When a practice closes, your medical records don't vanish — they get custody transferred to someone. That someone is usually a buying practice, a surviving partner or the doctor's estate, a hospital or health system the practice belonged to, or a commercial records-storage company hired to hold them. Your right to inspect and get a copy of your health information continues for as long as the information is still maintained by an organization covered by the federal privacy rule. So the task is almost never "do I still have a right?" — it's "who is holding the file now?" This guide walks that hunt in order.
Who usually ends up holding them
Before you start calling, it helps to know the small number of likely answers:
- Another practice that bought or absorbed the old one. The most common outcome, and usually the easiest.
- A remaining partner or the physician's estate when a solo doctor retires, dies, or loses their license.
- The hospital or health system the practice was owned by or affiliated with. If your visits ever appeared in a system-wide portal, this is a strong lead.
- A commercial medical-records custodian hired to store and release records after the doors close. These companies exist specifically for this and will have a request process.
- Your state's health department or medical board in some closure situations, or as the office that knows who took custody.
How to track them down, in order
- Check the old practice's website and voicemail. Closing practices are frequently required — or simply choose — to post a notice naming the new custodian and how to request records. The site may be a single page now; the phone line may be a recording. Both are worth checking first.
- Look through your own paperwork. Closure letters get thrown away. Portal emails don't. Search your email for the practice name; the custody notice was often sent there.
- Call the doctor's new employer. If the physician moved to another group, that group's records staff usually know where the old charts went, even if they don't hold them.
- Contact your state medical board. Boards commonly have rules about what a closing or retiring physician must do with patient records, and they often know or can tell you how to find the custodian. This is the step most people skip and the one that most often works.
- Ask your state health department if the board can't help.
- Go sideways. Your records may not be the only copy of the facts you need — see below.
Your rights don't close with the door
The federal right of access attaches to the information, not to the storefront. You have a right to inspect and obtain a copy of your protected health information for as long as it is maintained in the record set. So once you find who has custody, the familiar rules snap back into place:
- They generally have 30 days to act on your request, with a single possible 30-day extension that must be explained in writing.
- Any fee has to be reasonable and cost-based, limited to copying labor, supplies, postage if you asked for mail, and a summary you agreed to in advance. Searching for and retrieving your file is not a chargeable cost — which matters a lot when records are in a warehouse.
- If the records are kept electronically and you want an electronic copy, they must provide it in the form you asked for if they can readily produce it.
The "tell me where" rule
Here's the most useful and least known provision for this exact situation: if a covered provider does not hold the records you're asking for, but knows where they are, they are required to tell you where to direct your request.
That turns a dead end into a referral. When you call the practice that bought the building, the hospital that used to be affiliated, or the doctor's new office, don't just ask "do you have my records?" Ask: "If you don't have them, do you know who does, and where should I send my request?" That is a question they are supposed to answer.
How long are they kept?
There is no single federal number for how long your chart must be kept. Federal privacy rules require covered organizations to retain their HIPAA documentation — policies, notices, and similar records — for six years, but that is paperwork about the privacy program, not your medical chart. How long the chart itself must be retained is set by state law and by other requirements that apply to the provider, and it varies widely by state, by type of provider, and by whether the patient was a minor.
Two practical consequences:
- Older records may genuinely be gone, and no one is doing anything wrong. Ask what their retention schedule is rather than assuming bad faith.
- If you know a practice is closing, request a copy now. It is far easier to get records from a practice with a functioning front desk than from a storage vendor two years later.
What to ask for
When you finally reach the custodian, a narrow, specific request moves faster and costs less than "send me everything." Consider asking for:
| Document | Why it's worth having |
|---|---|
| Problem list and current medication list | The single most useful page for a new doctor |
| Immunization record | Frequently needed for schools, jobs, travel |
| Imaging reports (and the images if you can get them) | Prevents repeat scans |
| Pathology and biopsy reports | Often irreplaceable |
| Operative reports | Details no summary captures |
| Recent lab results | Baselines for comparison |
If you hit a dead end
If nobody will tell you where the records went, or the custodian is ignoring you, you have the same escalation path as any other access problem: file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights. It's free, it must be in writing, it must name the organization, and it generally must be filed within 180 days of when you knew about the problem. Retaliation for filing is prohibited.
And while you work that angle, rebuild what you can from the sources that aren't the closed practice:
- Your pharmacy can produce a medication history, often going back years.
- Your health plan has claims data — dates of service, diagnosis codes, procedures. It's not a chart, but it's a map of one.
- The labs and imaging centers that ran your tests keep their own records and are separate organizations.
- Specialists you were referred to received copies of notes and results from the closed practice.
- Hospitals where you were admitted or seen hold their own complete record of those episodes.
The short version
The practice closed; the records were handed to someone. Find the custodian — via the old website, the medical board, or the doctor's new employer — and your ordinary access rights, deadlines, and fee limits apply exactly as before. And if any covered provider knows where your records went, they're required to point you there.
Common questions
My doctor retired. Who has my records now?
Usually a practice that took over, a surviving partner or the physician's estate, an affiliated hospital or health system, or a commercial records-storage custodian. Your state medical board is often the fastest way to find out which.
Do I still have a right to my records if the practice no longer exists?
Your right of access applies for as long as the information is still maintained by an organization covered by the privacy rule. Once you identify who holds the records, the usual 30-day response deadline and cost-based fee limits apply.
Can a records-storage company charge me a big search fee?
A fee must be reasonable and cost-based, and searching for and retrieving your records is not one of the permitted cost categories. Ask for the fee in writing and itemized before you agree to it.
What if nobody will tell me where the records went?
A covered provider that doesn't hold your records but knows where they are is required to tell you where to send your request. If you're still stonewalled, you can file a free complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights, generally within 180 days.
Common questions
My doctor retired or the practice closed. Who has my records now?
Usually a practice that took over, a surviving partner or the physician's estate, an affiliated hospital or health system, or a commercial records-storage custodian hired to hold the charts. Your state medical board is often the fastest way to find out which.
Do I still have a right to my records if the practice no longer exists?
Your right to inspect and obtain a copy applies for as long as the information is still maintained by an organization covered by the privacy rule. Once you identify who holds the records, the usual 30-day response deadline and cost-based fee limits apply.
Can a storage company charge me a large search or retrieval fee?
A fee must be reasonable and cost-based, and searching for and retrieving your records is not one of the permitted cost categories. Ask for the fee in writing and itemized before agreeing to it.
What if nobody will tell me where my records went?
A covered provider that does not hold your records but knows where they are is required to tell you where to direct your request. If you are still stonewalled, you can file a free complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights, generally within 180 days of when you knew about the problem.