How long does a California agency or government body have to respond to a records request?

Within 10 days from receipt of a request for a copy of records, the agency must determine whether the request, in whole or in part, seeks copies of disclosable public records and promptly notify the requester of the determination and the reasons. If the records are disclosable, the agency must also state the estimated date and time when they will be made available. (Gov. Code § 7922.535(a))

How do I appeal a denied or ignored records request in California?

Any person may start a proceeding for injunctive or declarative relief, or for a writ of mandate, in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the right to inspect or receive a copy of a public record or class of public records. (Gov. Code § 7923.000)

California public records law: how to make a request

California Public Records Act (CPRA), Government Code § 7920.000 and following. Rules below are quoted or closely paraphrased from the linked official pages, and each shows the date it was last checked (2026-10-17). Jurisdiction code: CA.

Build a request letter Official source

Statute and who may ask

Public records are open to inspection at all times during the office hours of the state or local agency, and every person has a right to inspect any public record, except as otherwise provided. Any reasonably segregable portion must be available after exempt portions are deleted. (Gov. Code § 7922.525)
Source: Cal. Gov. Code § 7922.525 (California Legislature, leginfo) · last verified 2026-10-17
Each state or local agency, upon a request for a copy of records that reasonably describes an identifiable record or records, must make the records promptly available to any person upon payment of fees covering direct costs of duplication, or a statutory fee if applicable. Upon request, an exact copy must be provided unless impracticable. (Gov. Code § 7922.530(a))
Source: Cal. Gov. Code § 7922.530 (California Legislature, leginfo) · last verified 2026-10-17

Response deadline

Within 10 days from receipt of a request for a copy of records, the agency must determine whether the request, in whole or in part, seeks copies of disclosable public records and promptly notify the requester of the determination and the reasons. If the records are disclosable, the agency must also state the estimated date and time when they will be made available. (Gov. Code § 7922.535(a))
Source: Cal. Gov. Code § 7922.535 (California Legislature, leginfo) · last verified 2026-10-17
In unusual circumstances the time limit may be extended by written notice from the head of the agency or a designee that sets out the reasons and the date a determination is expected. The notice may not specify a date that would extend the time by more than 14 days. (Gov. Code § 7922.535(b); "unusual circumstances" are defined in subdivision (c))
Source: Cal. Gov. Code § 7922.535 (California Legislature, leginfo) · last verified 2026-10-17
A California Court of Appeal opinion states that § 7922.530(a) does not set a deadline in number of days for actually producing records; the 10 days is the time to respond with a determination, and records must be made "promptly" available.
Source: California Court of Appeal opinion D084327 on Gov. Code § 7922.530(a) (courts.ca.gov) · last verified 2026-10-17
As an example of one agency's published practice, the California Department of Justice says it has 10 days to determine whether it will disclose requested records, that a limited 14-day extension may apply, and that if records cannot be provided in those periods it gives an estimated delivery date.
Source: California Department of Justice: Public Records (the Department's own request guidelines) · last verified 2026-10-17

Fee rules

An agency may charge fees covering the direct costs of duplication, or a statutory fee if one applies. (Gov. Code § 7922.530(a))
Source: Cal. Gov. Code § 7922.530 (California Legislature, leginfo) · last verified 2026-10-17
As an example of one agency's published practice (not a statewide rule), the Department of Justice says it charges 10 cents per page as the direct cost of duplicating records and that when it must compile or extract electronic data or do computer programming it may charge its full costs.
Source: California Department of Justice: Public Records (the Department's own request guidelines) · last verified 2026-10-17

Appeal path and remedies

Any person may start a proceeding for injunctive or declarative relief, or for a writ of mandate, in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the right to inspect or receive a copy of a public record or class of public records. (Gov. Code § 7923.000)
Source: Cal. Gov. Code § 7923.000 (California Legislature, leginfo) · last verified 2026-10-17
If the plaintiff prevails in litigation under the chapter, the court shall award court costs and reasonable attorney fees to the plaintiff, paid by the public agency and not the individual official; if the court finds the case clearly frivolous, it shall award costs and fees to the agency. (Gov. Code § 7923.115, as quoted in a California Law Revision Commission memo and summarized from the official page)
Source: California Law Revision Commission, Memorandum 2018-25 (quotes §§ 7923.000 and 7923.115 as drafted for the Public Records Act recodification) · last verified 2026-10-17
The sections read do not set out an administrative appeal step (for example an appeal to the agency head); the statute's remedy is court enforcement. Check each agency's own procedures.
Source: Cal. Gov. Code § 7923.000 (California Legislature, leginfo) · last verified 2026-10-17

Request-letter wording notes

A written request that is denied in whole or part must get a written response that names the titles or positions of each person responsible for the denial, and the agency must justify any withholding under Gov. Code § 7922.000. A letter can ask for these items. (Gov. Code § 7922.540)
Source: Cal. Gov. Code § 7922.540 (California Legislature, leginfo) · last verified 2026-10-17
Describe an identifiable record or records; the duty to make copies available applies to a request that "reasonably describes an identifiable record or records." Ask for an exact copy and for the estimated date and time the records will be available. (Gov. Code §§ 7922.530(a), 7922.535(a))
Source: Cal. Gov. Code § 7922.530 (California Legislature, leginfo) · last verified 2026-10-17

Not yet researched or not verified

Whether a request must be in writing (the official page for it was not read)
Fee waiver or reduction rules
The full definition of "unusual circumstances" in § 7922.535(c) and the list of exemptions
Reading method note: the California Legislature's site (leginfo) returned an access error to this site's fetcher, so §§ 7922.525, 7922.530, 7922.535, 7922.540 and 7923.000 were read from excerpts of the official pages returned by a web search, and § 7923.115 from a California Law Revision Commission memo that quotes it; re-read the linked pages in full before relying on a detail

This is legal information from public sources, not legal advice. Laws and agency practices change; read the linked official source and consult a lawyer about your situation. Local agencies may have their own forms and contacts.