Categories A, B, C of documents – how to choose a metal cabinet for the retention period?

Documents are not archived "by eye". In public administration, organizational units, schools, universities, cultural institutions and entities carrying out public tasks, the starting point is always the same: archival qualification of documentation and the resulting storage period, and only then the selection of furniture, shelf arrangement, depth, closure and method of recording.

And this is where many entities make a classic mistake: first they buy random cabinets and only then try to stuff documentation of completely different value, format and storage time into them. The result is predictable: chaos in the company archive, overflowing shelves, difficult file retrieval, problems with disposing of non-archival documentation and unnecessary risk to archival materials.

This guide organizes the topic from beginning to end. Shows:

• what the categories A, B, BE and Bc really mean,
• why the term "category C" itself is sometimes misleading,
• how to translate the archive category into metal cabinet type,
• when a filing cabinet is enough, and when a closed shelving unit, archive rack, card index cabinet or cabinet for large-format documentation would be better,
• what technical parameters are important in 2026,
• and which solutions from Metaf's offer are worth combining with a specific work scenario in administration.

Important: This article is for practical and shopping purposes. It does not replace the JRWA applicable in a given unit, the office manual or the archival manual. The selection of a cabinet should always be consistent with the category of documentation resulting from the list of files in force at the time the documentation was created.

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Terminology note: "A, B, C" is a shorthand, not the full language of the regulations

In the colloquial language of administration, people often talk about "category A, B and C documents". In SEO, such an abbreviation makes sense because that's what people search for. But formally, in the current rules for classification and qualification of documentation, you will mainly encounter:

• A – archival materials stored in perpetuity,
• B + number – non-archival documentation of temporary practical importance, e.g. B5, B10, B25,
• BE + number – documentation that requires archival expertise after the storage period,
• Bc – documentation of secondary or short-term practical importance, usually less than 1 year.

That's why in the rest of the article I consciously leave "A, B, C" in the title because that's what users are looking for, but substantively I use the correct system A / B / BE / Bc.

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What do the regulations say and what does this actually mean for cabinet selection?

Table 1. Regulations and their practical significance for document archiving

What is clear from this table?

To put it briefly:

• archive category does not select a specific cabinet model automatically,
• but it greatly influences what class of organization and protection you need.

In practice, a piece of furniture can be used for five things at once:

1. documentation category,
2. storage time,
3. access frequencies,
4. format and arrangement of files,
5. scale of resources – several files, several hundred binders or the entire company archive.

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Category A, B, BE, Bc - what does it mean in the practice of an office, school, university or organizational unit

Table 2. Archival categories and the way of thinking about storage

How to translate this into furniture without the clerical fog

• A – you don't throw it into a random cabinet "because it will fit".
  What matters here is the orderliness of the layout, the stability of the location, protection against damage, ease of preparing lists and the possibility of later transfer of archival materials.

• B with a long period – this is often the largest volume.
  Documents do not have to be stored forever, but they can take up more space than category A. Well-calculated capacity and a reasonable shelf system win here.

• BE – organizationally, this is a category that must be treated very seriously.
  After your period, you don't always destroy it immediately. You need to make it possible to separate the series in a meaningful way and submit them for evaluation.

• Bc – you don't build a "temple of archiving" for her, but you don't throw everything into a box under the desk either.
  A simpler, lockable handheld standard will suffice.

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The most important rule: do not choose a cabinet according to the letter of the category

This is the key to the whole topic.

Two series of documents marked as B10 may require completely different solutions:

• one will work better in a file cabinet,
• the second one in closed shelves,
• third in files,
• and the fourth one in SRM cabinets for large-format documentation.

Why? Because it also matters:

• do you keep binders, file files, files, evidence envelopes, maps, drawings,
• whether the documentation is active, semi-active, or typically archival,
• whether you work in one room or in a separate company archive,
• whether the documents are to be downloaded daily, once a week or once a quarter.

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Quick decision map: which cabinet for which documentation

Table 3. Selection of the type of furniture to the type of documents and archiving time

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Technical parameters that really matter in 2026

In the regulations, you will not find one magic table with the mandatory width or depth of the cabinet for categories A or B10. This has to be said honestly. The regulations regulate qualification, organization of the archive, method of counting periods and rules of handling documentation, and the selection of a specific piece of furniture is already an organizational and technical decision.

Therefore, when purchasing, it is worth looking at the parameters that really affect the operation of the archive:

Table 4. Technical parameters important when choosing a document cabinet

What is more important: a closed cabinet or an open shelf?

It depends on the stage of the documentation's life.

• if the documents are in a work room, office, office or shared space - the closed solution usually wins,
• if we are talking about a separated company archive and a large volume, archive shelves are often more effective, but still in a well-organized room and maintaining the principles of records and access.

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How to read the storage time and not make a mistake right from the start

In the case of documentation marked B + number, the storage period is counted in full calendar years from January 1 of the year following the date of completion of the case. This is important because it determines how you group vintages, how you describe shelves and how you plan free space.

Practical example

If the case was completed in 2026 and has a category B10, then the minimum storage period is from January 1, 2027
This means that you should not plan such documentation as "ten years from today", but according to the logic of full calendar years.

That is why for longer categories B and BE it is worth buying cabinets that allow:

• separate years,
• do not mix active and inactive resources,
• wisely transfer older series from the office to the company archive.

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When a filing cabinet makes the most sense

For many administration units, the basic solution will still be SBM metal filing cabinets. This is a wise choice when you store:

• binders,
• file folders,
• documentation of reports,
• control files,
• files of organizationally classified matters that do not require specialized cabinets with a separate security class,
• category B, BE documents and some local resources of category A before being transferred to a more organized part of the archive.

When the filing cabinet wins

• when documentation is partially active,
• when you need a simple shelf system,
• when you want to keep it closed and not build a full shelf archive at once,
• when documents are processed in report rooms, departments, offices, secretariats and departments.

Example Metaf models for comparison

1) Metal filing cabinet SBM 202 M lx

• dimensions: 1990 x 800 x 435 mm
• number of shelves: 4
• application: offices, offices, offices, schools, public institutions

See the SBM family • See the SBM 202 M lx model

2) Metal filing cabinet with louvered doors SBM 208 M

• dimensions: 1990 x 1000 x 435 mm
• number of shelves: 4
• additionally: shelves adjustable every 25 mm

See the SBM 208 M model

3) Metal filing cabinet SBM 217 M

• dimensions: 1990 x 1200 x 435 mm
• number of shelves: 4
• application: public administration and archives, education, zones of high operational responsibility

See the SBM 217 M model

Photo of the solution: file and binder cabinet

When this type of cabinet makes sense:

• when you want to store large series of folders and binders in a vertical arrangement,
• if you want a classic, lockable structure for a research room or a reference archive,
• when you need solutions that are easy to standardize between rooms.

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When will a closed shelf be better?

Not every documentation requires a full-size, tall filing cabinet. Some units simply need a handy, closed housing for current vintages, documents waiting to be transferred to the company archive or files used by a small team.

closed shelves make a lot of sense here.

A closed shelf makes sense when:

• the resource is smaller,
• you want to close the structure under the window, next to the wall or in the office,
• documentation should be easily accessible, but should not be open,
• you create the "current years in the room, older years in the archive" arrangement.

Example

RZ 802 lx

• dimensions: 800 x 800 x 435 mm
• number of shelves: 1
• description: extension for a closed shelf, for 2 rows of files

See the family of closed shelves • See the RZ 802 lx model

Solution photo: closed handheld module

For which documentation:

• category Bc and short B in work rooms,
• handy yearbooks waiting to be delivered,
• current documents that should be under control, but do not need a tall archive cabinet.

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When the archival shelf wins

If your company's archive is growing and you are no longer dealing with single series but with tens of meters of documentation, you need to stop thinking in terms of "a cabinet for a room" and start thinking in terms of a storage arrangement.

Then it is worth comparing RMM press-mounted racks.

An archival shelf makes sense when:

• you count the resource in large volumes,
• you store many B category vintages,
• some of the A materials are already organized and located in a separate space,
• easy expansion of the system over time is important,
• you want to organize the archive room faster than in the arrangement of scattered cabinets.

Example

RMM 318

• dimensions: 2210 x 1200 x 350 mm
• weight: 44 kg
• number of shelves: 6

See the RMM family • See the RMM 318 model

Photo of the solution: a shelf for a larger archive

For which documentation:

• larger series B10, B25, B50,
• separate years and classes of cases,
• company archive, where capacity and expandability are important.

Honest practical note: for documentation with a very long storage period or for archival materials. And the shelf itself does not solve everything. Room conditions, records, descriptions of archival units and access organization are also crucial.

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When not a filing cabinet, but a file

Not every documentation is suitable for placing on shelves in binders. If the team often pulls out single records, cards, index cards, individual files or small documentation stored in drawers, file cabinets often fares better.

It is a very good choice for:

• active registers and files,
• personal or record documentation in a card format,
• resources that require quick access to a single item without moving the entire row of binders.

Example

SZK 320

• dimensions: 1292 x 518 x 633 mm
• internal dimensions of drawers: 150 (front 223) x 432 x 585 mm
• number of drawers: 5
• maximum size of the stored document: 215 x 213 mm

See the card family • See the SZK 320 model

Solution photo: directory for active documentation

For which documentation:

• active record documentation,
• the fastest way to work is through pull-out drawers,
• documents that you do not want to stuff in random containers and collective folders.

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What about maps, plans and large format documentation?

The answer here is simple: do not bend it, do not force it, do not force it into a regular filing cabinet.

If the entity stores:

• maps,
• plans,
• technical drawings,
• geodetic documentation,
• infrastructure projects,
• A1/A0 format documents,

then a sensible direction is SRM cabinets for drawings and maps.

Example

SRM 101 st

• dimensions: 425 x 970 x 670 mm
• internal dimensions of drawers: 45 x 890 x 630 mm
• number of drawers: 5
• stored format: max. A1

See the SRM family • See the SRM 101 st model

This is not a "designer" niche. Large-format documentation also often appears in administration - investments, surveying, infrastructure, real estate, spatial planning. If such materials have a category A or long B/BE, poor storage methods will quickly result in physical destruction of documents.

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Comparison table: which Metaf families to compare depending on archiving time

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Dimension table: specific Metaf models for document archiving

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How to choose a cabinet step by step in administration

1. Determine the category with JRWA

Not from memory. Not out of habit. Not "because it's always been that way."
Check the archival category and class name in the current records list.

2. Establish a workable documentation format

Will it be:

• binders,
• file folders,
• files,
• maps,
• plans,
• individual documents in drawers?

This determines whether you enter SBM, RMM, RZ, SZK or SRM.

3. Separate active from inactive resource

This is the number one mistake in many units: everything stands together.
A better arrangement is:

• current resource – in a room or a handy building,
• semi-active resource – in closed cabinets,
• archival resources – in a separate company archive.

4. Count the increase

Don't buy a cabinet just for its "present condition".
Count:

• how many files/binders arrive per year,
• how many running meters of the resource are increasing,
• when older students leave the room and go to the archives.

5. Decide whether capacity or containment is more important

• work rooms -> more often closure,
• company archive -> more often capacity and organization of lines.

6. Maintain one standard for product families

If you mix random depths, heights and shelf logic in one unit, chaos returns in two years.
It is better to build one predictable standard per lecture or for the entire building.

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The most common mistakes when purchasing cabinets for archival documentation

1. Buying a “nice closet” not a system

In administration, predictability of work with documentation is more important than "niceness".

2. Mixing categories without separating them

Cat. A, B25 and Bc thrown together into one building is a recipe for mess.

3. No plan for large format documentation

Maps and plans should not be placed on ordinary shelves.

4. No spare capacity

Buying to stock ends with adding boxes next to the cabinets.

5. Confusing active and archival documentation

Just because folders are "important" doesn't mean they should be in the content room every day.

6. Ignoring the logic of years and classes

If it is not possible to easily separate the series for stocking or examination, the cabinet has been selected incorrectly or described incorrectly.

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Which solution to choose depending on the scenario

Scenario 1. Administrative report with documentation B5 and B10

Most often it will make sense:

• SBM for main series of files,
• RZ for reference documentation.

Scenario 2. Company archive with a large increase in vintages

Most often it will make sense:

• RMM as a capacitive base,
• plus selected SBM for zones requiring closure.

Scenario 3. A unit with a large number of files and registers

Most often it will make sense:

• file cabinets.

Scenario 4. Department of surveying, investments, real estate or infrastructure

Most often it will make sense:

• SRM for plans and maps,
• and SBM for case files.

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##FAQ

Does category A always require a separate specialized cabinet?

Not always one "specialized" in the marketing sense, but practically it requires the highest level of order, stability and protection. For small volumes, a lockable filing cabinet may be a good option. For a larger resource – an orderly arrangement of the company archive.

Does category B mean that any piece of furniture will do?

NO. This is still documentation that must be kept for a minimum period resulting from qualifications. In the case of B25 or B50, an incorrect choice of cabinet quickly becomes sideways.

Is "Category C" the correct designation?

In practice, office and archive regulations mainly include A, B, BE and Bc. "C" is the most common simplification used colloquially.

Is a filing cabinet or a filing cabinet better for active documents?

If you most often pull out single records or cards, a file is usually better. If you work with files and binders, a file cabinet is usually better.

If you have a large volume of documents, is it better to buy more cabinets or buy more shelves?

If we are talking about a real company archive and larger additions, it is often better to switch to archive shelves rather than multiplying random cabinets in rooms.

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What is worth linking internally from this article

To make this material work not only for information purposes, but also for SEO and sales purposes, it is worth strongly linking it to existing pages after publication:

Product families

• SBM metal filing cabinets
• Closed shelves
• RMM push-mounted shelves
• Card cabinets
• SRM cabinets for drawings and maps

Solution/knowledge pages

• Active archives and documents
• How to organize a document archive in an office or company
• How to choose a filing cabinet for active documentation
• How to compare several metal cabinet models without getting lost in the specifications

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Summary: which cabinet for which category?

If you only want to remember one thing from this article, let it be this:

the cabinet is selected not based on the category letter itself, but on the combination: category + storage time + document format + access frequency + resource scale.

In practice, for administration, it most often looks like this:

• A -> orderly, stable, well-described system; if you have a larger resource, think about an archive, not just a single cabinet,
• B -> count the capacity and growth, because this is usually the largest volume,
• BE -> design the system so that it is easy to separate series for examination,
• Bc -> a simple lockable order is enough, but without the cardboard chaos.

If you want to select a solution for a specific document resource in an office, school, university, cultural institution or organizational unit, it is best to compare several families at once:
SBM, RZ, RMM, kartotekowe and SRM.

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Legal sources and editorial notes

1. State Archives - Classification and qualification of documentation
2. Regulation of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of October 20, 2015 on the classification and qualification of documentation, transfer of archival materials to state archives and disposal of non-archival documentation
3. Regulation of the Prime Minister of January 18, 2011 - office instruction, JRWA and archive instruction
4. Act on national archival resources and archives - consolidated text

Metaf product sources used in the article

• SBM metal filing cabinets
• SBM 202 M lx
• SBM 208 M
• SBM 217 M
• Closed shelves
• RZ 802 lx
• RMM push-mounted shelves
• RMM 318
• Card cabinets
• SZK 320
• SRM cabinets for drawings and maps in A0 and A1 format
• SRM 101 st