Are Williamson County Records Public?

Yes. Texas's Public Information Act (PIA), codified in Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, permits the public inspection of most government records, including information maintained by government departments in Williamson County. According to the Act, "public information" or "public record" is any physical material or electronic media that a public body generates, assembles, or retains in line with its assigned responsibilities or functions.

PIA mandates all local and state governmental bodies in Williamson County to promptly release information in response to a member of the public's request, provided the sought-after information is not confidential or otherwise protected.

Notably, the judiciary is specifically excluded from PIA. Public access to judicial records (i.e., records not pertaining to a court's adjudicative function) is controlled by Rule 12 of the Rules of Judicial Administration. Meanwhile, public access to Williamson County court records (records pertaining to a court's adjudicative function) is regulated by common law, statutory law, and court rules. The Texas Courts' Open Records Policy page has more information on access to judicial branch records.

Further, Texas's PIA does not affect federal records, to which access is furnished under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

What is Exempted Under the Texas Public Records Act?

The Public Information Act of Texas fosters greater access to government records. However, the Act does not provide unfettered access to confidential information.

PIA's exemptions, in general, are either mandatory or discretionary. Discretionary exemptions allow a government body to limit who can receive a particular record if disclosure would be contrary to the public interest. In such instances, disclosure may be constrained to select individuals or entities said to have "special rights of access," such as when the requester is the owner of the information (or their authorized representative) or when the information is required for legislative use.

Texas's discretionary exemptions include:

• Information about pending litigation
• Audit working papers
• Competitive bidding information before the contract is awarded
• Attorney-client correspondence

On the other hand, mandatory exemptions are imposed by operation of law. That is to say, a specific statute prevents the information/record from being publicly disseminated; thus, the respective custodians of record cannot release the information/record to the public. Mandatory exemptions under the PIA include:

• Juvenile offender records
• Peace officer’s home address and family member information
• Insurance policy numbers
• Medical records
• Child abuse investigations
• Dates of birth of living persons
• Information held confidential under case law or a federal statute/regulation

In compliance with a confidentiality provision or at an agency's discretion, entire documents may be withheld from the general public in Williamson County. However, in some instances, only the confidential parts of a record will be redacted or removed, and the rest of the record will be available upon a public records request.

Williamson County Public Record Search

A public record search in Williamson County, Texas, is a method of inquiry that allows a member of the public to retrieve select information or records from a local government agency.

To succeed with such an inquiry, a person must know the kind of record they seek—and have specific information about the record (names, dates, numbers, etc.) to expedite the search. They will also need to determine the official custodian of records, i.e., the agency officer appointed to receive and handle public record requests.

Sometimes, a direct request to an agency may not be necessary, as several public bodies maintain remote databases to assist individuals in looking up public information by themselves. A common example is the Williamson County Records Inquiry system, which disseminates jail records from county law enforcement agencies and court case information from the Williamson County courts (excluding the municipal courts).

In other cases, the interested party will need to draft and submit a request letter (or fill out and submit a specified form) by postal mail to obtain a public record from a Williamson County agency. Depending on the department, an in-person, dropbox, email, telephone, or fax request may also be available.

Per the Texas PIA, government bodies in Williamson are required to promptly release all records responsive to a public record search or request. If a record cannot be released within ten business days of receiving a request, agencies must notify the requester of the estimated release date.

PIA also allows agencies to charge requesters for the production of information (see Subchapter F of the PIA, sections 552.261 through 552.275). Requesters can choose to examine (inspect), duplicate (copy) a public record, or do both. Record inspections are often free to the public, but copy requests may attract reasonable fees payable by the requestor.

Find Public Records For Free in Williamson County

Free inspections of Williamson County public records are not only available through government departments. One can also utilize independently run databases on the internet (commonly called third-party aggregator websites or third-party sites) to find public records for free in Williamson County.

Third-party sites are typically accessible with an individual's first and last name. These websites allow users to input specified keywords into designated fields or boxes to obtain data matches. Such sites also offer public information from different jurisdictions, making them excellent starting points when little information about a record or its subject is known.

However, information accuracy is not guaranteed on a third-party site. As a result, users may be at risk of incomplete or outdated information, as these databases may not be updated as frequently as their official counterparts. Further, confidential information is still restricted on these websites, and users are directed to contact official custodians for such information (provided they are qualified to receive it). Finally, system downtimes may limit record accessibility if coinciding with a user's inquiry.

How to Remove Information From Public Records Free

Whether information can be removed from a Williamson County public record depends on Texas law. Naturally, a public record remains open to the public indefinitely, helping them participate in government. However, certain records may be removed from public view.

Occasionally, information may be temporarily removed from a public record until a legal or government-related process is completed. In these instances, the decision to seal or remove information is made at the administrative level, with no needed input from the record owner or their legal representative.

In other cases, a law may allow the withdrawal of information if particular conditions are met.

Whether a person pays to limit public records or information depends on the situation. Asking a government agency to remove personal identifying information or other legally exempt information typically bears no charge. However, fees may be assessed when petitioning for removal. For example, Texas law allows people to expunge (clear) an arrest, charge, or conviction from their permanent records in qualifying circumstances, but petitioners may be subject to non-refundable fees, depending on the law and the court where a petition is filed.

Overall, it is advisable to contact the relevant agency custodian for their guidelines and fees for removing exempt information from a public record.

Who Can Access Williamson County Public Records in Texas?

According to Sec. 552.001 of Texas's PIA, any person can access Williamson County public records. The law imposes no residency requirement on requesters, and requesters are not mandated to explain why they need a record.

What Happens if I Am Refused a Public Records Request?

Members of the public can be denied a public record request in Williamson County for varying reasons, including that the requested record is exempt from disclosure by law. However, those who believe a denial is wrongful can take the matter up with the local County or District Attorney.

Alternatively, they can file a written complaint with the Office of the Texas Attorney General, Open Records Division (ORD). The AG's Open Records Hotline can be reached at (512) 478-6736 or (877) 673-6839 (toll-free) to discuss an alleged violation. The AG also receives complaints for overcharges and failures of government bodies to comply with an attorney general ruling. More information is available on the Attorney General's How to Report a Violation of the Pub­lic Information Act page.