What is the difference between public records requests and exempt records?

• A. Public records are accessible; exempt records are restricted by law due to privacy, security, or exemptions.
• B. Public records are confidential by default.
• C. Exempt records are publicly available.
• D. Public records requests are optional.

Answer: (A)

Public records are documents created or held by government agencies that are generally accessible to the public through a records request. Exempt records are those that law protects from disclosure for reasons such as protecting personal privacy, preserving security, or safeguarding other protected information like attorney‑client communications or confidential business data. So the main difference is accessibility: public records can be disclosed, while exempt records are restricted or withheld.