Public Records Request Executive Office Of The Governor

Leo Migdal

-Dec 6, 2025, 10:21 AM

public records request executive office of the governor

The State of New Jersey welcomes you to OPRA Central, the state's official OPRA website. It is designed to provide information about public records and to help you access them. Below you will find a brief explanation on how to use OPRA Central to search for public records maintained by state agencies. The most important thing about getting the access to the correct public record is to know which state agency holds the records you are seeking. An OPRA records request is not considered complete unless it is submitted to the custodian who is in charge of the record. If you don't know the specific organization that has the information you are seeking, the following are some suggestions to help.

Please review all of them to determine the ones that can help you best. Once you find it, you can submit a request for the information. If you know the department or agency that has them, click the link for the alphabetical listing of all state agencies and then choose the one you want and click the link. It will take you to their home page or a special page they created for OPRA matters. Look for the "OPRA" logo to link directly to their public records information. By reviewing the web site and OPRA page, you can determine if the records you seek are already available online or if you must submit a request for them.

Another option is to review the Statewide Frequently Asked Questions site. This location is organized by subject and can help you determine the organization that has the information you seek. The Governor’s Office of Open Government processes requests for records within the custodianship of the Executive Office of the Governor. To request records from another state agency, please reference the Open Government Contacts by Agency sheet. Previous requests for public records and responsive documents are available publicly on the Governor’s website. On Tuesday, March 28, the National Governors Association hosted its monthly briefing for Governors’ legal counsel.

The call discussed how Governor’s offices manage requests for public records and other considerations related to state Freedom of Information Acts (FOIA). Receiving, managing, and responding to requests for government or public records is a core function of a Governor’s legal office. Each state has laws governing public access to government records, and each Governor’s office has a framework for responding to requests and/or coordinating with state agencies. Key components of these laws include what constitutes a public record, who is covered, who can request, time constraints, cost, and exemptions. Legal counsel on the call emphasized the importance of establishing an internal process, training and setting expectations with staff, and building a culture of transparency with the media and the public. NGA holds monthly briefings for Governors’ legal counsel.

Please reach out to Lauren Dedon (Ldedon@nga.org) for additional information. NGA Nuclear Dispatch: Advancing Nuclear Energy in Virginia… Seeing this link on any public agency web site brings up information about the agency's public record access information. New Jersey public agencies are urged to use this symbol to bring web users to their OPRA information. This symbol brings you to the "Government Records Council," the independent agency that oversees compliance to OPRA. Here users can view information regarding OPRA, contact the OPRA Open GRC and register a complaint online.

Seeing this link on any public agency web site brings up information about the agency's public record access information. New Jersey public agencies are urged to use this symbol to bring web users to their OPRA information. This symbol brings you to the "Government Records Council," the independent agency that oversees compliance to OPRA. Here users can view information regarding OPRA, contact the OPRA Open GRC and register a complaint online. This online form can be used to request government record(s) from any State department. The Open Public Records Act (N.J.S.A.

47:1A-1, et seq.) provides procedures for the public (the "requestor") to review or obtain copies of government records. Below is a summary of these procedures and guidance for requesting records. To access government records, a requestor must determine which records he or she wishes to obtain, and then determine which public agency holds them. Requestors may then choose to either contact the relevant public agency or review their website for custodian contact information. That will help eliminate delays in fulfilling a request. In a municipal government, the custodian will typically be the municipal clerk, or, at other levels of government, someone in that agency who has been designated.

In many municipal governments, records routinely available through an office, like the police department or tax collector, can still be obtained directly from those offices. OPRA applies to requests for specific types of records and is not an opportunity to ask questions or seek basic pieces of information. In order to be considered a valid request under OPRA, the request must identify the specific record(s) desired, the request must be submitted to the custodian of the public agency that has the record,... N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(f);(g). Requestors may need to consider an "outside the box" approach to composing an OPRA request.

For instance, if a requestor is interested in finding out about construction occuring on their street, they may consider filing an OPRA request seeking records such as a contract with the construction company, invoices... that could provide an answer to the question. Requestors may attempt to engage the custodian for help in identifying what public record is likely to contain the information or facts being sought. Calling ahead or checking agency websites in advance of filing requests can save time and aggravation. OPRA requests to State government can be submitted electronically through OPRA Central. OPRA Central also has lists of Internet links to New Jersey public agency web sites.

The list of frequently asked questions below will help records requestors understand some of the most common issues regarding the Open Public Records Act. If you do not find the answer to your question on this page please contact the GRC directly and a representative will be happy to assist you. Click here for our contact information. OPRA is a New Jersey statute that governs the public's access to government records in New Jersey. The law is compiled in the statutes as N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.

OPRA is used when the requestor wants to gain access to government records and wants to invoke the OPRA statute, which provides a statutory right of access to government records and holds a records... What does this mean? The requestor must choose to submit an OPRA request. Custodians do not decide when requestor must use OPRA and cannot force requestors to submit an OPRA request. This form may be used to request access to government records electronically. What follows is assistance and instructions on helping you complete the form so the records custodian will be able to promptly respond to your request.

These instructions are also available in PDF format. It is very important that you have determined what record(s) you are seeking and that you have determined which department or agency can help you. A State records custodian can only respond to a request for specific records. Click here for information to search for departments or agencies. A request to an incorrect agency is not considered a valid request and OPRA rights would not apply. If you do not know which department maintains the information you are seeking, try one of the following search options to identify Department responsibilities:

Alphabetical Listing Of All State AgenciesThe above link directs you to an alphabetical listing of State Agencies. Agency Web Information IndexThe above link provides a listing of topics of interest and services offered by State Agencies.

Public Records Request Executive Office Of The Governor

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The State Of New Jersey Welcomes You To OPRA Central,

Please Review All Of Them To Determine The Ones That

Another Option Is To Review The Statewide Frequently Asked Questions

The Call Discussed How Governor’s Offices Manage Requests For Public

Please Reach Out To Lauren Dedon (Ldedon@nga.org) For Additional Information.