What is a public record?

As defined by ORS 192.005(5) "Public record" means any information that:

A.  Is prepared, owned, used or retained by a state agency or political subdivision;

B.  Relates to an activity, transaction or function of a state agency or political subdivision; and 

C.   Is necessary to satisfy the fiscal, legal, administrative or historical policies, requirements or needs of the state agency or political subdivision.

A writing is defined as: handwriting, typewriting, printing, photographing, and every means of recording, including letters, words, pictures, sounds, or symbols or combination thereof, and all papers, maps, files, facsimiles or electronic recordings.

Writing also includes information stored on computer tape, microfiche, photographs, films, tape, or videotape, and virtually any other method of recording information. Public records may be in machine readable or electronic form.