Article 18
Documentation keeping

The text

What it requires, coded

SafeLegalAI's reading of each duty in this article: who, what, from when, under which fine tier, and whether it reaches a firm, chambers, court or legal-AI vendor. Descriptive, not advice; the quoted words are the Regulation's.

1. Art. 18(1)DocumentationHigh-risklegal practice

   Providers must keep specified technical, quality-management, notified-body, certificate and EU declaration documentation available to national competent authorities for 10 years after market placement or putting into service.

   "The provider shall, for a period ending 10 years after the high-risk AI system has been placed on the market or put into service, keep at the disposal of the national competent authorities:"

   Who

   Provider

   From

   2027-12-02 (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI), Art. 1(40), amending Art. 113(c)(i): Art. 6(2)/Annex III high-risk)As enacted in 2024: 2026-08-02 (Art. 113 second subparagraph); deferred by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI).Art. 111(2): high-risk AI systems placed on the market or put into service before 2026-08-02 are covered only if they are subject to significant design changes from that date; providers and deployers of high-risk AI systems intended for public authorities must take necessary steps to comply by 2030-08-02. Art. 113(c) separately applies Article 6(1) and corresponding obligations from 2027-08-02. Date deferred by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (in force 27 July 2026); as enacted: 2026-08-02 (Art. 113 second subparagraph).

   Fine tier

   Art. 99(4)

   Legal practice

   Reaches legal practice directly — Legal-AI vendors must retain compliance documentation for high-risk systems used by courts or legal actors.

   See

   Art. 11 · Art. 17 · Art. 47

2. Art. 18(2)Governance institutionalHigh-risk

   Member States must determine conditions ensuring Article 18 documentation remains available for the required period if a local provider or authorised representative becomes bankrupt or ceases activity.

   "Each Member State shall determine conditions under which the documentation referred to in paragraph 1 remains at the disposal of the national competent authorities for the period indicated in that paragraph for the cases when a provider or its authorised representative established on its territory goes bankrupt or ceases its activity prior to the end of that period."

   Who

   Member State

   From

   2027-12-02 (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI), Art. 1(40), amending Art. 113(c)(i): Art. 6(2)/Annex III high-risk)As enacted in 2024: 2026-08-02 (Art. 113 second subparagraph); deferred by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI).Art. 111(2): high-risk AI systems placed on the market or put into service before 2026-08-02 are covered only if they are subject to significant design changes from that date; providers and deployers of high-risk AI systems intended for public authorities must take necessary steps to comply by 2030-08-02. Art. 113(c) separately applies Article 6(1) and corresponding obligations from 2027-08-02. Date deferred by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (in force 27 July 2026); as enacted: 2026-08-02 (Art. 113 second subparagraph).

   Legal practice

   Institutional — Primarily institutional or governance machinery; legal practices are affected only indirectly.

   See

   Art. 18(1)

3. Art. 18(3)DocumentationHigh-risk

   Financial-institution providers subject to Union financial-services governance requirements must maintain technical documentation as part of the documentation kept under that law.

   "Providers that are financial institutions subject to requirements regarding their internal governance, arrangements or processes under Union financial services law shall maintain the technical documentation as part of the documentation kept under the relevant Union financial services law."

   Who

   Provider

   From

   2027-12-02 (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI), Art. 1(40), amending Art. 113(c)(i): Art. 6(2)/Annex III high-risk)As enacted in 2024: 2026-08-02 (Art. 113 second subparagraph); deferred by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI).Art. 111(2): high-risk AI systems placed on the market or put into service before 2026-08-02 are covered only if they are subject to significant design changes from that date; providers and deployers of high-risk AI systems intended for public authorities must take necessary steps to comply by 2030-08-02. Art. 113(c) separately applies Article 6(1) and corresponding obligations from 2027-08-02. Date deferred by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (in force 27 July 2026); as enacted: 2026-08-02 (Art. 113 second subparagraph).

   Fine tier

   Art. 99(4)

   Legal practice

   Institutional — Relevant only where a financial institution is the high-risk AI provider.

   See

   Art. 11