(1) Participants in group or self-study programs should document their participation including:

(a) sponsor,

(b) title and/or description of content,

(c) date(s)

(d) location, and

(e) number of contact hours. Documentation should be retained for an appropriate period.

(f) This standard is designed to encourage participants to document their attendance at a group program or participation in a self-study program. State laws or regulations may dictate the length of time to retain documentation. In the absence of legal specifications, a reasonable policy would be to retain documentation for five years from the date the program is completed. For self-study programs evidence of completion would normally be the certificate supplied by the sponsor.

(2) In order to support the reports that may be required of participants, the sponsor of group or self-study programs should retain for an appropriate period:

(a) record of participation,

(b) outline of the course (or equivalent) ,

(c) date(s) ,

(d) location,

(e) instructor(s) , and

(f) number of contact hours

(g) Because participants may come from any state or jurisdiction, the appropriate time for the sponsor to retain this information is not dependent solely on the location of the program or sponsor. To satisfy the detailed requirements of all jurisdictions, a retention period of five years from the date the program is completed is appropriate. The record of attendance should reflect the contact hours earned by each participant, including those who arrive late or leave early.