(A) Every state or local agency that maintains a personal information system, upon the request and the proper identification of any person who is the subject of personal information in the system, shall:
(1) Inform the person of the existence of any personal information in the system of which the person is the subject;
(2) Except as provided in divisions (C) and (E)(2) of this section, permit the person, the person's legal guardian, or an attorney who presents a signed written authorization made by the person, to inspect all personal information in the system of which the person is the subject;
(3) Inform the person about the types of uses made of the personal information, including the identity of any users usually granted access to the system.
(B) Any person who wishes to exercise a right provided by this section may be accompanied by another individual of the person's choice.
(C)(1) A state or local agency, upon request, shall disclose medical, psychiatric, or psychological information to a person who is the subject of the information or to the person's legal guardian, unless one of the following determines for the agency that the disclosure of the information is likely to have an adverse effect on the person: a physician, including such a person who specializes as a psychiatrist; an advanced practice registered nurse, including such a person who specializes as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner or psychiatric clinical nurse specialist; or a psychologist. If such a determination is made, the information shall be released to one of the following who is designated by the person or by the person's legal guardian: a physician, including such a person who specializes as a psychiatrist; an advanced practice registered nurse, including such a person who specializes as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner or psychiatric clinical nurse specialist; or a psychologist.
(2) Upon the signed written request of a licensed attorney at law, a licensed physician, or an advanced practice registered nurse designated by the inmate, together with the signed written request of an inmate of a correctional institution under the administration of the department of rehabilitation and correction, the department shall disclose medical information to the designated attorney, physician, or advanced practice registered nurse as provided in division (C) of section5120.21of the Revised Code.
(D) If an individual who is authorized to inspect personal information that is maintained in a personal information system requests the state or local agency that maintains the system to provide a copy of any personal information that the individual is authorized to inspect, the agency shall provide a copy of the personal information to the individual. Each state and local agency may establish reasonable fees for the service of copying, upon request, personal information that is maintained by the agency.
(E)(1) This section regulates access to personal information that is maintained in a personal information system by persons who are the subject of the information, but does not limit the authority of any person, including a person who is the subject of personal information maintained in a personal information system, to inspect or have copied, pursuant to section149.43of the Revised Code, a public record as defined in that section.
(2) This section does not provide a person who is the subject of personal information maintained in a personal information system, the person's legal guardian, or an attorney authorized by the person, with a right to inspect or have copied, or require an agency that maintains a personal information system to permit the inspection of or to copy, a confidential law enforcement investigatory record or trial preparation record, as defined in divisions (A)(2) and (4) of section149.43of the Revised Code.
(F) This section does not apply to any of the following:
(1) The contents of an adoption file maintained by the department of health under sections3705.12to3705.124of the Revised Code;
(2) Information contained in the putative father registry established by section3107.062of the Revised Code, regardless of whether the information is held by the department of children and youth or, pursuant to section3111.69of the Revised Code, the office of child support in the department of job and family services or a child support enforcement agency;
(3) Papers, records, and books that pertain to an adoption and that are subject to inspection in accordance with section3107.17of the Revised Code;
(4) Records specified in division (A) of section3107.52of the Revised Code;
(5) Records that identify an individual described in division (A)(1) of section3721.031of the Revised Code, or that would tend to identify such an individual;
(6) Files and records that have been expunged under division (D)(1) or (2) of section3721.23of the Revised Code;
(7) Records that identify an individual described in division (A)(1) of section3721.25of the Revised Code, or that would tend to identify such an individual;
(8) Records that identify an individual described in division (A)(1) of section5165.88of the Revised Code, or that would tend to identify such an individual;
(9) Test materials, examinations, or evaluation tools used in an examination for licensure as a nursing home administrator that the board of executives of long-term services and supports administers under section4751.15of the Revised Code or contracts under that section with a private or government entity to administer;
(10) Information contained in a database established and maintained pursuant to section5180.40of the Revised Code;
(11) Information contained in a database established and maintained pursuant to section5101.631of the Revised Code.
Last updated July 24, 2025 at 4:08 PM