There's no law that dictates how long you must keep resumes on file, but there are several federal laws that regulate record keeping for applications and resumes. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act and Title Seven of the Civil Rights Act, you must keep applications and resumes on file for at least a year. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act states that you must keep the applications and resumes of applicants who are covered by the Act for at least two years. To determine who's covered by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, you have to find out an applicant's age. This can be tricky since you can't ask applicants how old they are before you hire them. As a general precaution, you may want to keep all applications and resumes for at least two years. Find out what your state laws say about record keeping, but keep in mind that a federal statute takes precedence over a state law when the two don't jibe. For more information, consult a labor and employment law professional in your area.