Our objective was to identify the risk factors for persistent postpartum urinary retention (PUR). This multicenter retrospective case-control study included 91 women with PUR exceeding 400ml during the first urinary catheterization performed after delivery, from 2010 through 2015. Two groups were defined: one included 25 women with PUR that persisted longer than 3 days, and the other, comprising 66 women with PUR that lasted three days or less. We compared the two groups to define the risk factors. We also studied the outcome of the women with persistent PUR. The time until diagnosis/management and the urinary volume at the first catheterization after delivery were both significantly greater in the group with persistent PUR (11h vs 7.8h and 1020ml vs 715ml, P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression indicated that cesarean delivery, perineal tear or episiotomy, and fluid administration in the delivery room were also associated with the persistence of PUR (P<0.05). Time in the management of urinary retention can cause bladder overdistension that can substantially delay its resolution. More attentive monitoring of voiding, could reduce the duration of this complication and thereby improve patient comfort and minimize long-term complications. This multicenter retrospective study show that the time in the management of urinary retention is a major factor of persistent urinary retention.