Public Record Request Policy & Officials

Information Transparency

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and its Divisions strive to provide transparency to the public by adhering to the requirements of Nevada Public Records Law NRS Chapter 239, and by posting many of its documents on the Department’s website at dhhs.nv.gov.

Public Record Requests

To enable DHHS to respond accurately and completely to requests, requests should be in writing. Requests for public information documents can be made via mail or email. All such requests for DHHS public record documents may be sent to the designated agency public records officer or to the DHHS Director’s Office:

Public Information Officer
Attn: Public Record Request
Department of Health and Human Services
Director’s Office
4126 Technology Way, Suite 100
Carson City, NV 89706

Record Request Officials

Per NRS 239.008, DHHS Director Richard Whitley has designated the following individuals as record request officials:

Please note:

• Requests should be as specific as possible and include the requester’s contact information
• The Department will respond to the request within five business days
• If the request cannot be fulfilled within five business days, the Department will provide written notice of that fact, let the requester know the earliest date and time it reasonably believes the record will be available, and may work with the requester to focus the request so the Department can respond as expeditiously as possible

Fees for Public Records

Per NRS 239.052, a government entity is permitted to charge a fee for the actual cost incurred in the provision of a public record. This includes, without limitation, the cost of ink, toner, paper, media, and postage.

Pursuant to NRS 239.052(2), the Department chooses to waive this fee except for the following exceptions:

• Hard copy requests of 50 or more single pages
• Postage costs
• The media used to provide electronic records (e.g., thumb drive, discs)

The Department will inform the requester of any fees related to the request.

Fees List:

• Black and white copies, up to 8.5” x 11”: $0.05 per page
• Color, up to 8.5” x 11”: $0.50 per page
• Compact Disc/DVD/Thumb Drive: $5.00 per device

Vital Records:

The Office of Vital Records is the legal custodian of birth and death certificates filed in the State of Nevada from July 1, 1911 to the present. Birth and death records are confidential in Nevada and may only be released to a qualified applicant. Fees related to applicants of a birth or death record are set through Nevada Revised Statute, more information on the fees and application process can be found through the Birth and Death Certificates for the State of Nevada website.

Office of Analytics:

The Office of Analytics provides a consistent location to request data to support grant funding, drive policy, and inform the public. Under the technical guidance of the Chief Biostatistician, the Office of Analytics focuses on utilizing coordinated and advanced cross-divisional analytics to drive policy and decision making across the Department of Health and Human Services. Data and reports can be found through the Office of Analytics website.

Find a Health or Child Care Facility:

The Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (HCQC) licenses and inspects medical and other health facilities in Nevada. HCQC accepts complaints about Nevada facilities and each complaint is assessed and prioritized for possible investigation; HCQC also investigates facilities suspected of operating without a proper license. Licensing and inspection reports can be found on the Find a Health Facility website.

Adoption Records:

Adoption Records in the State of Nevada are sealed and confidential records (NRS 127.140) and can only be accessed by a court order. A person would need to show “just cause” in petitioning to unseal their adoption records. When an adoptee reaches 18 years of age, they can request any non-identifying information available at the time of their adoption from their adoption files. Please email your request to DCFSReunionRegistry@dcfs.nv.gov