An official appointed to assist private citizens access California Department of Justice's public information, per the California Public Records Act. Find out more in guidelines, pdf for accessing public records maintained by the California Department of Justice.
No, please contact the agency directly. Our department cannot assist you with obtaining records from other government agencies.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal law that is not applicable to requests for records of a state agency. As a result, we construe requests made under FOIA as inquiries under the California Public Records Act, the law which is applicable to California state government agency records. The Public Records Act is contained in Government Code section 6250 et seq.
No, the DOJ generally cannot assist you in retrieving records from another agency. However, the Public Records Act provides several “judicial” remedies for persons who believe that they have been wrongfully denied records to which they are entitled. (Gov. Code sections 6258 and 6259.) Absent special circumstances, the Legislature did not envision an enforcement role for the Attorney General in connection with noncompliance under the Act. You may wish to consult with a private attorney to evaluate your options. We are not in a position to perform legal research or to provide legal advice on behalf of individual members of the public or private clients.
As a law enforcement agency, the Attorney General's Office does not release information on consumer complaints that involve as-yet-unproven allegations that could create misleading and unfair impressions about a company. Our Consumer Protection Section uses these consumer complaints to look for patterns of deceptive or unfair business practices where legal action brought by the Attorney General could serve the interest of the general public. You may be able to learn about consumer complaints about the company by contacting the Better Business Bureau where the company is located or doing business.
Please contact the Secretary of State’s Office or by calling (916) 657-5448.
Information on unclaimed property turned over to the State of California by banks, businesses and other organizations is available from the Controller.