Guidelines to Access Public Records

All public records of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) subject to disclosure under the provisions of the California Public Records Act, Government Code Sections 6250 et seq., are open to inspection. The DFEH does not provide records for cases that are under investigation.  Please note that the DFEH retains complaint records for three years. The DFEH will make such records or information available for inspection during normal business hours, which are Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm, excluding holidays . 

Make A Request 

Any person wishing to inspect or request a copy of public records can contact the Department verbally or in writing as follows:

• Submit a request by completing and returning the Public Records Request Form, or
  
• Mail your written request to any DFEH office.  Please allow additional time for mailing.

Within 10 days from the date the request is received, the DFEH will determine if the disclosable public records are in the possession of the DFEH and notify the requester of its determination as well as the cost for the request.  In unusual circumstances, DFEH will notify the requester in writing of the reasons for delay in making such determination. The DFEH may request additional information if the record requested is not specific enough to permit identification.  Please note that the DFEH does not provide records for cases that are under investigation and only retains complaints records for three years.  Closed investigative files may be in storage and not readily available, thus requiring the request to be in writing.

Public records in electronic form will be released in the format in which they are held unless otherwise prohibited. When the requested record exists in both hard copy and electronic form, the requester can choose the format in which the records will be provided. While the DFEH will disclose identifiable and existing public records, the DFEH is not required by law to create a new record or list from an existing record. The Legislature has established that certain categories of records may be exempt from public disclosure. These exemptions balance the public's right to access public records against the individuals' right of privacy and the need for government to competently perform its statutory duties. A list of statutory exemptions can be found in the California Public Records Act, Government Code Section 6254 and 6275. If the DFEH has declined to provide access to the records, the requester may seek injunctive or declarative relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the right to inspect or to receive a copy of any public record under the California Public Records Act, Government Code Section 6258.

Cost

The clerical fee is $24 per hour.  In addition, there is a minimum mailing fee of $4.95 and $0.10 per page for duplication.  If you choose to have the information e-mailed to you, there is no mailing or copying fees (Gov. Code, § 6253 (b).)   You will receive a confirmation of receipt and a bill for the total amount owed to process your request within ten (10) days after the DFEH receives your request. Once payment is received, we will complete the processing of your request.  You will receive your information or redacted file copy with twenty (20) days after we receive payment.  Please note that if payment is not received within 30 days you will have to submit a new request.