Overview
The Governmental Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA), found in §63G-2 of Utah State Code, is the primary legal framework governing how public records are created, maintained, accessed, and disclosed by government entities.
At its core, GRAMA establishes a balance between two important principles. On one hand, it protects the public’s right to access government records, which supports transparency, accountability, and informed participation in government. On the other hand, it recognizes that not all government-held information should be freely disclosed, particularly when records contain personal, protected, or sensitive information about individuals.
GRAMA applies to virtually all records created or maintained by government agencies, including documents, electronic data, audio recordings, emails, and other recorded information that is prepared, owned, received, or retained by a governmental entity in the course of official business.
The law sets out clear procedures for how records requests are made and processed, including timelines for response, classifications of records, and rules for determining what information must be released, what may be withheld, and what must be protected. It also defines categories of records such as public records, private records, controlled records, protected records, and records exempt from disclosure, each with different levels of accessibility.
Ultimately, GRAMA is designed to support government transparency while ensuring that privacy rights are not unnecessarily compromised. It requires government entities to make consistent, legally defensible decisions when responding to records requests, and it provides a structured process for resolving disputes when access to records is denied or limited.
Content Contributors: Jones and DeMille Engineering, Inc, Hansen Planning Group, LLC / Rural Community Consultants
Special Note: This material was developed by civiclinQ for the Land Use Academy of Utah (LUAU). Funding for the development of this material was provided by through the Land Use Training Fund, which is administered by the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman , utilizing a portion of the 1% surcharge on all building permits in the State of Utah.
The role of this organization in administering funding is primarily administrative and should not be viewed as legal advice. Always consult your legal representative when addressing land use activities.
Use the ‘Materials’ tab above to view related course materials, including printable pass-along card and PDF version of this online course.
