Public Records Redaction Request

• UniCourt believes in open access to public records and publicly available information. Open access to public records, especially court records, is a necessary element of any democratic system. It permits the public to monitor and participate in court proceedings, promotes public confidence in our legal system by allowing citizens to scrutinize judicial power, and enhances the truth findings function of our courts.
• We follow the well articulated federal and state public policies that promote open access to public records. Public records by law are open to inspection, examination, and copying by the public. There are no “private facts” in public records unless they have been sealed by a court order. We do not knowingly post sealed public records. On each record we publish, we provide a clear process for people to follow if they would like to request the redaction or sealing of a record by submitting a Public Records Redaction Request.
• Factors we typically consider when evaluating a Public Records Redaction Request include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Has the record been sealed or expunged by a court order?
  • Does the record expose the requestor to an increased risk of physical harm?
  • Is the requestor a victim of identity theft, and is the record a result of this theft?
  • Does the record concern and adversely affect a minor?
• UniCourt only considers Public Records Redaction Requests that provide all of the required information and supporting documentation, which provide compelling evidence as to why a public record should be redacted. Further, we only consider requests submitted by a party to the public record, a legal guardian or fiduciary of a party to the record, or an attorney representing a party to the record. UniCourt does not accept Public Records Redaction Requests from reputation companies or other third parties who are not a legal guardian, fiduciary, or attorney representing a party to the record.
• Here are the three steps to submit your Public Records Redaction Request:
  • Step 1: Complete your Public Records Redaction Request
  • Step 2: Verify the email provided in your Public Records Redaction Request
  • Step 3: Select the party name you wish to redact and submit the Redaction Form
• Once UniCourt receives a completed Public Records Redaction Request, we will initiate our internal review process. We typically decide on a request within 30 days, and will communicate our decision to you in writing.
• If your request is approved, the exact timing of the redaction or sealing of a public record from the internet search engines (Google, Bing, etc.) is unknown. We do not control the internet search engines, their practices, or the timing of web page (URL) de-indexing. Based on past experience, URLs are generally de-indexed by the internet search engines within about 30 days.
• If your request is not approved, and you have additional supporting information and/or documentation regarding this request that you would like us to consider, you may submit an appeal within 30 days of notice of UniCourt’s decision. You can submit an appeal by following the link included in the email notice of UniCourt’s decision. Appeals without substantive additional information or supporting documentation will be denied. All appeals are final.
• Please note that even if UniCourt redacts a public record, it still may be publicly and privately available in other repositories and can only be sealed by a court order. We are only able to redact records published by UniCourt (UniCourt.com) and do not control what is published on other sites. If you believe a record should be sealed, then we strongly encourage you to obtain a court order to have the record sealed.
• UniCourt does not charge for submitting, processing, or appealing a Public Records Redaction Request. If someone is charging you for redacting or sealing a record we have published, you can submit a request for free directly through us.
• To submit a Public Records Redaction Request, please provide the below required information. Required information to consider your request is indicated by an asterix (*). If you would like to request the redaction or sealing of multiple records, you need to submit a separate request for each record.