The Oldenburg University Archives operates on the basis of a framework of interrelated laws and regulations governing the rights and obligations of the archive:

• The regulations governing the establishment, operation and use of the University Archives of the University of Oldenburg were adopted by the Presidential Board on 7 June 2016 (Official Notices / 35th year – 2/2016).
• The Service Instructions on the Retention, Archiving and Disposal of Records at the University of Oldenburg (14 June 2018) set out retention periods for records generated at the university, as well as the cooperation between the university’s departments and the University Archives
• The Lower Saxony Archives Act (NArchG) stipulates (Section 7(3), third sentence) that university archives shall, within their area of responsibility, take the place of the Lower Saxony State Archives with regard to the identification and acquisition of archival material, as well as with regard to the preservation of such material (Sections 3 and 4 NArchG).
• Further details are also set out in the administrative regulations governing the Lower Saxony Archives Act.
• The Oldenburg University Archives also cover pre-archival records management, which is governed by the Records Management Regulations for the Lower Saxony State Administration.