Request a Public Record

The California Public Records Act (PRA) enables any person to request documents that are prepared, owned, used, or retained by the City of Torrance in the conduct of the people’s business. The state law can be found in California Government Code Section 7920.000 et seq.

The PRA requires state and local government agencies to give the public access to information found in public records.

Members of the public can request to review and/or obtain public records maintained by the City of Torrance.

Commonly requested public records include (but are not limited to):

• City Council, Commission, and Committee Agenda Packets & Reports
• Meeting Minutes
• Contracts
• Building Permits and Planning Records

Submit Public Records Request

You can make a request online, by email, by phone, by mail, or in person. For instructions, please scroll to the top of this webpage and select your preferred submission option.

When making a request online, you will need to create an account. Account creation is simple, requiring only an email address and the creation of a password. 

Sometimes, the City may reach out to you to ask for clarification on your request.

If the City needs clarification, it’s usually for one or more of the following reasons:

1. The address(es) provided are unclear. Please list the exact address(es) you are looking for, if applicable to your request.
   • Do NOT do: Appleseed Ave
   • Do this instead: 1001 Appleseed Ave
   • Do NOT do: 1001-1004 Appleseed Ave
   • Do this instead: 1001, 1002, 1003, and 1004 Appleseed Ave
2. The type of record(s) requested are very broad. To the extent possible, please specify what types of records you are looking for.
   1. Do NOT do: All inspection records.
   2. Do this instead: Fire and building inspection records.
   3. Do NOT do: Any and all records from the Community Development Department.
   4. Do this instead: Certificates of occupancy and building permits.
3. The date range provided was unclear. Date ranges help reduce broad, irrelevant search results over thousands of documents. Please specify date ranges whenever possible and applicable.
   1. Do this: 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2024
   2. Do this: 2000 to 2025

We understand that it may be difficult or impossible to narrow down your request. You are not required to do so. If you need help making a focused and clear request, our team is happy to help. We will work with you and ask for details to simplify the search.

Some helpful questions to ask yourself when making a request:

• What specific pieces of information am I looking for?
• What records might have the information I want?

The City of Torrance does not maintain:

• Marriage records
• Birth certificates or other birth records
• Divorce decrees or other divorce records

To obtain a Birth Certificate, Birth Record and/or Marriage Certificate, please contact the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office:

• Online: www.lavote.gov
• Telephone: (800) 201-8999
• In Person: Office is located at 12400 East Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650.

To obtain a Divorce Decree and/or Divorce Records, please contact the Superior Court of Los Angeles County:

• Online: www.lacourt.ca.gov/home
• Telephone: (213) 830-0803
• In Person: County Courthouse is located at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

We will only withdraw a request when the request involves a record that the City does not maintain or because the request asks for records for a property that is not located in the City of Torrance.

We do not have records of properties that are not located in the City of Torrance. Some addresses include Torrance as the city name, but they are located in the City of Los Angeles or unincorporated Los Angeles County. The neighborhoods of West Carson and Harbor Gateway have Torrance addresses because they are served by the Torrance Post Office, but they are not located within City of Torrance boundaries.

Any address to the east of Western Avenue is not located in the City of Torrance.

Important: If you made a public records request and decide you no longer want the records, you can ask to withdraw your request. To withdraw your request, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (310) 618-2870 or CityClerk@TorranceCA.Gov. You will receive a confirmation message that your request has been withdrawn.

Requests for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) records and As-Built Utility Maps/Plans have different processes than the process described on this webpage.

EMS Records

To request EMS records:

1. The patient or power of attorney must fill out and sign the City of Torrance Authorization for Release of Protected Health Information form.
   1. [Authorization form link to fillable PDF]
   2. [Instructions for authorization form link to PDF]
2. Email the City Clerk’s Office at CityClerk@TorranceCA.Gov and attach the following documents:
   1. Signed copy of the City of Torrance Authorization form
   2. Clear copy of the patient’s Driver’s License or DMV-Issued Identification Card

Important: If you are requesting EMS records on behalf of a client, although your establishment might have a similar authorization form, we need the City’s form to be filled out because they include all the information we need to fulfill your request.

[BUTTON to email City Clerk’s Office: “Request EMS Records”]

As-Built Maps/Plans

The City of Torrance has the following types of as-built maps/plans: storm drain, sewer, street plan, water, and reclaimed water. We do not have as-built maps/plans for gas, telephone/internet, CATV, fiber optic, or electric.

To request As-Built Maps/Plans, submit a Utility Map Request through the Community Development Department.

[BUTTON to open Accela Citizen Portal: “Request As-Built Maps/Plans”]

Police records include, but are not limited to, traffic accident reports and crime reports.

Important: If you are requesting records from the Police Department only, use the instructions provided below. If you are requesting records from the Police Department and other City departments, use the instructions provided at the top of this webpage.

Requesting Police Records Online

[BUTTON with link to GovQA: “Submit Online Police Records Request”]

Requesting Police Records by Email

• Contact the Police Department Records Division at [INSERT TPD RECORDS EMAIL]

  [BUTTON with link to email TPD:  “Submit Request by Email”]

Requesting Police Records by Phone

• Contact the Police Department Records Division at (310) 618-5529.

Requesting Police Records In Person

Visit the Police Department at:

• 3300 Civic Center Drive
  Torrance, CA 90503
• Hours of Operation:
  • Monday-Friday: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
  • Saturdays: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
  • Sundays and Holidays: Closed

Requesting Police Records by Mail

Use the following mailing address:

Torrance Police Department
Attn: Records Division
3300 Civic Center Drive
Torrance, CA 90503

Building plans can be viewed in person at the Torrance One-Stop Permit Center.

3031 Torrance Blvd
Torrance, CA 90503

For operating hours and more information, visit the Permit Center’s webpage.

Submit Public Records Request

Rules for Viewing Plans In Person

You can:

• Take written notes on a separate piece of paper.

You cannot:

• Take pictures, draw, and/or trace plans. (17 U.S.C. § 106)

Can I receive copies of building plans?

Building plans are subject to the copyright of the original architect (17 U.S.C. §§ 102(A)(8), 106).

To receive copies of building plans, the architect must give you their written permission. Submit the Request for Duplication of Plans Form in person at the Permit Center.

If you are not sure who the architect is, check the Document Portal for building permits, which may contain the name of the architect. If still unsure, submit a public records request for building permits.

Many permit records are available online. If you can’t find the permits you are looking for online, submit a public records request.

Searching for Permits Online

There are two places where you can find permit records online.

Archived PermitsRecent & Active Permits

Archived Permits: Document Portal

1. Go to the Document Portal
2. Enter the Street Number
3. Enter the Street Name
4. Click Submit
5. Results will appear

Recent & Active Permits: Citizen Portal

1. Go to the Citizen Portal
2. If this is your first time using the Citizen Portal, create an account. If you already have an account, sign in.
3. Click on the header titled “Building & Grading”
4. In the section labeled “Street No.,” enter the Street Number in the box labeled “From”
5. In the box under the section labeled “Street Name,” enter the street name.
6. Click Search or press the Enter key
7. Results will appear 

Most Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ), and Bidding records are publicly available on PlanetBids.

Important: All bids are sealed and exempt from disclosure under the Public Records Act until the closing of the bidding period. If you can’t find the information you are looking for on PlanetBids and the bidding period has closed, please submit a public records request.

Public records requests are handled in the order we receive them. The processing period can be dependent on research, location, and review.

The City will determine if responsive records exist and will notify you in writing within 10 calendar days of receiving your request. If the City needs more time, we will notify you.

Sometimes, the City needs more time to respond to requests, especially when the request asks for a large amount of records. These requests can involve multiple departments and may face delays because of the time needed to gather, scan, and review them. Working with our team to narrow down the types of records you are asking for can help reduce the number of records our team would need to search through, which can sometimes be thousands of documents.

Sometimes, we receive records from various departments at different times. Some records may be ready to be released sooner than others, and we may still need to determine if there are more records that could be responsive to your request. When this happens, the City may provide a “partial release” of records.

We may also provide partial releases of records when a request asks for a large amount of records. We will provide multiple partial releases on a rolling basis until all records have been released.

The City of Torrance is required to make reasonable efforts to locate the records you are asking for (Cal. First Amend. Coalition v. Superior Court (1998) 67 Cal.App.4th 159).

We conduct a comprehensive search, including consulting other departments, before determining that there are no existing records that respond to your request.

Below is a list of common redactions. This is not a complete list, and there may be some exceptions that are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

• Personal information, including:
  • Home addresses (Government Code § 7928.300)
  • Phone numbers (Government Code § 7928.300)
  • Dates of birth (Government Code § 7928.300)
  • Email addresses (Government Code § 7928.300)
  • Social Security numbers (Government Code § 7922.200)
  • Driver’s license numbers (Government Code § 7924.000)
  • Identification card numbers (Government Code § 7924.000)
  • Signatures of private individuals (Government Code § 7924.000)
  • Financial account numbers (Government Code § 7925.200)
  • Medical information (Government Code § 7927.700)
  • Insurance policy numbers (Government Code § 7929.415)

• Most architectural drawings and plans (17 U.S.C. § 106; Government Code § 65103.5)
• Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of complainants (Government Code § 7922.000; City of San Jose v. Superior Court (1999) 74 Cal.App.4th 1008, 1012)

Most public records requests will not have any fees. For instance, the City does not charge fees when records are provided to you electronically. However, there are some specific cases where fees are charged:

• Hard copies: the first five pages are free. Additional pages cost $0.22 per page.
• Records stored on a disc or CD/DVD:
  • In-Person Pickup: $3 per disc
  • Mailed: $3 per disc plus price of postage
• For additional information, see the Master Fee Schedule(PDF, 2MB)  and scroll to Page 2

Important Notes:

• If your request involves record formats where fees are charged, you will not be asked to pay until the records you asked for are located and ready to be given to you.
• Fees are reevaluated on a yearly basis.