FAQs
What contact information should I include on my request?
Requesters are strongly encouraged to provide at least some contact information so the District may communicate with you about your request. Providing an email address will allow you to log into the portal to view your request, and access records that the District will upload in response to your request, and are uploaded to your request. In addition, this will allow the District staff to send you notifications regarding the status of your request. However, requesters may submit anonymous requests.
May I submit an anonymous request?
Yes, but please note that you will not receive updates regarding your request or be able to log into the Portal to access records uploaded by the District if you submit a request without contact information. It will be your responsibility to check the Portal for records that are posted publicly on the Portal in response to your request. Please also note that if you submit an anonymous request that does not include contact information, the District may close your request without a response if the District needs clarification about your request and cannot contact you.
Who can see my contact information?
Requesters' contact information is not published or viewable by other members of the public on the portal. However, your contact information, the content of your request, and the District's responses to your request are considered public records under the CPRA and may be released in response to a public records request; all information sent and received by any District employee is subject to the CPRA; therefore, any communications and data exchanged or provided to the District is a public record and may be released in response to a public records request.
General information
· Requests on this portal are public. We suggest that you do not include confidential information such as birthdates or Social Security numbers.
· Requesters’ information is not published on this portal; however, this information is public and may be released in response to a public records request.
· Once you submit your request, you will receive email notifications regarding the status of your request. If you are not receiving the email notifications, check your spam/junk folder.
· It is not necessary to enter the same request multiple times for each applicable department. The District can assign one request to multiple departments
Records NOT maintained by SamTrans:
- Vital Records (e.g. birth, death, and marriage records). Please visit https://www.smcacre.org/certificates-vital-records for San Mateo County vital records.
- Property Records (e.g. property tax, real estate ownership, lot size records). Please visit your local city's website or San Mateo County Assessor/County Clerk/Recorder/Chief Elections Officer's website at https://www.smcacre.org/.
- Sheriff's Office Records. Please visit https://www.smcsheriff.com/public-records-request for San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Records.
- San Mateo County Court Records. Please visit https://www.sanmateocourt.org/ for San Mateo County Superior Court records.
- Records for jurisdictions outside of SamTrans
How detailed should my request be?
The District strongly recommends including details that will facilitate a focused search, such as:
- Describe the nature of the record being requested and/or provide the name or identification number of the records to the best of your knowledge.
- Provide the time frame or date range you are interested in., for example: Fiscal Year 2021 or from February 2021 to present (date request submitted).
- When possible, identify the departments and/or the District employees that may be involved in the subject matter.
- Avoid abbreviations or acronyms.
- When applicable, provide specific addresses, block numbers (for example, the 500 block of Avenue), or an intersection.
- If you don't know the name of the record, describe the information you believe is contained in it.
- If you would like to include a document with your request, you can upload it to the request after the request has been submitted.
- It is not necessary to enter the same request multiple times for each applicable department. The District can assign one request to multiple departments.
Are there any fees or charges for public records requests?
The District may charge for the actual costs of duplicating paper records. Fees for copies are $0.25 per page unless the requested record has an established statutory fee. There is no charge for electronic records that are provided via the public records pPortal.
When may public records be inspected?
In general, electronic records identified as responsive to CPRA requests are made available through the public records portal. However, physical copies of Public records maintained by the District are open to inspection by appointment confirmed with staff during regular office hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and excluding any District holiday/closure dates. The Office of the District Secretary is located at 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos, CA 94070.
When will I receive a response about my request?
Pursuant to the CPRA, within 10 days from the receipt of a request, the District will determine and notify the requester about whether the District has responsive records in its possession. Depending on the complexity of the request, the District may invoke a 14 day extension to determine whether responsive records exist. The District will make every effort to provide responsive non-exempt and non-privileged records within a reasonable timeframe; however, response times will vary depending on the types and volume of records requested and the scope or timeframe of the request.