{"id":371882,"date":"2017-09-01T18:21:37","date_gmt":"2017-09-01T23:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/california-law\/los-angeles-police-reports-and-public-records-resources.html"},"modified":"2017-09-05T11:34:00","modified_gmt":"2017-09-05T16:34:00","slug":"los-angeles-police-reports-and-public-records-resources","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/california-law\/los-angeles-police-reports-and-public-records-resources.html","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Police Reports and Public Records Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Los Angeles Police Reports and Public Records Resources<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Requesting a copy of a Los Angeles police report or other public record can be a maze of rules, forms, and bureaucracy. Let us help you demystify the process. First thing to know — the California Public Records Act<\/a> (CPRA) is the law in California for accessing public records from police departments, local governments, and state agencies. Keep in mind, the state Legislature and the courts, have their own, separate access rules. If you are looking for public records from the executive branch or any other agency in the federal government, check out the Freedom of Information Act<\/a> (FOIA) law.<\/p>\r\n

One more bit of information — it can sometimes be costly to obtain government records, even those that are clearly required to be available for the public. Agencies are permitted to charge only for the actual costs of duplication, and must calculate the costs based on its actual costs. Although this amount will likely be similar among agencies there are some variables that may justify differences in per-page copy costs. We will explore some ways to help minimize costs.<\/p>\r\n

How do I request records?<\/h2>\r\n

First, just try simply calling the agency and making an informal request. If the information officer can’t grant your telephone request, he or she should be able to provide you with specific information for making a formal request.<\/p>\r\n

Important tip: The law doesn’t require you to make a written request to receive the public documents you want to inspect, however it makes life a whole lot easier. Not sure how to write such a letter? Click here<\/a> for an example.<\/p>\r\n

Is there some information I won’t be allowed to see?<\/h2>\r\n

Yes, the government has to balance individual privacy rights with the public’s right to know. The law says there’s some information you just won’t be privy to. Likely, the police department or other public agency will simply redact or exclude this from the report before handing it over to you. There are a whole slew of exceptions to the law. We couldn’t possibly list all of them. (Check out Cal. Gov’t Code \u00a7 6254<\/a> if you have a burning desire to learn more). Examples of info you just aren’t going to get include:<\/p>\r\n