Utah Division of Archives & Records Service

What Utah Division of Archives & Records Service does

The Utah Division of Archives and Records Service (DARS), also known as Utah State Archives, is a state government agency operating under the Utah Department of Government Operations. Founded as a records repository in 1850 with Utah Territory records, the agency maintains custody of Utah governmental records from 1850 to present, housing over 135,000 cubic feet of records at its State Records Center in Clearfield, UT, alongside its headquarters at 346 S Rio Grande St in Salt Lake City. The agency employs 16 staff across functions including records management, archival processing, digital preservation, transparency services, and reference services.

DARS operates three core service lines: Research Services (providing public access to historical records via Digital Archives, Name Indexes, Series Inventories, Research Guides, and Finding Aids); Records and Information Management (providing retention schedules, transfer services, training, and certification to Utah government entities); and Transparency Services (operating the Public Notice Website, Open Records Portal, and Government Records Office for GRAMA administration). The technology infrastructure includes the CONTENTdm digital collections platform, an Automated Storage and Retrieval System at the Archives Repository, the FromThePage crowdsourcing transcription platform, and a Records Officer Hub portal. The agency also administers the Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board (USHRAB), a 7-member board created in 1978 that has awarded over $450,000 in preservation grants since 2007.

The agency's business model is government appropriations-based: as a state entity, DARS provides all services free of charge to Utah government entities and the public, with no commercial pricing model. Its customer base is exclusively Utah state agencies, counties, cities, district courts, and the general public. Strategic partnerships include FamilySearch (digitization collaboration since 2017), the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (federal funding source), the Council of State Archivists, and the Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists. The agency has received three consecutive CoSA/NHPRC Awards of Merit (2024, 2025) and two CIMA Innovator Awards (2025, 2026).

Name

Utah Division of Archives & Records Service

Legal name

Utah Division of Archives and Records Service

Website

https://archives.utah.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1850

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Utah Division of Archives and Records Service (DARS) is a state government agency that manages Utah government records from 1850 to present, providing records management, archival access, and transparency services to state agencies, local governments, and the public free of charge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Records Management and Archival Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

National Archives, Records & Information Governance (BPAIAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Records Digitization & Archiving (Legacy Files, Retention Support) (BPAAAKAG)

Keywords

• Government records management
• Archival services
• Digital preservation
• Records retention
• Public records access

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriations: As a Utah state government agency, DARS is funded through state government appropriations and tax revenues. Services are provided free of charge to government entities and the public.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Utah Division of Archives and Records Service is a state government agency that maintains Utah governmental entities' historical records from 1850 to present and provides records management services including retention scheduling, records transfer, physical storage at the State Records Center, training, and certification for government records officers. It administers GRAMA (Government Records Access and Management Act) compliance through the Government Records Office and provides public access to digitized historical records via the Digital Archives, name indexes, series inventories, research guides, and crowdsourced transcription on FromThePage.

Product overview

The Utah Division of Archives and Records Service (DARS) operates as a unified government archives platform offering multiple integrated services. The core product is the Digital Archives, an online portal providing access to digitized historical records from 1850 onward, supported by Name Indexes, Series Inventories, Finding Aids, and Research Guides. Records management services include General Retention Schedules, the Records Officer Hub, and Records Transfer Services. Transparency services encompass the Open Records Portal, Public Notice Website, and Government Records Office for GRAMA administration. Crowdsourcing transcription is enabled via the FromThePage platform. Supporting programs include a State Records Center for physical storage, training and certification programs, an internship program, and the USHRAB grant program for historical records preservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board (USHRAB): A 7-member board that undertakes statewide planning for historical records in Utah, created in 1978 and administered by the Division of Archives and Records Service
• Government Records Office
• Open Records Portal

Products and services

• Digital Archives
• Name Indexes
• Series Inventories and Finding Aids
• Agency Histories
• General Retention Schedules (GRS)
• Records Transfer Services
• Records Officer Hub
• Open Records Portal
• Public Notice Website
• Government Records Office
• FromThePage Crowdsourcing Platform
• Scan on Demand
• Research Guides
• Primary Source Sets for Educators
• Internship Program
• State Records Center
• Training and Certification Programs
• USHRAB Grant Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 135,000 cubic feet of records housed at State Records Center
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FamilySearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2017Multi-year collaboration beginning November 2017 to digitize all civil case files from each county in the Archives' holdings. Goal to provide improved access to valuable historic records.
• Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board (USHRAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSHRAB is a 7-member board organized in 1978, administered by DARS, that undertakes statewide planning for historical records and awards grants up to $7,500 for preservation projects.
• Council of State Archivists (CoSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization providing training, webinars, and the Award of Merit program. CoSA partners with Preservica on digital preservation training.
• Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists (CIMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association of archivists, conservators, historians, and records professionals from Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, and New Mexico. Awards annual Innovator Award.
• Weber State University Stewart LibraryminorOthersGrant recipient that digitized New Zion Baptist Church's legacy records. Special Collections and University Archives documents WSU and greater Weber and Davis Counties history.
• Carbon County Clerk's OfficeminorOthers2026 USHRAB grant award recipient working to protect and share Utah's historical records.
• Eccles Health Sciences LibraryminorOthers2026 USHRAB grant award recipient working to protect and share Utah's historical records.
• Hyrum City MuseumminorOthersCompleted USHRAB grant project to organize and properly house its collection in archival boxes, purchase shelving and disaster mitigation supplies, and create finding aids.
• University of Utah Marriott LibraryminorOthersGrant recipient that completed project funded in part by USHRAB for improving preservation and access to collections.
• Springville Historical SocietyminorOthersUSHRAB grant recipient that digitized Springville Herald newspapers from 1970-2008 in partnership with University of Utah Marriott Library.
• Uintah County Library Regional History CenterminorOthersUSHRAB grant recipient that digitized newspapers in partnership with University of Utah Marriott Library.
• Dixie State University / College of Eastern UtahminorOthersRegional training location for records management and access training classes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• FamilySearch: Genealogy and historical records platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; partner of Utah DARS on civil case file digitization. Comparable as a digital access channel for historical records though with a different ownership and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): Federal-level archives agency setting national standards for records management and preservation, administering the NHPRC grant program that funds state-level programs like USHRAB. Comparable in mission but operates at the federal scale with much broader scope.
• Council of State Archivists (CoSA): National professional association that supports state archivists through training, advocacy, and the Award of Merit program. Not a direct service competitor but a close partner and industry-coordinating body for state-level archival agencies like DARS.

Regional players

• Minnesota Historical Society: Semi-state historical organization providing archives, records management, and preservation services in Minnesota. Comparable in mission to preserve state government and cultural history, though operating in a different geography with a different funding mix (nonprofit + state funding).

Direct peers

• California State Archives: Operates as the official state archives for California, providing records management, retention scheduling, and public access to historical government records. Most directly comparable as another large state government archives with similar GRAMA-equivalent public records functions.
• Texas State Library and Archives Commission: Combined state library and archives serving Texas government entities with records management, archival access, and historical preservation programs. Comparable scale and service offerings to Utah DARS.
• North Carolina State Archives: State archives within the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, providing records management services to state and local government and public research access. Comparable in scope, structure, and customer base.
• New York State Archives: State government archives under New York Education Department that provides records management services to state and local governments, retention scheduling, and public research access. Comparable in mandate and service mix to DARS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/utaharchives

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Utah Division of Archives & Records Service