The Custodian form is a formal legal declaration required when an organization's official records are requested for court proceedings, audits, or other legal matters. Under California Evidence Code Section 1561, an authorized custodian signs this document to certify that the attached copies of records are accurate and were created during the normal course of business operations.
Custodians of records take on significant legal responsibility when they sign this declaration. They are confirming, under penalty of perjury, that the documents provided are genuine copies of original records maintained by their organization. This certification gives the records legal standing for use in judicial and administrative proceedings.
A custodian form is required whenever an organization must respond to a legal request for certified copies of its records. Common situations where this form is needed include:
California Evidence Code Section 1561 sets out specific requirements for a valid custodial declaration. The designated custodian must be officially authorized by their organization to make this declaration. Certification by an unauthorized person can result in the records being deemed inadmissible in court.
While the exact content varies by use case, most custodian of records forms require the following information:
Once completed and signed, the form accompanies the certified records when submitted to the requesting court, agency, or legal representative. The custodian should keep a copy for the organization's own files.
For related documents, you can also access the Declaration of Custodian of Records form or browse our complete legal form template library.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Form Name | Custodian Form |
| Form Length | 1 pages |
| Fillable? | No |
| Fillable fields | 0 |
| Avg. time to fill out | 15 sec |
| Other names | affidavit of custodian of records, affidavit of custodian of records california form, california declaration of custodian of records, declaration of custodian of records |