The short version
- California asks for the longest: 7 years for licensee records, training included.
- At least 5 years in Missouri, Nevada, New York and Washington.
- Several states spell out what each record must show, usually the person's name, the dates, the topics, who trained them and signatures. A course certificate alone may not be enough.
- Some want records on site. Ohio and Washington keep them on the licensed premises, and Colorado wants the last six months there or reachable electronically.
How long to keep them
| State | How long to keep | What the record needs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama (medical) | At least 3 years | Completion certificates signed by the agent and by HR or the person overseeing continuing education |
| Arizona | At least 12 months after the date on the document | The documentation ADHS rules require, with copies on request |
| California | At least 7 years from creation (general record rule) | Training records, including the content of the training and the names of employees trained |
| Colorado | Current year and the three prior tax years | Required training, topic, method, dates of training and retraining, and signatures of trainer and employee, plus proof of any responsible vendor designation |
| Maryland | 2 years (general record rule) | Training materials and attendance records, open to MCA inspection |
| Massachusetts | 4 years under the rule | Training records, including responsible vendor training |
| Michigan | At least 4 years for licensee records generally | Your training manual and point of sale procedures, on request |
| Minnesota | 3 calendar years | Proof of each worker's and volunteer's completed training |
| Missouri | At least 5 years | Employee training records, available during inspections |
| Nevada | At least 5 years after the date on the document | Any documentation the rules require; keep proof of training for the same 5 years |
| New Jersey | At least 12 months after the person leaves | A signed statement with the date, time and place, the topics, and the presenters' names and titles |
| New York | At least 5 years from creation | Name, first date of work, each training completed, certificates and a signed attestation |
| Ohio | Current and preceding calendar year, on the premises | Who prepared the content, the materials, who was trained, certificates and dates |
| Virginia (medical) | No period set in the training rule | Name, training dates, topics, the supervisor's name, and signatures of the trainee and the pharmacist-in-charge or responsible party |
| Washington | 5 years, on the premises | Training records kept with other employee records |
Florida isn't in the table. Its law requires treatment centers to train staff, and we found no training record rule to report. Massachusetts' four years comes from the rule; the Commission's responsible vendor training page mentions at least 12 months, so four years covers both.
States that spell out the record
Colorado wants every business, designated or not, to record each employee's required training, the topic and method, the dates of training and retraining, and the names and signatures of trainer and employee. New Jersey wants a statement signed by the person trained with the date, time and place, the topics and the presenters' names and titles. New York wants the person's first date of work, each training completed, copies of certificates and a signed, dated attestation. Virginia's medical rule asks for the trainee's and supervisor's signatures, and a new pharmacist-in-charge or responsible party must review and sign the records. Ohio asks who prepared the training content and what materials each person received, and its Division of Cannabis Control guidance points licensees to its Employee Training Record Form.
Where the records have to be
Ohio keeps the current and preceding calendar year of training records on the licensed premises unless the Division approves otherwise, and they are reviewed at certificate of operation and renewal inspections. Washington keeps employee records, training included, on the premises for five years. Colorado expects the most recent six months of business records on the premises, with electronic access counting. Everywhere else, assume an inspector can ask on the spot and plan to produce records quickly.
An inspector-ready training file
- One folder per employee, paper or digital, with their start date.
- Every course certificate, with the course name and completion date.
- A signed acknowledgment from the employee, with the topics, the method and who trained them.
- Your own written training plan or manual, and the date you last reviewed it.
- The date each person's next refresher is due.
- For anyone who left, a note of their last day so you know when the retention clock ends.
When the rules differ, the longest period wins. A multi-state operator that keeps every training record for seven years after the person leaves meets every retention period in this table, unless an investigation is open. Michigan, for one, requires keeping records until the agency is done.
