Last updated on June 07, 2023
UniCourt believes in open access to public records and publicly available information ("public record(s)" or "record(s)"). We organize and publish public records and make them universally accessible and useful to the public.
Public records are records that are created and maintained by the government and are open to public inspection. Examples of public records include court records, county records, marriage records, and death records. Publicly available information is information from non-governmental sources that is available to the public. Examples of publicly available information include the internet, newspapers, telephone directories, classified ads, and other publications.
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.
Access to public records is a necessary element of any democratic system. In particular, there is a well-established judicial principle that has recognized the positive role played by allowing public access to court records.
Public access to court records permits the public to monitor and participate in such proceedings. Public access can assist the general public in fact finding on certain subject matters. It can also provide an effective restraint on individuals, corporations, and the judicial system itself to curtail potential abuses in judicial proceedings.
The Supreme Court of the United States, federal courts, and state courts have all endorsed the concept of open access to court proceedings and court records. It has been found that such access promotes public confidence in governmental proceedings by providing a means by which citizens can scrutinize judicial power and enhance the truth findings function of the court.
UniCourt collects, uses, and publishes public records and publicly available information from governmental and non-governmental sources. We do not distribute nonpublic information to the public. Examples of public records from governmental sources include the following:
Examples of publicly available information from non-governmental sources include the following:
UniCourt takes reasonable steps to accurately reproduce the public records and publicly available information we collect. However, sometimes these records may contain errors or be incomplete, inaccurate, or may not be the most currently available information. These records are provided "AS IS" and are provided subject to our General Disclaimer and Terms of Service.
UniCourt uses all public records and publicly available information in a responsible manner. All records in our public records databases are either obtained from the government or reputable private suppliers. We do not distribute nonpublic information to the public.
All public records and publicly available information provided by UniCourt should be used in a responsible manner and in accordance with this Public Records Policy and our Terms of Service.
Public records are typically exempt from state and federal privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"). The CCPA clearly states that "personal information" does not include publicly available information, and that "publicly available" means information that is "lawfully made available from federal, state, or local government records."
Please note that public records such as court records published by state or federal courts, and any information contained in them, like the names of parties, attorneys, and judges, and any other information like addresses and telephone numbers published by state and federal courts are not personal information for the purposes of privacy laws. To learn more about our Privacy Policy click here.
Factors we typically consider when evaluating a Public Records Redaction Request include, but are not limited to, the following:
Since the above factors are not exclusive, please feel free to submit a request for review even if it does not fall within one of the above factors. In order to help us evaluate the merits of your request, we may require you to provide supporting documentation, such as court orders and police reports.
To submit a Public Records Redaction Request click here. A Public Records Redaction Request, if approved, will redact or seal a public record published by UniCourt that may appear in internet search engines (Google, Bing, etc.). To request the the redaction or sealing of multiple records, you need to submit a separate Public Records Redaction Request for each record.
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 charge for submitting, processing, or appealing a Public Records Redaction Request. If a third-party company is attempting to charge you for redacting a public record we have published, you can submit a request for free directly through us.
Here are the three steps to submit your Public Records Redaction Request:
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.
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
If UniCourt has not approved your Public Records Redaction Request, 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.
UniCourt does not grant all Public Records Redaction Requests. The casual redaction or sealing of public records limits public access and disclosure, and it diminishes the integrity of our products and services. This is particularly true of records that have a strong public interest or where corporations or other organizations are involved.
Ultimately, the records we publish are public records and are therefore open to inspection by the public. There are no "private facts" in public records unless they have been sealed by a court order. Accordingly, UniCourt reserves the right to deny a request, not make a decision on a request, or republish a redacted record in our sole discretion.
BY SUBMITTING A PUBLIC RECORDS REDACTION REQUEST, YOU AGREE NOT TO BRING A LEGAL ACTION AGAINST UNICOURT REGARDING YOUR REQUEST BEFORE YOU (I) HAVE SUBMITTED A REQUEST IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS PUBLIC RECORDS POLICY, (II) HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY UNICOURT THAT YOUR REQUEST WAS NOT APPROVED, (III) HAVE SUBMITTED AN APPEAL OF THE DECISION REGARDING YOUR REQUEST, AND (IV) HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT YOUR APPEAL WAS NOT APPROVED.
WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL: BY SUBMITTING A PUBLIC RECORDS REDACTION REQUEST, YOU AGREE THAT IF YOUR REQUEST IS APPROVED, YOU SHALL NOT BRING A LEGAL ACTION AGAINST UNICOURT REGARDING YOUR REQUEST AND YOU HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY AND ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR PUBLIC RECORDS REDACTION REQUEST AND/OR UNICOURT’S PUBLIC RECORDS POLICY.
YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT ANY LITIGATION REGARDING UNICOURT’S PUBLIC RECORDS POLICY AND/OR A PUBLIC RECORDS REDACTION REQUEST SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA REGARDLESS OF THE LAW THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE APPLY UNDER APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW, AND YOU CONSENT TO THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS OF CALIFORNIA, LOCATED IN ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA AS THE APPROPRIATE JURISDICTION AND VENUE FOR ANY ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE INTERPRETATION AND/OR ENFORCEMENT OF UNICOURT’S PUBLIC RECORDS POLICY AND/OR A PUBLIC RECORDS REDACTION REQUEST.
To submit a Public Records Redaction Request click here.
If your Public Records Redaction Request and subsequent appeal were not approved, and you would like to submit additional requests with new information, supporting documentation, and/or a sealing order from the court, please contact us in writing at the following address:
UniCourt Inc. P.O. Box 1106 Tustin, CA 92781-9998Any additional questions regarding UniCourt’s Public Records Policy and/or a Public Records Redaction Request may be directed to UniCourt at the same address listed above.
UniCourt may change its Public Records Policy and/or Public Records Redaction Request from time to time with or without notice.