Categories of Records That Are Exempt

A number of records are exempt from public access. The law provides that they are not government records. Generally speaking, there are exemptions for the following categories of records:

  • student records
  • medical records
  • personnel records
  • pedagogical, scholarly, and/or academic research records
  • criminal investigatory records
  • victims' records
  • trade secrets and proprietary information
  • security measures
  • administrative or technical information regarding computer hardware, software, and networks
  • inter- or intra-agency advisory, consultative, or deliberative material
  • test questions
  • individual admissions information

REMINDER: This list is not all-inclusive and only paraphrases the exemptions. The full text regarding exemptions may be found in N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.

Attorney-Client Communications

Any record within the attorney-client privilege is exempt from this law.

Library Records

Library records that contain the names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of the libraries are confidential under NJSA:73-43.1, the New Jersey's Confidentiality of Library Records Law.

Who Can Deny Requests?

It is important to know that there are many exemptions. However, the only person who can deny a records request based on an exemption is the University Custodian of Records.