Official archive or records collection
National Archives and Records Administration
The U.S. federal archive responsible for preserving government records and administering the statutory UAP Records Collection, Record Group 615.
- Established
- 1934
- Status
- Active
- Country
- United States
- Parent organisation
- Independent agency of the United States government
Overview
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the independent U.S. federal agency responsible for preserving and providing access to records of enduring government value. Its direct role in the contemporary UAP record is centred on Record Group 615, the statutory Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Collection.
Record Group 615 centralises digital copies of publicly releasable UAP records transferred by federal agencies under sections 1841–1843 of the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act. NARA provides preservation and access rather than case investigation: inclusion establishes government provenance and relevance to the statutory definition, not the accuracy of every observation, interpretation or allegation in a record.
Purpose and remit
- Receive digital copies of UAP records identified and prepared by federal agencies under the 2024 statute.
- Preserve the transferred material within a dedicated record group and make it available for public research.
- Provide catalogue descriptions, digital access where available, and guidance connecting the new collection with older UFO and UAP holdings.
- Maintain a central archival route across records created by agencies with different operational responsibilities.
Methods and outputs
Methods
- Statutory transfer and archival accession
- Catalogue description and digital preservation
- Public research access and records guidance
Principal outputs
- Record Group 615 catalogue series
- Digitised federal UAP records
- Research guidance for earlier UFO and UAP holdings
- Reporting route
- Does not accept sighting reports
- Data availability
- Public catalogue; digitisation and transfers remain incomplete
History
-
1934
National Archives established
Congress created the National Archives to preserve federal records of enduring value. The institution later became the independent National Archives and Records Administration in 1985.
-
22 December 2023
Collection required by law
The FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act required NARA to establish a UAP Records Collection and directed federal agencies to review, identify and organise relevant records for public disclosure and transfer.
-
2024
Record Group 615 established
NARA created Record Group 615 to receive digital copies of records covered by the Act.
-
2025
Agency transfer guidance issued
NARA issued AC Memo 04.2025, setting out instructions for identifying, preparing and transferring publicly releasable UAP records.
-
2025–26
Agency series added
The public catalogue grew through rolling transfers from agencies including the FAA, NRC, ODNI, Office of the Secretary of Defense, NSA, Department of State, FBI and Department of the Air Force.
Current work
Rolling agency transfers
NARA continues receiving digital copies from federal agencies and adding corresponding series to Record Group 615. The archive does not announce a fixed schedule for each agency transfer.
Catalogue and digital access
Series descriptions and available digital copies are linked through the National Archives Catalog. Some material may initially be available only through public-access computers at the National Archives at College Park.
Research guidance
NARA maintains separate guidance for older UFO and UAP holdings that remain in their original record groups, including Project Blue Book and records created before RG 615.
Responsible institutions
National Archives and Records Administration
Custodian
Receives, preserves, describes and provides access to transferred records.
Federal agencies
Creating and transferring bodies
Identify records in their custody, review them for public release and transmit digital copies under the Act.
United States Congress
Statutory authority
Created the collection and defined the transfer requirement through the FY2024 defence legislation.
Related organisations
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Transfers publicly releasable UAP records into Record Group 615 under the statutory process.
Evidence assessment
NARA’s contribution is archival rather than investigative. Record Group 615 gives researchers a common discovery route for UAP records transferred by different federal bodies and preserves the identity of the creating agency. That chain of custody is important because it distinguishes government records from later reproductions whose completeness or provenance may be uncertain.
The collection cannot be treated as a finished account of federal activity. Transfers remain dependent on agency searches, review decisions and release restrictions, while some older material continues to sit in its original record group. A missing document may therefore reflect incomplete transfer, classification, disposal history or an unsuccessful search rather than the absence of relevant government activity.
Archival status authenticates the record as an official recordkeeping object; it does not verify every witness statement, analytical judgement or allegation within it. The collection is strongest when used to reconstruct decisions, correspondence and institutional chronology, with the factual content of individual records assessed separately.
Scope and limits
What the record supports
- RG 615 creates a central discovery route across records that would otherwise remain dispersed among multiple agencies and archival series.
- The collection improves provenance by linking records to the transferring agency and National Archives catalogue identifier.
- Its research value will grow as agencies complete transfers and NARA expands online access.
Limits on interpretation
- The collection is incomplete while agency transfers continue, so absence from the current catalogue does not establish that no relevant record exists.
- Publicly releasable copies may contain redactions or omit material protected by statutory exemptions and classification rules.
- Archival custody authenticates a record as part of a government recordkeeping chain; it does not authenticate every claim described within it.
Evidence note: Archival custody establishes a record’s provenance, not the accuracy of each observation or allegation contained within it.
Sources
Sources are grouped by provenance so that official records, an organisation’s own account, research publications and independent analysis remain distinguishable.
Official records4 sources
-
Official
NARA — agency history
Documents the archive's establishment and institutional development.
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Official
NARA — Record Group 615
Lists transferred agency series and explains the collection's rolling development.
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Official
NARA — UAP Records Collection frequently asked questions
Explains the statutory scope, transfer process and access arrangements.
-
Official
NARA — Records related to UFOs and UAP by record group
Connects RG 615 with older holdings preserved elsewhere in the archives.