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Terms of Use & Disclaimer

Effective Date: September 1, 2026

Welcome to OpenRecords Desk. OpenRecords Desk is an independent, noncommercial public-interest project created to support government transparency, public accountability, civic engagement, research, journalism, and the lawful use of freedom of information and public records laws.

OpenRecords Desk is not a law firm, government agency, commercial records-request service, or official representative of any public body. By accessing or using this website, you agree to these Terms of Use and Disclaimer.

1. Public-Interest Purpose

OpenRecords Desk is provided to help adults organize, document, research, and pursue lawful public records and government-transparency activities. The project is intended to advance transparency and the public’s ability to understand the actions of government and public institutions.

The availability of tools on this website does not authorize conduct that would otherwise be unlawful, abusive, fraudulent, or improper.

2. Age Requirement

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or use the interactive features of OpenRecords Desk.

By creating an account or using those features, you represent that you are at least 18 years of age.

3. Permitted Use

You may use OpenRecords Desk for lawful purposes involving government transparency, public records, freedom of information, civic participation, journalism, academic or independent research, public-interest investigation, government accountability, and related legitimate activities.

You are responsible for ensuring that your use of OpenRecords Desk complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

4. Prohibited and Abusive Use

OpenRecords Desk may not be used to facilitate unlawful conduct or to misuse public records laws, government systems, information obtained through public records requests, or information about other people.

Prohibited uses include, but are not limited to:

  • harassment, stalking, intimidation, threats, coercion, or retaliation;
  • fraud, deception, impersonation, identity theft, or misrepresentation;
  • using personal information to harm, threaten, exploit, or unlawfully target another person;
  • publishing or distributing sensitive personal information for the purpose of harassment, intimidation, stalking, identity theft, or other unlawful or abusive conduct;
  • using the service to facilitate discrimination or other unlawful conduct;
  • knowingly submitting false information or falsely representing another person’s identity or authority;
  • attempting to gain unauthorized access to accounts, systems, servers, documents, or information;
  • uploading malicious software, malware, destructive code, or other material intended to compromise a computer system;
  • using automated systems or other methods in a manner intended to disrupt, overload, impair, or interfere with OpenRecords Desk or another system;
  • using public records procedures primarily to harass, threaten, intimidate, disrupt, or unlawfully burden another person or organization;
  • attempting to circumvent lawful access controls, security measures, rate limits, or restrictions; or
  • using OpenRecords Desk in connection with conduct that violates applicable law.

OpenRecords Desk reserves the right to restrict, suspend, or terminate access when there is a reasonable basis to believe the service is being used unlawfully, abusively, fraudulently, or contrary to these Terms.

5. Public Records and Third-Party Information

Public records and government responses may contain names, contact information, correspondence, photographs, identifiers, allegations, opinions, or other information concerning third parties.

The fact that information was obtained from a government agency or through a public records process does not necessarily mean that every subsequent use or publication of that information is lawful or appropriate.

You are responsible for evaluating how you use, disclose, reproduce, or publish information obtained through public records requests.

OpenRecords Desk does not independently verify the accuracy, completeness, authenticity, legality, or appropriateness of records supplied by government agencies or uploaded by users.

6. User-Submitted Content and Documents

OpenRecords Desk may allow users to enter records-request information, PAC review information, notes, government correspondence, research, and other information, and to upload documents and related materials.

You are responsible for the material you submit or upload and for ensuring that you have a lawful basis to possess, store, and use it.

Do not upload material that you are prohibited by law from possessing or storing.

Submitting material to OpenRecords Desk does not transfer ownership of that material to OpenRecords Desk.

7. No Legal Advice

OpenRecords Desk does not provide legal advice.

Information, templates, citations, statutory references, deadline information, research tools, PAC materials, suggested language, organizational tools, and other content provided through OpenRecords Desk are supplied for informational, research, and organizational purposes only.

Nothing on this website creates an attorney-client relationship.

You should not rely upon OpenRecords Desk as a substitute for advice from a qualified attorney concerning your particular circumstances.

8. No Guarantee of Legal Accuracy or Results

Public records laws, court decisions, Attorney General opinions, administrative interpretations, deadlines, agency practices, and other legal authorities may change.

OpenRecords Desk does not guarantee that a statute, citation, deadline calculation, legal authority, template, records request, PAC argument, research result, or other information is current, complete, legally sufficient, or applicable to a particular situation.

There is no guarantee that a public body will respond to a request, produce records, accept a legal argument, waive a fee, meet a deadline, or otherwise take a particular action. There is likewise no guarantee that the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor or any court, agency, or other authority will accept or agree with a position presented using OpenRecords Desk.

9. No Government Affiliation

OpenRecords Desk is an independent public-interest project.

It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or operated by the State of Illinois, the Illinois Attorney General, the Public Access Counselor, any municipality, police department, public body, government agency, court, or other governmental entity unless a particular page expressly states otherwise.

References to government agencies, statutes, cases, PAC opinions, public officials, or public bodies are provided for informational and research purposes.

10. External Services and Links

OpenRecords Desk may rely on or interact with third-party services, including web hosting, email delivery, security services, backup systems, analytics, content delivery networks, anti-spam or anti-abuse services, and other infrastructure providers.

The website may also contain links to government websites and other third-party resources.

OpenRecords Desk does not control third-party websites or services and is not responsible for their availability, security, accuracy, privacy practices, content, or conduct.

11. Service Availability

OpenRecords Desk may be modified, updated, suspended, restricted, discontinued, or temporarily unavailable at any time.

Features may be experimental or under active development. Data loss, software defects, interruptions, incompatibilities, security incidents, or other technical problems may occur.

You are responsible for maintaining your own copies of important records, correspondence, documents, deadlines, and other information. OpenRecords Desk should not be treated as your only repository for important records.

12. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, OPENRECORDS DESK AND ALL CONTENT, SOFTWARE, INFORMATION, DOCUMENTS, TOOLS, FEATURES, AND SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH IT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

NO WARRANTY IS MADE REGARDING ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY, SECURITY, TIMELINESS, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, LEGAL SUFFICIENCY, OR THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE.

YOU USE OPENRECORDS DESK AT YOUR OWN RISK.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the operator of OpenRecords Desk shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, records, opportunities, rights, claims, revenue, reputation, or other loss arising from or relating to your use of, inability to use, or reliance upon OpenRecords Desk.

This limitation includes, without limitation, losses arising from missed deadlines, inaccurate information, unavailable services, unsuccessful records requests, PAC proceedings, government decisions, data loss, third-party conduct, unauthorized access, or reliance upon information available through the website.

Some jurisdictions do not permit certain exclusions or limitations of liability. Where such limitations are prohibited, liability will be limited to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

14. Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials and for activity occurring through your account.

You should promptly report suspected unauthorized access or security problems.

15. Enforcement and Termination

Access may be limited, suspended, or terminated when reasonably necessary to protect OpenRecords Desk, its users, third parties, public bodies, computer systems, or the integrity of the service, or when these Terms or applicable law are violated.

Nothing in these Terms creates an obligation to provide continued access to the service.

16. Changes to These Terms

These Terms may be updated as OpenRecords Desk develops or as legal, technical, or operational circumstances change.

The current version will be posted on this website with an updated effective date. Continued use of OpenRecords Desk after revised Terms become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

17. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois and applicable federal law, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, to the extent permitted by law.

18. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be limited or modified to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue in effect to the extent permitted by law.

19. Contact

Questions about these Terms or OpenRecords Desk may be directed to:

Email: soxside@gmail.com

OpenRecords Desk is an independent, noncommercial public-interest project dedicated to government transparency and accountability.