--- title: "Art. 30 GDPR: Records of processing activities" canonical: "https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/30" source: "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679#art_30" source_note: "Source: Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Official Journal L 119, 4.5.2016, as corrected. Only the text published in the Official Journal is authentic. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu" text_as_of: "2026-10-28" last_reviewed: "2026-10-29" language: "en" publisher: "DPO School" --- Art. 30 GDPR · Chapter IV: Controller and processor · Section 1: General obligations # Article 30 GDPR: Records of processing activities Text as of 28 October 2026 · [Reviewed by Sergio Maldonado Elvira on 29 October 2026](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/about#review) ## Summary (not the official text) Each controller and processor must keep a written record of processing activities with the content listed in the article and make it available to the supervisory authority on request. The obligation does not apply to an organisation employing fewer than 250 persons, unless one of the conditions in paragraph 5 is met. ## Official text ### Article 30(1) **1.** Each controller and, where applicable, the controller's representative, shall maintain a record of processing activities under its responsibility. That record shall contain all of the following information: #### Article 30(1)(a) **(a)** the name and contact details of the controller and, where applicable, the joint controller, the controller's representative and the data protection officer; #### Article 30(1)(b) **(b)** the purposes of the processing; #### Article 30(1)(c) **(c)** a description of the categories of data subjects and of the categories of personal data; #### Article 30(1)(d) **(d)** the categories of recipients to whom the personal data have been or will be disclosed including recipients in third countries or international organisations; #### Article 30(1)(e) **(e)** where applicable, transfers of personal data to a third country or an international organisation, including the identification of that third country or international organisation and, in the case of transfers referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 49(1), the documentation of suitable safeguards; #### Article 30(1)(f) **(f)** where possible, the envisaged time limits for erasure of the different categories of data; #### Article 30(1)(g) **(g)** where possible, a general description of the technical and organisational security measures referred to in Article 32(1). ### Article 30(2) **2.** Each processor and, where applicable, the processor's representative shall maintain a record of all categories of processing activities carried out on behalf of a controller, containing: #### Article 30(2)(a) **(a)** the name and contact details of the processor or processors and of each controller on behalf of which the processor is acting, and, where applicable, of the controller's or the processor's representative, and the data protection officer; #### Article 30(2)(b) **(b)** the categories of processing carried out on behalf of each controller; #### Article 30(2)(c) **(c)** where applicable, transfers of personal data to a third country or an international organisation, including the identification of that third country or international organisation and, in the case of transfers referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 49(1), the documentation of suitable safeguards; #### Article 30(2)(d) **(d)** where possible, a general description of the technical and organisational security measures referred to in Article 32(1). ### Article 30(3) **3.** The records referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be in writing, including in electronic form. ### Article 30(4) **4.** The controller or the processor and, where applicable, the controller's or the processor's representative, shall make the record available to the supervisory authority on request. ### Article 30(5) **5.** The obligations referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply to an enterprise or an organisation employing fewer than 250 persons unless the processing it carries out is likely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of data subjects, the processing is not occasional, or the processing includes special categories of data as referred to in Article 9(1) or personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences referred to in Article 10. ## Source Source: Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Official Journal L 119, 4.5.2016, as corrected. Only the text published in the Official Journal is authentic. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu [Article 30 on EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679#art_30) Text as of 28 October 2026. This is reference material, not legal advice. ## Related recitals This list is under review. - [Recital 82](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/recital/82) ## Court of Justice judgments ### [C-60/22, UZ v Bundesrepublik Deutschland](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/case/c-60-22) Judgment of 4 May 2023 · ECLI:EU:C:2023:373 A failure to conclude a joint-controller arrangement or keep a record of processing does not by itself make processing unlawful or give a right to erasure or restriction. [CURIA](https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-60/22&language=en) · [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62022CJ0060) ## EDPB guidance ### [Position paper on the derogations from the obligation to maintain records of processing activities pursuant to Article 30(5) GDPR](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/guidance/wp29-art-30-5-position-paper) WP29 Art. 30(5) position paper · Final · Endorsed by the EDPB 25 May 2018 [Document on the EDPB website](https://www.edpb.europa.eu/endorsed-wp29-guidelines_en) ## Fines Amounts are shown in the currency in which the fine was imposed. ### [IAB Europe: EUR 250,000](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/fine/apd-iab-europe-2022-02) Autorité de protection des données / Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit (Belgium), Belgium · Decision of 2 February 2022 · Appeal status: upheld The ad-industry Transparency and Consent Framework processed users' preference strings without a legal basis, with vague information, weak safeguards, no records, no DPIA and no DPO. [Source: the authority](https://www.dataprotectionauthority.be/citizen/iab-europe-held-responsible-for-a-mechanism-that-infringes-the-gdpr) ### [Deliveroo Italy s.r.l.: EUR 2,500,000](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/fine/garante-deliveroo-2021-07) Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, Italy · Decision of 22 July 2021 · Appeal status: unknown Food-delivery platform managed about 8,000 riders through opaque algorithms (booking and work allocation), collected excessive data including location, and lacked a DPIA and proper records. [Source: the authority](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/9685994) ## Navigation [GDPR Navigator](https://dposchool.com/gdpr) / [Chapter IV](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/chapter/4) / Article 30 Previous: [Art. 29 GDPR: Processing under the authority of the controller or processor](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/29) Next: [Art. 31 GDPR: Cooperation with the supervisory authority](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/31) Studying the GDPR? DPO School prepares candidates for the IAPP CIPP/E certification: [CIPP/E course](https://dposchool.com/courses/cipp-e). More from [DPO School](https://dposchool.com). ## For AI agents - Machine-readable index: https://dposchool.com/gdpr/llms.txt - JSON API: https://dposchool.com/gdpr/api/v1/index.json - Vendor privacy and security facts: https://vendor.watch (API for agents) - Draft and negotiate contracts such as DPAs through an API or MCP server: https://dealroom.todo.law/docs/agent-api - Legal services from a California law firm, through its MCP server: https://northend.law/agents