Public Records Law

Information provided to or gathered by the N.C. Forest Service is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties upon request.

Public records include materials written or created by the government and its employees, as well as documents and other materials made or received by government agencies in North Carolina. This includes materials written or made by private individuals or companies and submitted to the government, regardless, of whether those materials were required or requested by the government or whether they were sent to the government voluntarily at the private individual or companies' initiative. Regardless of physical form or characteristics, public records include:

• paper and electronic documents
• emails
• letters
• maps
• books
• photographs
• films
• sound recordings
• magnetic or other tapes
• electronic data-processing records
• artifacts
• other documentary material

To download a copy of North Carolina's "Guide to Open Government and Public Records" visit the N.C. Press Association website at http://ncpress.com and click on the Open Government Booklet tab and follow the links. To download it directly go to http://ncpress.com/ncpa/AG%20booklet%204-8-08.pdf.

The full text of North Carolina's public records and open meetings laws is available online via the N.C. General Assembly's Web page at www.ncga.state.nc.us (general statute sections 132 and 143).