What is a Public Record?
Every state has its own laws that govern the public’s access to government records. Referred to as open records laws, public records laws or FOIA laws, these laws are modeled after federal FOIA, Freedom of Information Act.
In California, a public record is “any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business prepared, owned, used or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics.” See California Government Code §6252(e).