How long can we keep logs for?
Latest updates - 04 November 2025
04 November 2025 - We have updated this section of the guidance to reflect amendments from the Data (Use and Access) Act.
The law does not explain how long to keep logs. It does say that you must only keep information for as long as necessary for the purpose you originally collected it for. The purposes for obtaining, retaining and using the information in the logging records are set out in s62(4) DPA 2018. You must determine the necessary retention period for logs, including the possibility that the logs may be used for an internal investigation or criminal proceedings which may take longer.
You should base the appropriate retention period on your business need. You should also consider if any other statutory obligations require you to keep this information for a specified period.
You should also consider:
- the volume of logging information you retain;
- whether you have the available space to safely store logs; and
- whether you are able to review their storage and retrieve them in an efficient way.