Introduction to California Public Records

State and city governments are required to make some information available to the public. That disclosure comes in the form of "Public Records" - records that are made freely available (or for a nominal cost) to anyone that wants access to that information.

Public records originated at a federal level, but many states have adapted their own public record laws according to what the state legislature believes should be made public. California public records, for example, are governed by the "California Public Records Act."

What is the California Public Records Act?

The California Public Records Act, signed in 2004, is a law that requires California to make public any record that could be considered a matter of public interest. Anything that relates to public business must be released, and anything that may contribute to public safety (such as inmate records) must also be made available.

However, while the law may have allowed more information to be made public, it also contained exemptions to reduce the amount of personal information released online. This information includes, but is not limited to:

Although this information is not required to be disclosed, it is still possible that the information can be made available, so it is often a good idea to search your own public records to see what information about you is available to the public.