Rhode Island § 38-3-5.1 § 38-3-5.1. Reproduction of public records.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 38-3-5.1 — § 38-3-5.1. Reproduction of public records.

Rhode Island § 38-3-5.1

Title 38Public Records

Ch. 38-3Public Records Administration

This text of Rhode Island § 38-3-5.1 (§ 38-3-5.1. Reproduction of public records.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-3-5.1 (2026).

Text

§ 38-3-5.1. Reproduction of public records.
(a) If any department or agency of government, in the regular course of business or activity,
            has kept or recorded any public record or has caused any or all of the public records
            to be recorded, copied, or reproduced by a photographic, microfilm, micro-card, electronic
            or other process which accurately reproduces or forms a durable medium for reproducing
            the original:
         
(1) The original may be destroyed, and the reproduction established as the record copy,
            in the regular course of business, provided the process meets standards established
            by the public

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

§ 38-3-5.1. Reproduction of public records.

(a) If any department or agency of government, in the regular course of business or activity, has kept or recorded any public record or has caused any or all of the public records to be recorded, copied, or reproduced by a photographic, microfilm, micro-card, electronic or other process which accurately reproduces or forms a durable medium for reproducing the original:

(1) The original may be destroyed, and the reproduction established as the record copy, in the regular course of business, provided the process meets standards established by the public records administration, and provided all the provisions of § 38-3-6 concerning disposal of public records readability and accessibility are fulfilled; and

(2) The reproduction, when satisfactorily identified, shall be admissible in evidence as the original in any judicial or administrative proceeding whether or not the original exists or is available and an enlargement or facsimile of the reproduction shall be likewise admissible in evidence if the original is in existence and available for inspection under the direction of the court.

(b) The introduction of a reproduced record, enlargement, or facsimile into evidence shall not preclude the admission into evidence of the original, if available.

(c) The duplicate of any record made pursuant to this chapter, and designated as a record copy, shall have the same force and effect for all purposes as the original record.

(d) When provided in response to a request from the public, a certified copy shall have the same force and effect for all purposes as the original record.

(e) This section shall not be construed to exclude from introduction into evidence any document or copy thereof which is otherwise admissible under the Rhode Island general laws, as amended.