amendments, orders of notice, appearances, officers’ returns, military affidavits, cross or third-party complaints, responsive pleadings, memoranda of decision, the judgment file or notation of judgment, and executions issued and returned.
After the stripping date, or sooner if local storage is not available, the remaining file may move to the records center or another designated storage area for the rest of its retention period. Family cases involving dissolution of marriage or civil union, legal separation, or annulment may, by agreement with the state library, transfer there once the retention period ends. The schedule in subsection (d) sets both a stripping date and a retention date by case type, with periods that range from a few years up to permanent retention, generally running from the date judgment is rendered, except that receivership and injunctive relief actions run from the date the receivership or injunction ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for a file to be 'stripped'?
Stripping means destroying all papers in the file except the core documents listed in subsection (b), such as the complaint, responsive pleadings, orders of notice, and the judgment file.
How long are contract case files retained?
Under the schedule in subsection (d), contract cases where money damages are not awarded may be stripped after one year and retained for twenty years.
Are dissolution of marriage files kept permanently?
No, but they are retained for seventy-five years and may, by agreement with the state library, be transferred there once that period ends.
Does this section apply to land title cases?
No, actions affecting title to land are excluded from this section and are addressed separately.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 7-11). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: file stripping schedule Connecticuthow long court records kept by case typeretention period for civil judgment filesrecords center transfer CT courtsdestruction of court file after judgment