Guidelines for Public Access to Records and Information Maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) supports and is responsive to the public's need for information about the conduct of business within the judicial branch. Although the California Public Records Act generally does not apply to the judicial branch¹, records maintained by the AOC will be made available for inspection by members of the public pursuant to the following procedures:

Requests for inspection or copying of records should be specific and focused. Requests must be made in writing and should sufficiently describe the records so that AOC staff can readily identify, locate, and retrieve them.

A response will be provided to each request within 10 calendar days of receipt. If additional time is needed to locate, collect, or examine records, AOC staff will inform the requesting party.

Please direct requests to:
Administrative Office of the Courts
Office of Communications
455 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, California 94102- 3688
Phone: 415-865-7740
Fax: 415-865-4334

Submit request

The AOC may decline to disclose any records that are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (see, e.g., Gov. Code, § 6254), applicable law, or AOC policy.

Upon request for a copy of records, other than those determined to be exempt from disclosure from the California Public Records Act, applicable law, or AOC policy, AOC staff will provide a copy of the records to the requester following payment of costs of duplication (10 cents per page) and mailing. If electronic versions are available, they may be transmitted by electronic mail or reproduced on CD as an alternative to providing copies.

[1] See Gov. Code, §§ 6252(f) and 6261; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 10.802.