Frequently Asked Questions - Public Records

An official appointed to assist private citizens in accessing DOJ’s public information, per the California Public Records Act, as set forth in Government Code section 7920.000 et seq.

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 7920.000 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, §§ 7923.000-7923.500.) 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.

Information on unclaimed property turned over to the State of California by banks, businesses and other organizations is available from the State Controller's Office.

No, neither our office nor any other State office routinely maintains copies of wills and trusts. We suggest that you contact the attorney who prepared the will or trust. If the estate has already been probated, contact the Probate Court in the county where the death occurred or where the assets are primarily located.

No, you may not acquire transcripts of oral proceedings in the Superior Court from the DOJ. Government Code section 69954 requires that transcripts of oral trial court proceedings be acquired from the court reporter, and not from another government agency that may possess the transcript. The Court Reporter's Office and/or the Clerk of the Court of the county in which the proceedings were held may be able to assist you in locating and acquiring court transcripts. This provision does not apply to deposition transcripts or the clerk’s records of official litigation events which is called a “clerk’s transcript.”

Information on missing persons.

For assistance in locating someone in California, you may wish to use the following resources:

Birth, Death & Marriage Records
California Department of Public Health
Office of Vital Records – MS 5103
P.O. Box 997410 Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
Website: cdph.ca.gov

The Salvation Army
Missing Persons 440 West Nyack Road
West Nyack NY 10994
Website: https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usa-eastern-territory/missing-persons/

Yes. You may request that the DOJ conduct a firearms eligibility check by submitting a Personal Firearms Eligibility Check (PFEC) Application (BOF 116) to the Department of Justice. For more information about how to request a PFEC, please visit the Bureau of Firearms Frequently Asked Questions. PFEC applications are available from the Bureau of Firearm's website at the Bureau of Firearms Forms and Publications page and from your local firearms dealer.

In most cases, no. State law prohibits persons or agencies from requesting or requiring another person to have a PFEC conducted. (Pen. Code, § 30105.) DOJ does maintain the Armed and Prohibited Persons System (APPS), which is a database that cross-references the DOJ databases of recorded firearm purchasers against other records identifying individuals who have become prohibited from owning or possessing firearms. Together, these record systems identify individuals who legally acquired firearms, became prohibited from keeping them, and then failed to relinquish those firearms as required by law. However, the information in APPS is available to only entities specified in, and pursuant to, subdivisions (b) or (c) of Penal Code section 11105 and to specified researchers. (Pen. Code, § 30000, subds. (b), (c).).

Yes. To obtain a list of firearms listed in your name, complete and submit an Automated Firearms System (AFS) Request for Firearm Records form (BOF 053) available at the Bureau of Firearms Forms and Publications page. The form must be signed, notarized, and include a photocopy of your photo ID card (i.e., driver license or identification card).