Law enforcement shall forward photographs and fingerprints for the collection of records. If the child is not referred within _____ days, records are to be destroyed.

• A. 5
• B. 15
• C. 30
• D. 10

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that juvenile records have a built-in, short window for destruction if there’s no formal action taken. When law enforcement forwards photographs and fingerprints for the records, the system is designed to clear those records quickly if the youth is not referred to the juvenile court. This protects the child’s privacy and helps avoid unnecessary stigma or lasting impact from an investigation that didn’t lead to formal action. The destruction occurs because there’s no referral within that brief period, so there’s no ongoing reason to retain the information. If a referral does happen, the records are kept and managed under other rules, but without a referral, the records don’t stay on file longer than the required short window.