Under Ohio's Public Records Act, a person may request to inspect or obtain copies of public records from a public office. When a public office receives a proper public records request, and unless part or all of a record is exempt from release, a public office must provide inspection of the requested records promptly and at no cost, or provide copies at cost within a reasonable period of time.

Briefcase, September 2007, Top 10 steps toward compliance with new public records law
School Management News , July 2023, Understanding school district records commissions
Briefcase, September 2007, What boards must know about public records training
Briefcase, August 2008, Frequently asked questions about public records
Communique, August 2007, Public Records Law changes after House Bill 9
Ohio Journal article, June 2000, Public records law continues to change; invites legal questions
Ohio Journal article, February 2001, Everything old is new again
Ohio Journal article, October 2005, Many shades of gray: School records issues
Ohio Journal article, April 2006, Exploring electronic records retention
Ohio Journal article, March 2007, New public records law expands duties, penalties
OSBA Journal article, June 2015, Social media, schools and the law
OSBA Journal article, February 2018, Can I share this? What Sunshine Laws require
Policy Development Quarterly, February 2007, Key provisions of the new public records bill
Policy Development Quarterly, November 2007, New obligations under Ohio's Public Records Act
Sunshine Law for Schools (available for purchase)

On-Demand Learning: 

I'm Drowning in Records (but afraid to throw any away): A records retention primer (available for purchase)

For more information, please contact Lenore Winfrey, diversity & legal affairs manager at (614) 540-4000.