Attorney General Dan Rayfield launched a free online toolkit on Tuesday, Sept. 15, that walks Oregonians through filing public records requests to state agencies, cities and counties, including Salem and Marion County.

The resource, called Open Door to Government, lives on the Oregon Department of Justice website.

Rayfield, whose Salem-based office oversees the state's public records and open-meetings laws, said the toolkit is meant to lower the barrier for residents who want to hold government accountable but don't know where to start.

"Government only works for people if they can find their way into it," Rayfield said in a statement.

"Open Door to Government is about making sure Oregonians don't have to be lawyers or insiders to understand their rights, ask a question, or get an answer."

The toolkit bundles six sections into one landing page:

• Public Records Toolkit: links to request records from state and local agencies, check the status of existing requests and find answers about Oregon's Public Records Law.
• Public Meetings Toolkit: explains what governing bodies must do under open-meetings law and how residents can verify compliance.
• Attorney General Opinions: formal legal opinions representing the state's position on questions of law.
• Attorney General Appointments: a list of advisory committees, task forces and commissions the AG appoints, plus instructions for applying.
• Rules and Rulemaking: proposed and recently adopted DOJ rules.
• "Oregon DOJ and Me": an introduction to the attorney general's role and frequently asked questions.

Oregon's Public Records Law, codified at ORS 192.311 to 192.478, gives any person the right to inspect or copy records from state agencies, cities, counties and school districts.

Agencies must acknowledge a request within five business days and complete it within 15 business days or provide an estimated completion date.

The law contains more than 550 statutory exemptions, according to a June 2026 compliance overview published by records-management firm Smarsh.

That complexity is part of what the DOJ says it wants to simplify. The department said on its landing page that staff view themselves as temporary stewards of an institution that belongs to the people of Oregon.

The launch comes less than seven weeks before Oregon's Nov. 3 general election. Rayfield was elected attorney general in November 2024. His term runs through January 2029.

The DOJ said it plans to add more tools in the coming months but did not give a specific timeline. Residents can send questions or feedback to [email protected].