FAQs

How will I know about the status of my request?

Once you submit your public records request, you will receive email notifications regarding the status of your request, which will be processed by the appropriate department (s) that manage the records you seek. You can also log into the public records portal to check the status of your request. 

How many days will it take for a response?

California state law allows the county 10 calendar days to respond to a public records request. The start of the 10-day period begins the date the request is received. If a request is received on a holiday specially designated by the State of California, the 10-day period begins on the first calendar day after the California holiday, even if that is a county holiday or an otherwise non-working day.

In certain circumstances, the county may require a 14-day extension to search for, collect, and examine the requested records, which may reside in multiple departments, or locations separate from the office processing the request, and/or the need for consultation. 

Most often, you will receive the requested records at the time the response letter is provided. When a large volume of records is requested, the records may be provided in a rolling or ongoing basis until complete.

Who approves or denies records requests? 

All public records requested are reviewed by the department’s custodian of records or designated staff. 

Why would records be withheld?

All County of Riverside records are considered public records. However, there are instances when information contained in a record must be withheld, either in part or in its entirety. Withholding any information can only be done in specific instances when state or federal law has determined the information sought is confidential. If information is withheld, the county’s response letter will cite the law or laws preventing the release of the requested information. Some of these exemptions include attorney-client privilege, personnel matters and/or confidential patient or client information.

Who can see my personal information added to my records request?

Personal contact information is visible only to staff who use the portal. However, the request for a public record is itself a public record and could be released in response to subsequent public records requests. 

I was told my request was too broad and needed to be narrowed. What does that mean?

There are times when records requests are too broad to complete. In those cases, the county will contact the requester and ask for more information to help narrow the focus of the request. It’s best to be as specific as possible with the types of records that you seek. We suggest providing a date range or applicable keywords that can be used for searching.

Will I be charged for these records?

Many times records are produced electronically through this portal and are free to the requestor. 

If hard copies are necessary, the County fee schedule for the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder sets the fee at $1 for the first print page and $0.10 for each additional page. The fee schedule may be found at: https://www.rivcoacr.org/GeneralInfo