Question
An agency that I am requesting info from is pressing to know “what am I looking for”, e.g. why I want it. Do I have to say?
Answer
The answer to your question is “no.” You do not have to state the purpose for why you are seeking public records. The California Public Records Act (“PRA”) prohibits “limitations on access to a public record based upon the purpose of which the record is being requested, if the record is otherwise subject to public disclosure.” Gov’t Code § 6257.5. Moreover, state agencies cannot impose any limits on what you may do with public records obtained pursuant to the PRA. ACLU v. Deukmejian, 32 Cal. 3d 440, 451 (1982) (noting that the PRA “imposes no limits upon who may seek information or what he may do with it. … once information is held subject to disclosure under the Act, the courts can exercise no restrain on the use to which it may be put.”).
Asked & Answered posts should not be relied on as legal advice, and FAC makes no guarantees about their completeness or accuracy. All posts carry a date of publication that readers should take note of in assessing their usefulness, given that laws and interpretations of them may change over time. Posts predating Jan. 1, 2023, that discuss the California Public Records Act may contain statute numbers no longer in use. Please see this page for a table showing how the California Public Records Act has been renumbered.