Public Records Request - California

CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RECORDS ACT REQUEST

(Cal. Gov't Code § 7920.000 et seq.)

PRACTITIONER NOTES

1. Public records are open to inspection during state or local agency office hours, and every person may inspect a public record unless law provides otherwise. A reasonably segregable portion must be available after exempt portions are deleted. Cal. Gov't Code § 7922.525.
2. A copy request must reasonably describe an identifiable record. The agency must make nonexempt records promptly available upon payment of direct duplication costs or an applicable statutory fee and must provide an exact copy on request unless impracticable. Cal. Gov't Code § 7922.530(a).
3. The 10-day period in § 7922.535(a) is a deadline for the agency's disclosure determination and notice, not a production deadline. If the agency finds disclosable records, its notice must state the estimated date and time of availability.
4. Unusual circumstances permit a written extension of the determination period by no more than 14 days. Effective January 1, 2026, § 7922.535(c)(6) includes a narrowly defined state-of-emergency circumstance but excludes requests for records created during and related to that emergency.
5. A written denial must identify the names and titles or positions of each person responsible and justify withholding under § 7922.000. Cal. Gov't Code § 7922.540.
6. An agency holding a nonexempt identifiable record electronically must provide it electronically when requested and must use a format it holds or a requested format it has used for its own copies or for other agencies. Cal. Gov't Code § 7922.570.
7. This is a unilateral records request, not a contract. Delete unused bracketed instructions and do not add bilateral warranties, redistribution restrictions, assignment clauses, cure periods, arbitration terms, or jury waivers.

REQUEST LETTER

Date: [DATE]

To:
[PUBLIC RECORDS COORDINATOR / RECORDS CUSTODIAN]
[STATE OR LOCAL AGENCY]
[MAILING ADDRESS / EMAIL / REQUEST PORTAL]

From:
[REQUESTER NAME]
[TITLE / ORGANIZATION, IF ANY]
[MAILING ADDRESS]
[EMAIL]
[TELEPHONE]

Re: California Public Records Act Request — [SUBJECT]

Dear Public Records Coordinator:

Under the California Public Records Act, Cal. Gov't Code § 7920.000 et seq., I request inspection and/or copies of the following public records:

1. Records Requested

1. [REASONABLY DESCRIBE THE FIRST IDENTIFIABLE RECORD OR RECORD SET.]
2. [REASONABLY DESCRIBE THE SECOND IDENTIFIABLE RECORD OR RECORD SET.]
3. [ADD ADDITIONAL ITEMIZED REQUESTS.]

Date range: [START DATE] through [END DATE]

Relevant office, employee, project, contract, incident, matter, or file number: [DETAILS]

Helpful custodians, search terms, email addresses, or record systems: [DETAILS]

If clarification would help identify the records, please contact me at [EMAIL / TELEPHONE].

2. Inspection, Copies, and Format

I request:

• ☐ inspection during agency office hours;
• ☐ electronic copies in this format: [FORMAT];
• ☐ paper copies; or
• ☐ an exact copy, unless impracticable.

Preferred delivery or inspection method: [EMAIL / SECURE LINK / INSPECTION APPOINTMENT / MAIL / PICKUP].

For records held electronically, please provide an electronic format authorized by § 7922.570. If the requested format is unavailable, please identify the electronic format in which the agency holds the information or a format it has used to create copies for itself or another agency.

Optional on-premises copying: If I inspect disclosable records on agency premises, I may use noncontact equipment to photograph or reproduce them without a fee, subject to the safety, system-access, burden, integrity, and preservation limits in § 7922.530(b)–(c).

3. Fees

I agree to pay properly assessed direct duplication costs or an applicable statutory fee up to $[AMOUNT]. Please provide an estimate and obtain my authorization before exceeding that amount.

Optional accommodation request: [ASK FOR ELECTRONIC DELIVERY, A FEE REDUCTION OR WAIVER UNDER AGENCY POLICY, OR ANOTHER ACCOMMODATION WITHOUT ASSERTING THE FEDERAL FOIA FEE-WAIVER STANDARD.]

4. Determination, Availability, and Withholdings

Please provide the determination and notice required by § 7922.535(a) within 10 days after receipt. If disclosable records are in the agency's possession, please state the estimated date and time when they will be available.

If unusual circumstances require an extension, please provide the written notice, reasons, and determination date required by § 7922.535(b). I understand that the 10-day and extended periods concern the disclosure determination; I ask that the records themselves be made promptly available under § 7922.530(a).

If the agency denies any portion of this written request, please provide the written notice required by § 7922.540, including the names and titles or positions of each person responsible and the justification required by § 7922.000.

Please release every reasonably segregable nonexempt portion after deletion of exempt material as required by § 7922.525(b). If practical, identify the location or nature of each deletion without revealing information that is itself exempt.

If the agency directs me to an online record that I cannot access or reproduce, I request a copy under § 7922.545(b).

Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

__________________________________
[REQUESTER NAME]
[TITLE / ORGANIZATION, IF ANY]
[DATE]

POST-SUBMISSION NOTES

• Track the determination separately from production. Section 7922.535 fixes the determination/notice period; § 7922.530 requires prompt availability of copies.
• Emergency extension added for 2026: If an agency invokes § 7922.535(c)(6), confirm that a gubernatorial state of emergency directly causes staffing shortages or facility closure affecting the response and that the request is not for records created during and related to that emergency.
• Withholding burden: Under § 7922.000, the agency must show either an express exemption or that, on the particular facts, the public interest in nondisclosure clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure.
• Enforcement: A person alleging improper withholding may file a verified petition in the superior court of the county where the records or some part of them are situated. Cal. Gov't Code § 7923.100.
• Fees in litigation: A prevailing requester is entitled to court costs and reasonable attorney's fees; a public agency receives them only if the requester's case is clearly frivolous. Cal. Gov't Code § 7923.115.
• Agency-specific review: Some agencies offer an informal or administrative review process, but this general template does not assume one exists.

CURRENT OFFICIAL SOURCES

• California Legislative Information — Cal. Gov't Code § 7922.000
• California Legislative Information — Cal. Gov't Code § 7922.525
• California Legislative Information — Cal. Gov't Code § 7922.530
• California Legislative Information — Cal. Gov't Code § 7922.535
• California Legislative Information — Cal. Gov't Code §§ 7922.540–7922.545
• California Legislative Information — Cal. Gov't Code § 7922.570
• California Legislative Information — Cal. Gov't Code §§ 7923.100–7923.115