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to your county. We will work with you to amend this records schedule so that you may destroy records <br /> appropriately. <br /> Q. What are public records? <br /> A. The General Statutes of North Carolina, Chapter§132, provides this definition of public records: <br /> "Public record"or"public records"shall mean all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, <br /> photographs,films,sound recordings, magnetic or other tapes,electronic data-processing records, <br /> artifacts,or other documentary material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or <br /> received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business by any <br /> agency of North Carolina government or its subdivisions.Agency of North Carolina government or its <br /> subdivisions shall mean and include every public office, public officer or official (State or local,elected <br /> or appointed), institution, board,commission, bureau,council,department,authority or other unit of <br /> government of the State or of any county, unit,special district or other political subdivision of <br /> government. <br /> Q. Can anyone see my records? <br /> A. Yes,except as restricted by specific provisions in state or federal law. G.S. §132-6 instructs: <br /> "Every custodian of public records shall permit any record in the custodian's custody to be inspected <br /> and examined at reasonable times and under reasonable supervision by any person,and shall,as <br /> promptly as possible,furnish copies thereof upon payment of any fees as may be prescribed by law. <br /> ... No person requesting to inspect and examine public records,or to obtain copies thereof,shall be <br /> required to disclose the purpose or motive for the request." <br /> Q. What about my confidential records? <br /> A. Not all government records are open to public inspection. Exceptions to the access requirements in G.S. <br /> §132-6 and the definition of public records in G.S. §132-1 are found throughout the General Statutes. You <br /> must be able to cite a specific provision in the General Statutes or federal law when you restrict or deny <br /> access to a particular record. <br /> Q. What about records that the law says are not public? <br /> A. Certain provisions in the General Statutes remove specific records from the category of"public records" <br /> as defined by G.S. §132-1. It is important to note that the only records which are not public records,are <br /> those individually described as such in the General Statutes. Certain records series on this records <br /> retention and disposition schedule are excluded from the definition of public records,and are marked as <br /> exceptions in the"Citation"column. For these series,the disposition instructions are only <br /> recommendations,and are not binding. <br /> Unless otherwise specified,official records which are not public records are also exempt from the public <br /> inspection requirements outlined by G.S. §132-6. <br /> Q. Do I have to make copies of drafts available to the public that haven't <br /> been approved? <br /> A. Yes,even if a report, permit,or other record has not been finalized. Any record that is not confidential <br /> by law must be copied when a request is received,whether it is"finished" or not. <br /> Q. What do I do with permanent records? <br /> A. Permanent records should be maintained in the office that created the records,forever. Permanent <br /> records must also have a security preservation duplicate,which is either a paper or microfilm copy. <br /> 4 <br />