Make a Public Records Request

The City of Durham maintains public records and makes them available for review in accordance with North Carolina State Law. Some records may contain information protected by the Public Records law and therefore, may not be available for review.

Please see the FAQs on this page to help answer questions about public records.

How to Make a Public Records Request

All requests should be submitted through the City’s online public records portal. For tracking and accuracy purposes, requests will not be taken by phone.  

Tips:

  • To assist in our effort to process your request, be specific and thorough when providing the description of the requested record. If more information is needed, you may be asked to clarify your request. 
  • Please submit your request only once. Submitting duplicate requests may delay the response.   

Steps:

  1. Before submitting a new request, use the search function to view available records. You may find what you're looking for without having to submit a new request.   
  2. If you don’t find what you need, choose the option to make a request.  
  3. Once a request is received, a staff member will respond to the requester within 24 hours or the next business day to confirm receipt.