Q: Who decides what is or is not a public record in Arizona?Ī: Title 39 of the Arizona Revised Statutes defines public records at the state and local levels. This website is intended to help users find Arizona state and local records only, and does not provide guidance on obtaining federal records. Records maintained by federal agencies and federal public officials fall under the federal Freedom of Information Act.
The Arizona Public Records Law and certain case law established by state courts govern the records of state and local governments in Arizona. Question: Are there differences between state and local records and federal records?Īnswer: Yes. It is not only your democratic right it is your responsibility. Use them to educate yourself and your neighbors. If an agency denies your request for records, it must provide you with the legal basis for its refusal in writing.Īs a citizen, these are your public records. And any restrictions on access to public records that public agencies try to impose must be in accordance with state law. If there is a conflict, the state law applies. The Arizona Public Records Law trumps any county and municipal rules regarding public records. The right to see public records flows from a basic statement in Arizona's law: "Public records and other matters in the custody of any officer shall be open to inspection by any person at all times during office hours." What does that mean? In a very real sense, you should be allowed to walk into a public agency, ask to see a public record and see it within a reasonable time period. A wealth of information on corporations, businesses and even individuals also is available: property and property tax records, incorporation documents, recorded financial transactions, liens, lawsuits and police reports, for example. Individuals can find out in detail, through public records, what public business is being transacted by state and local government agencies, elected officials and public employees. The Arizona Public Records Law, Title 39 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, is the foundation on which Arizonans build their knowledge of representative government. Common questions about Arizona Public Records Law
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