The short answer
| State | Retention the rule names | Where it is kept | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | At least three years (“all records at the facility”) | In the pedicure area | 25-E DCMR §502.8; §212.9 |
| Iowa | Two years | Shown on request | 481 IAC 943.24(3) |
| Maine | One year from the last entry (read per month sheet) | In the establishment (the Board’s sample log’s note) | 02-041 CMR Ch. 26, §26.280 |
| New Mexico | 12 months | On the salon premises | 16.34.7.9(A)(38) NMAC |
| Mississippi | Six months in the proposed permanent rule | Not stated | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2101, R. 11.7 |
| North Carolina | At least 90 days | Shown to a patron or inspector on request | 21 NCAC 14H .0403(r) |
| Illinois | The last 90 days, “readily accessible” | Shown to a client or inspector on request | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.115(c)(4) |
| Texas | At least 60 days | At the establishment; shown to a client or TDLR on request | 16 TAC §83.108 |
| California | Not stated | Shown to a client or Board representative on request | 16 CCR §980.1(f) |
| Washington | Not stated | Shown to a client or department representative on request | WAC 308-20-110(10) |
| Florida | Not stated | In the pedicure area; shown to a consumer or inspector | 61G5-20.002(3)(g)4 |
| Georgia | Not stated | In the pedicure area; shown to a consumer or Board inspector | 240-4-.04(4)(d) |
| Montana | Not stated | Not stated | Mont. Admin. R. 24.121.1511(7) |
| New Hampshire | Not stated | Shown on request | Bar 302.05(u) |
Which states require the record at all, and what each one asks it to show, is in our guide to which states require a foot spa cleaning log.
A retention period is a floor, not a schedule
Sixty days in Texas means the inspector can ask for any day in the last sixty and you must produce it; it does not mean you must throw day sixty-one away. Keeping more costs nothing and helps you: a year of records shows a pattern of compliance, and a shop that can show the same two months as everyone else proves only that it has a binder. The one real cost of a short minimum is on paper, where a thin stack is easy to lose; electronic records have no such cost.
From when the clock runs
Most rules count from the entry: “the last 60 days”, “the last 90 days”. Maine counts “one year from the date of the last entry”, read per month sheet, so a sheet whose last row is March 31 is kept through the following March 31. Illinois’s “last 90 days” pairs with “readily accessible”, which means the current 90 days should be at hand, not in storage. Where a rule says “at the facility” or “in the pedicure area”, the retention period and the location apply together: DC’s three years are at the facility, not at the owner’s home.
When the rule names no period
California, Washington, Georgia, Florida, Montana and New Hampshire require the record and say nothing about how long. The operative words there are “available on request” (or “in the pedicure area”): the record exists so it can be shown. A recommendation, not a rule: keep at least twelve months. It covers any inspection cycle, it matches the longer of the named periods in neighboring states, and it is short enough that a paper binder stays manageable. If your board publishes an inspection guide that names a window, that is the number to beat.
Where the record lives
Three phrasings across the fourteen rules, and they are not interchangeable. “Available on request” (Texas, California, North Carolina, Illinois, Washington, New Hampshire, Iowa): anywhere on site that can be produced while the inspector waits. “On the premises” (New Mexico): on site. “Kept in the pedicure area” (Florida, Georgia, DC): at the chairs, which a station tablet, a tech’s phone or a printout near the chairs satisfies; a binder in the back office does not, on the rule’s own words.
Electronic records and retention
No state’s rule distinguishes paper from electronic for retention. An electronic record is kept as long as the system keeps it, and it is “at the facility” wherever a device at the facility can open it. What matters is that the record for every unit and every cleaning in the window can be shown and, where the board expects its form, printed on it. ReadyPedi keeps two years of history for every shop in every state, and longer where a state’s floor is longer (Iowa two years plus a 30-day buffer and the District of Columbia three years plus a 30-day buffer), and prints the state’s form or the generated record for any unit and any month in that window. Every state’s record is on the states index; the plans are on the pricing section.
What an inspector actually asks for
In practice an inspector asks for the current month and a stretch behind it, not the whole retention period; the named minimum is what they are entitled to. ReadyPedi’s Inspection view opens on each state’s window, with the rule’s retention sentence at the top and the cite as a link, so the question “how far back” is answered on the screen being handed over. The windows, from each state’s profile (read October 23, 2026): Texas 60 days; California, Washington, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Illinois, Montana and New Hampshire 90 days; Mississippi 180 days; Maine and New Mexico a year; Iowa two years; the District of Columbia three years. Where the rule names a period, the window is that period; where it does not, ninety days.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I keep foot spa cleaning logs in Texas?
At least 60 days, at the establishment, available to a client or TDLR on request (16 TAC §83.108). Keeping longer is allowed and sensible.
My state’s rule names no retention period. How long should I keep the log?
The rule says the log is shown on request (or kept in the pedicure area), nothing more. Twelve months is a sensible floor that covers any inspection cycle; your board’s inspection guide, if it names a window, is the better number.
Which state keeps foot spa records the longest?
The District of Columbia: at least three years, under its general records rule (25-E DCMR §212.9). Iowa is next at two years.
Does “kept in the pedicure area” mean I cannot keep the log electronically?
No. It means the record has to be at the chairs, not in an office. A tablet at the station or a tech’s phone satisfies that; a printout near the chairs removes any argument.
Can I throw away old paper logs after the retention period?
The rule only sets a minimum. Nothing requires you to discard records after it, and a longer history is in your favor at an inspection or a complaint.
This guide summarizes state retention rules for foot-spa cleaning records in plain language and is not legal advice. Each state board’s rules are the authority on that state’s requirements; every row above links to its source.