Public records are any records prepared, owned, used, or retained by a state or local agency that contain information about the conduct of government or the performance of its functions.
Records may be kept in handwriting, typewriting, print, photocopies, photographs, electronic media, or any other means of recording and include, but aren't limited to:
While, in general, we must provide access to existing, identifiable records in our possession, we aren't required to collect information or organize data to create a record that doesn't exist at the time of the request. Be as specific as possible in your description.
No. State and federal law include many exemptions, particularly of personally identifiable information. For example:
We carefully evaluate requests for public records to determine if we can legally release the records for the reasons given. If we must deny your request, we will send you an explanation why the request was denied and identify the specific law that exempts the records from disclosure.
Email: PublicRecords@dol.wa.gov