The archives contain records of the Administration of North-Eastern Rhodesia, North-Western Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia (following amalgamation in 1911) and of the Secretariat (from 1924, after the end of the Chartered Company rule). The post-colonial archives comprise of records of all ministries. Non-governmental archives are also kept and are called Historical Manuscript (HM). They consist of private collections of organizations, churches and individuals.

All records in the custody of the Director of National Archives can either be in closed or in open period. Under the National Archives Act of 1969, all records transferred to the National Archives for safe keeping remain closed for 20 years. Although the word "open" is used technically, it does not mean that every record after twenty years can be inspected by the public. Some records owing to their nature of confidentiality continue to remain closed to members of the public for an indefinite period.

List of National Archives of Zambia publications:

- Calendars of the District Notebooks (Luapula Province) 1878-1963 Volume I, Compiled by P.M. Mukula.
- Calendars of the District Notebooks (Northern Province) 1862-1963 Volume II, Compiled by P.M. Mukula.
- Calendars of the District Notebooks (Western Province) 1851-1963 Volume III, Compiled by P.M. Mukula.
- Descriptive list Volume I: Records of the British South African Company 1887-1924.
- Guide to the Public Archives of Zambia Vol. I, 1895-1940 by I.M. Graham and B.C. Halwindi.
- A First Guide to Non-Governmental Archives of Zambia, by Marja Hinfelaar, and Giacomo Macola.