FAQ > Sunshine Laws FAQs > Can some public records be withheld from a requester?

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Can some public records be withheld from a requester?
The General Assembly has passed a number of laws that protect certain records by either requiring or allowing a public office to withhold them from public release. Where a public office uses one of these “exceptions,” the office may only withhold a record or part of a record clearly covered by the exception, and must tell the requester what legal authority it is relying on to withhold the record. If only part of a record is protected by an exception, then the public office must redact (obscure or delete) only that part of the record and provide the unprotected remainder to the requester. ORC 149.43(B)(1).