How to request your medical records in California
You have a federal right to a copy of your own medical records, in California and everywhere else. Below is how that right works, what California adds on top of it, and a free letter you can fill out and send.
Your federal right (applies in every state)
Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR 164.524), you can get a copy of your own medical records without giving a reason. The rule binds HIPAA covered entities, which is most doctors, hospitals, and health plans. It must act on your request within 30 days and may take one 30-day extension if it tells you in writing why and when. It may charge only a reasonable, cost-based fee covering copying labor, supplies, postage if you ask for it mailed, and any summary you agreed to.
Two limits worth knowing. Psychotherapy notes and material prepared for a lawsuit sit outside the right, and access can be denied on the narrow grounds the rule lists, some of which you can have reviewed. And the fee cap covers copies for you. When you direct a provider to send records to someone else, a 2020 federal court ruling (Ciox Health v. Azar) took that cap off, so state limits are what remain.
What California adds
- Response time
- You may inspect records within 5 working days of a written request; copies must be provided within 15 days of the request.
- Copy fees
- A provider may charge no more than 25 cents per page, or 50 cents per page for copies made from microfilm, plus reasonable clerical costs not exceeding the actual cost of preparing the records. Inspection runs on the same reasonable-cost terms rather than being free by statute.
- Worth knowing
- Records are provided free of charge when you need them to support a claim or appeal for a public benefit program such as Social Security or Medi-Cal.
- The law
- Cal. Health & Safety Code §§ 123100–123149.5 (Patient Access to Health Records Act); copy fee in § 123110
HIPAA sets a floor, not a ceiling. A California rule that gives you greater access, a faster deadline or a lower fee, is not preempted, so it stands alongside the federal right. State caps can also carry limits of their own: some apply only to certain kinds of provider, some price electronic copies differently, and some do not apply when a third party is asking. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the specifics with your provider's records office.
Source
Who it covers: Health care providers covered by the Patient Access to Health Records Act.
These figures are what the source said when we read it on September 9, 2026. Many states adjust their caps every year, so confirm the current amount before you argue one.
Your California records-request letter
Requesting records in California — common questions
- How do I request my medical records in California?
- Under your federal right of access (HIPAA, 45 CFR § 164.524), you can get a copy of your own records from a HIPAA-covered provider or health plan in California. Send a written request, and the free letter on this page works, to the provider's Health Information Management or Release of Information office, or use their patient portal if they have one.
- How long does a provider in California have to send my records?
- You may inspect records within 5 working days of a written request; copies must be provided within 15 days of the request. Either way, HIPAA's right of access (45 CFR § 164.524) requires a covered provider to act within 30 days, with one possible 30-day extension if they tell you in writing why and when. Acting on the request is what the rule requires; it does not guarantee the records land on day 30.
- How much can a provider in California charge for copies of my records?
- A provider may charge no more than 25 cents per page, or 50 cents per page for copies made from microfilm, plus reasonable clerical costs not exceeding the actual cost of preparing the records. Inspection runs on the same reasonable-cost terms rather than being free by statute. HIPAA separately limits what a covered provider may charge for your own copy to a reasonable, cost-based fee covering copying labor, supplies, postage if you ask for it mailed, and any summary you agreed to. Searching and retrieving are not on that list. Whichever rule protects you more is the one to cite. That federal cap covers copies for you. When you direct records to a third party, a 2020 federal court ruling took the cap off, and state limits are what remain.
- Is this records-request letter free?
- Yes. The generator builds a HIPAA records-request letter you can download and print for free. Nothing you type is saved or sent to anyone but you.
Records rules in another state?
What we will never do with your records
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- We won't lock you in.
- You can export everything in your circle as a ZIP at any time. Cancellation is one click.
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