ARTICLE 1. Law Enforcement Records Generally [7923.600. - 7923.630.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 1.

in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 7923.600. Section 7923.600.

(a) Except as provided in Sections 7924.510, 7924.700, and 7929.610, this division does not require the disclosure of records of complaints to, or investigations conducted by, or records of intelligence information or security procedures of, the office of the Attorney General and the Department of Justice, the Office of Emergency Services and any state or local police agency, or any investigatory or security files compiled by any other state or local police agency, or any investigatory or security files compiled by any other state or local agency for correctional, law enforcement, or licensing purposes. (b) A customer list that an alarm or security company provides to a state or local police agency at the agency’s request is a record subject to this article.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 7923.601. Section 7923.601.

(a) This division does not require the disclosure in response to a request for records filed under the California Public Records Act, of peace officer personnel files and background investigation files gathered by law enforcement agencies pursuant to Section 1031 that are in the custody of the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training in connection with the commission’s authority to verify eligibility for the issuance of certification and investigate grounds for decertification of a peace officer pursuant to Section 13510.8 of the Penal Code, including any and all investigative files and records relating to complaints of, and investigations of, police misconduct, and all other investigative files and materials. (b) If the commission receives a request to disclose a public record that the commission is exempt from disclosing pursuant to subdivision (a), the commission shall forward the request to the agency that transmitted the record to the commission and shall notify the requestor of where the request was forwarded. That agency shall be responsible for complying with the request, subject to applicable disclosure laws. (c) In the event that the requested public record is no longer in the possession of the agency that previously transmitted the record to the commission, the agency shall request copies of the record from the commission, which shall provide the record to the agency if it is in the possession of the commission. The agency shall then be responsible for complying with the request, subject to applicable disclosure laws. (d) This section does not limit the obligation of another public agency to disclose records of police misconduct, or other public records, pursuant to Section 832.7 of the Penal Code or any other provision of law. (e) This section does not limit the disclosure of records created by the commission during its own investigations or decisionmaking, which are otherwise subject to disclosure under the law. (f) This section does not limit the disclosure of records pursuant to Section 13510.85 of the Penal Code. (g) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2027, and as of that date is repealed. (h) It is the intent of the Legislature that upon repeal of this section, the commission shall comply with all applicable disclosure requirements, including any request for documents in the possession of the commission that were also in the possession of the commission during any time that this section was in effect.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 7923.605. Section 7923.605.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 7923.600, a state or local law enforcement agency shall disclose the names and addresses of persons involved in, or witnesses other than confidential informants to, the incident, the description of any property involved, the date, time, and location of the incident, all diagrams, statements of the parties involved in the incident, the statements of all witnesses, other than confidential informants, to the victims of an incident, or an authorized representative thereof, an insurance carrier against which a claim has been or might be made, and any person suffering bodily injury or property damage or loss, as the result of the incident caused by arson, burglary, fire, explosion, larceny, robbery, carjacking, vandalism, vehicle theft, or a crime as defined by subdivision (b) of Section 13951, unless the disclosure would endanger either of the following: (1) The safety of a witness or other person involved in the investigation. (2) The successful completion of the investigation or a related investigation. (b) However, this article does not require the disclosure of that portion of those investigative files that reflects the analysis or conclusions of the investigating officer.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 7923.610. Section 7923.610.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a state or local law enforcement agency shall make public all of the following information, except to the extent that disclosure of a particular item of information would endanger the safety of a person involved in an investigation or would endanger the successful completion of the investigation or a related investigation: (a) The full name and occupation of every individual arrested by the agency. (b) The individual’s physical description including date of birth, color of eyes and hair, sex, height, and weight. (c) The time and date of arrest. (d) The time and date of booking. (e) The location of the arrest. (f) The factual circumstances surrounding the arrest. (g) The amount of bail set. (h) The time and manner of release or the location where the individual is currently being held. (i) All charges the individual is being held upon, including any outstanding warrants from other jurisdictions, parole holds, and probation holds.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 7923.615. Section 7923.615.

(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a state or local law enforcement agency shall make public the information described in paragraph (2), except to the extent that disclosure of a particular item of information would endanger the safety of a person involved in an investigation or would endanger the successful completion of the investigation or a related investigation. (2) Subject to the restrictions imposed by Section 841.5 of the Penal Code, paragraph (1) applies to the time, substance, and location of all complaints or requests for assistance received by the agency and the time and nature of the response thereto, including, to the extent the information regarding crimes alleged or committed or any other incident investigated is recorded: (A) The time, date, and location of occurrence. (B) The time and date of the report. (C) The name and age of the victim. (D) The factual circumstances surrounding the crime or incident. (E) A general description of any injuries, property, or weapons involved. (b) (1) The name of a victim of any crime defined by Section 220, 261, 261.5, 262, 264, 264.1, 265, 266, 266a, 266b, 266c, 266e, 266f, 266j, 267, 269, 273a, 273d, 273.5, 285, 286, 287, 288, 288.2, 288.3, 288.4, 288.5, 288.7, 289, 422.6, 422.7, 422.75, 646.9, or 647.6 of, or former Section 288a of, the Penal Code may be withheld at the victim’s request, or at the request of the victim’s parent or guardian if the victim is a minor. (2) When a person is the victim of more than one crime, information disclosing that the person is a victim of a crime defined in any of the sections of the Penal Code set forth in this article may be deleted at the request of the victim, or the victim’s parent or guardian if the victim is a minor, in making the report of the crime, or of any crime or incident accompanying the crime, available to the public in compliance with the requirements of this section. (c) (1) Subject to the restrictions imposed by Section 841.5 of the Penal Code, the names and images of a victim of human trafficking, as defined in Section 236.1 of the Penal Code, and of that victim’s immediate family, other than a family member who is charged with a criminal offense arising from the same incident, may be withheld at the victim’s request until the investigation or any subsequent prosecution is complete. (2) For purposes of this article, “immediate family” has the same meaning as that provided in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 422.4 of the Penal Code.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 7923.620. Section 7923.620.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, if the requester declares under penalty of perjury that the request is made for a scholarly, journalistic, political, or governmental purpose, or that the request is made for investigation purposes by a licensed private investigator as described in Chapter 11.3 (commencing with Section 7512) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code, a state or local law enforcement agency shall make public the following information, except to the extent that disclosure of a particular item of information would endanger the safety of a person involved in an investigation or would endanger the successful completion of the investigation or a related investigation: (1) Subject to the restrictions of Section 841.5 of the Penal Code and this article, the current address of every individual arrested by the agency. (2) Subject to the restrictions of Section 841.5 of the Penal Code and this article, the current address of the victim of a crime. However, the address of the victim of any crime defined by Section 220, 236.1, 261, 261.5, 262, 264, 264.1, 265, 266, 266a, 266b, 266c, 266e, 266f, 266j, 267, 269, 273a, 273d, 273.5, 285, 286, 287, 288, 288.2, 288.3, 288.4, 288.5, 288.7, 289, 422.6, 422.7, 422.75, 646.9, or 647.6 of, or former Section 288a of, the Penal Code shall remain confidential. (b) Address information obtained pursuant to this section shall not be used directly or indirectly, or furnished to another, to sell a product or service to any individual or group of individuals, and the requester shall execute a declaration to that effect under penalty of perjury. (c) This section shall not be construed to prohibit or limit a scholarly, journalistic, political, or government use of address information obtained pursuant to this section.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 7923.625. Section 7923.625.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, commencing July 1, 2019, a video or audio recording that relates to a critical incident, as defined in subdivision (e), may be withheld only as follows: (a) (1) During an active criminal or administrative investigation, disclosure of a recording related to a critical incident may be delayed for no longer than 45 calendar days after the date the agency knew or reasonably should have known about the incident, if, based on the facts and circumstances depicted in the recording, disclosure would substantially interfere with the investigation, such as by endangering the safety of a witness or a confidential source. If an agency delays disclosure pursuant to this section, the agency shall provide in writing to the requester the specific basis for the agency’s determination that disclosure would substantially interfere with the investigation and the estimated date for disclosure. (2) After 45 days from the date the agency knew or reasonably should have known about the incident, and up to one year from that date, the agency may continue to delay disclosure of a recording if the agency demonstrates that disclosure would substantially interfere with the investigation. After one year from the date the agency knew or reasonably should have known about the incident, the agency may continue to delay disclosure of a recording only if the agency demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that disclosure would substantially interfere with the investigation. If an agency delays disclosure pursuant to this paragraph, the agency shall promptly provide in writing to the requester the specific basis for the agency’s determination that the interest in preventing interference with an active investigation outweighs the public interest in disclosure and provide the estimated date for the disclosure. The agency shall reassess withholding and notify the requester every 30 days. A recording withheld by the agency shall be disclosed promptly when the specific basis for withholding is resolved. (b) (1) If the agency demonstrates, on the facts of the particular case, that the public interest in withholding a video or audio recording clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure because the release of the recording would, based on the facts and circumstances depicted in the recording, violate the reasonable expectation of privacy of a subject depicted in the recording, the agency shall provide in writing to the requester the specific basis for the expectation of privacy and the public interest served by withholding the recording and may use redaction technology, including blurring or distorting images or audio, to obscure those specific portions of the recording that protect that interest. However, the redaction shall not interfere with the viewer’s ability to fully, completely, and accurately comprehend the events captured in the recording and the recording shall not otherwise be edited or altered. (2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), if the agency demonstrates that the reasonable expectation of privacy of a subject depicted in the recording cannot adequately be protected through redaction as described in paragraph (1) and that interest outweighs the public interest in disclosure, the agency may withhold the recording from the public, except that the recording, either redacted as provided in paragraph (1) or unredacted, shall be disclosed promptly, upon request, to any of the following: (A) The subject of the recording whose privacy is to be protected, or the subject’s authorized representative. (B) If the subject is a minor, the parent or legal guardian of the subject whose privacy is to be protected. (C) If the subject whose privacy is to be protected is deceased, an heir, beneficiary, designated immediate family member, or authorized legal representative of the deceased subject whose privacy is to be protected. (3) If disclosure pursuant to paragraph (2) would substantially interfere with an active criminal or administrative investigation, the agency shall provide in writing to the requester the specific basis for the agency’s determination that disclosure would substantially interfere with the investigation, and provide the estimated date for the disclosure of the video or audio recording. Thereafter, the recording may be withheld by the agency for 45 calendar days, subject to extensions as set forth in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a). (c) An agency may provide greater public access to video or audio recordings than the minimum standards set forth in this section. (d) For purposes of this section, a peace officer does not include any peace officer employed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. (e) For purposes of this section, a video or audio recording relates to a critical incident if it depicts any of the following incidents: (1) An incident involving the discharge of a firearm at a person by a peace officer or custodial officer. (2) An incident in which the use of force by a peace officer or custodial officer against a person resulted in death or in great bodily injury. (f) This section does not alter, limit, or negate any other rights, remedies, or obligations with respect to public records regarding an incident other than a critical incident as described in subdivision (e).

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 7923.630. Section 7923.630.

(a) Immediately before the CPRA Recodification Act of 2021, the other provisions in this article comprised a single subdivision of former Section 6254 (subdivision (f) of Section 29 of Chapter 385 of the Statutes of 2019). (b) Dividing the substance of those provisions into multiple code sections was not intended to affect the construction of those provisions or their relation to each other.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026