Connecticut Medical Records Retention Requirements: How Long Providers Must Keep Patient Records

Connecticut’s medical records retention statute sets specific, minimum timeframes for how long licensed practitioners must keep patient records. Knowing these rules helps you protect patient records confidentiality, meet malpractice record retention obligations, and align your policies with litigation hold requirements.

This guide explains the general rule and the special timelines for pathology materials, EEG/ECG tracings, lab and PKU reports, and x-ray films. It also covers key exceptions, medical record transfer protocols, and practitioner discontinuance reporting duties.

General Retention Period

Unless a specific exception applies, individual practitioners in Connecticut must retain all parts of a patient’s medical record for seven years from the last date of treatment. If the patient has died, records must be kept for three years from the date of death. This baseline applies to the complete medical record, whether stored on paper or electronically. ([law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/connecticut/Regs-Conn-State-Agencies-SS-19a-14-42))

These minimums do not prevent you from keeping records longer when clinically prudent, required by payers, or advisable for risk management. The rule functions as the floor for compliance under the Connecticut medical records retention statute. ([law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/connecticut/Regs-Conn-State-Agencies-SS-19a-14-43))

Pathology Slides and EEG Tracings

Pathology slides, EEG tracings, and ECG tracings each carry a seven‑year minimum retention period. If a subsequent ECG is performed and its results are unchanged compared to a prior ECG, you only need to retain the most recent results. Importantly, the interpretive reports related to these materials must be kept for the full duration of the medical record. ([law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/connecticut/Regs-Conn-State-Agencies-SS-19a-14-42))

Lab and PKU Reports

Clinical laboratory reports and PKU (phenylketonuria) reports must be retained for at least five years. Only positive (abnormal) laboratory results are required to be kept—normal results may be discarded after you verify they are not otherwise needed. ([law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/connecticut/Regs-Conn-State-Agencies-SS-19a-14-42))

X-Ray Film Retention

X‑ray films have a shorter minimum retention period of three years. As with other record components, ensure your imaging retention schedule is documented and coordinated with your overall medical record lifecycle. ([law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/connecticut/Regs-Conn-State-Agencies-SS-19a-14-42))

Exceptions to Retention Periods

• Facility custodianship: When a patient’s records are retained by a health care facility or organization, an individual practitioner does not have to keep duplicate records; the facility’s retention schedule governs those records.
• Litigation hold requirements: If a malpractice, unprofessional conduct, or negligence claim has been made—or litigation has begun—you must keep all records for that patient until the matter is fully resolved, even if this extends beyond normal timelines.
• Consulting providers: A consulting practitioner need not retain records if they have been sent to the referring provider, who then assumes responsibility for retention.
• Change of primary provider: If a patient requests transfer of records to a new provider who becomes the primary provider, the original provider is no longer required to retain that patient’s records.

These exceptions clarify health records custodianship and help you avoid unnecessary duplication while staying compliant. ([law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/connecticut/Regs-Conn-State-Agencies-SS-19a-14-43))

Transfer of Records to Another Provider

When patients request a transfer, send records securely and promptly pursuant to valid authorization. If the receiving practitioner becomes the patient’s primary provider, custody—and therefore the retention duty—shifts to that provider. Throughout the process, protect patient records confidentiality and document your medical record transfer protocols, including what was sent, when, and by what method. ([law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/connecticut/Regs-Conn-State-Agencies-SS-19a-14-43))

Discontinuance of Practice Procedures

Upon a practitioner’s retirement or death, patients must be informed by both a public notice and a private notice. Publish a notice in a daily local newspaper serving the practice’s community that is at least two columns wide and two inches high, and run it twice, seven days apart. In addition, send an individual letter to every patient seen within the three years prior to discontinuance. ([eregulations.ct.gov](https://eregulations.ct.gov/eRegsPortal/Browse/getDocument?guid=%7B20A1E155-0400-C133-BCEB-51D78C56DE2E%7D))

After issuing both the public and private notices, you must retain all patient medical records for at least 60 days to allow patients time to request copies or arrange transfers. Plan ahead for secure storage and controlled access during this period to uphold confidentiality. ([eregulations.ct.gov](https://eregulations.ct.gov/eRegsPortal/Browse/getDocument?guid=%7B20A1E155-0400-C133-BCEB-51D78C56DE2E%7D))

Summary: In Connecticut, keep the full medical record for seven years after the last treatment (or three years after the patient’s death), observe the special periods for specific materials, follow exceptions tied to custodianship and litigation, and complete required public and private notifications if the practice is discontinued. ([law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/connecticut/Regs-Conn-State-Agencies-SS-19a-14-42))

FAQs

How long must medical providers in Connecticut keep patient records?

Most individual practitioners must retain all parts of a patient’s record for seven years from the last date of treatment, or three years after the patient’s death. ([law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/connecticut/Regs-Conn-State-Agencies-SS-19a-14-42))

What are the retention requirements for pathology slides and EEG tracings?

Pathology slides, EEG tracings, and ECG tracings must each be kept for seven years. If an ECG’s results are unchanged from a prior ECG, only the most recent ECG needs to be retained; related reports remain for the full record duration. ([law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/connecticut/Regs-Conn-State-Agencies-SS-19a-14-42))

When are providers exempt from retaining duplicates of medical records?

If a health care facility or organization retains the patient’s records, the individual practitioner does not need to keep duplicates, and the facility’s retention schedule applies. Additionally, if a patient transfers care to a new primary provider, the original provider is no longer required to retain that patient’s records. ([law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/connecticut/Regs-Conn-State-Agencies-SS-19a-14-43))

What procedures must be followed upon a practitioner's retirement or death?

Publish a newspaper notice (two columns wide by two inches high) twice, seven days apart, and send individual letters to all patients seen in the prior three years. Keep all patient records for at least 60 days after both notices. ([eregulations.ct.gov](https://eregulations.ct.gov/eRegsPortal/Browse/getDocument?guid=%7B20A1E155-0400-C133-BCEB-51D78C56DE2E%7D))