Gov. Code §§ 7920.000 – 7931.000 is a state statute that requires the records of state and local agencies to be open to public inspection, and that copies be provided upon request, unless a specific legal exemption applies.
The Act defines a public record as any writing relating to the conduct of the public’s business, regardless of its physical form (e.g., paper, email, digital data). Key procedural requirements include a 10-day determination period for agencies to respond to requests and a mandate to release reasonably segregable portions of records after redacting exempt information. Exemptions are narrowly construed and include personnel records, pending litigation, and investigatory files.
