--- title: "Medical record retrieval in California" description: "Request medical records, bills and imaging in California. Patient-authorized retrieval for healthcare, health-tech and legal teams, via platform, integration or API." canonical: https://www.tavrn.ai/medical-record-retrieval/california updated: 2026-10-30 --- # Medical record retrieval in California A California treatment history may sit with a hospital, a medical group and a separate imaging center. Tavrn requests the medical records, bills and images from each provider and returns the files through the platform, an integration or the API. ## Coverage in California Statewide, including Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, the Bay Area counties of San Francisco, Alameda and Santa Clara, Sacramento County and the Central Valley. Records outside California can be part of the same patient’s workflow. Coverage is not a local-office or provider-affiliation claim. Tavrn requests from any US provider with patient authorization. ## How requests work in California Identify the hospital campus, clinic or medical group that treated the patient. In Los Angeles, a hospital chart and a separately maintained imaging study may need different custodians. Include the dates and record types for each one. 1. Provide the patient, signed authorization, providers, dates and record types via the platform, an integration or the API. 2. Tavrn routes each request through the appropriate network, portal, fax, mail, email or phone channel and follows up. Track status per provider. 3. Receive records, bills and imaging in your workspace or connected system. API users can receive webhooks and download files. ## California legal fact block Verified against statute and regulation text on 2026-10-30. Scoped excerpts, not legal advice, a complete statement of law or a delivery promise. Follow citations for full text, exceptions and current copy-fee caps. ### Patient copy-fee restriction > a health care provider may impose a reasonable, cost-based fee for providing a paper or electronic copy or summary of patient records Excerpt from § 123110(j)(1), which limits included costs and excepts subdivision (d). The full section contains paper and microfilm caps and other conditions; monetary amounts are not reproduced here. [California Health & Safety Code § 123110(j)(1)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=123110.) ### Retention when a licensed provider closes > if the licensee ceases operation, to preserve records for a minimum of seven years following discharge of the patient This excerpt applies to the licensees named in § 123145(a) when they cease operation, not every California provider. The section separately addresses unemancipated minors. [California Health & Safety Code § 123145(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=123145.) ### HIPAA patient-access baseline > the covered entity must act on a request for access no later than 30 days after receipt of the request This is the individual right of access, not a delivery promise for every authorization-based third-party request. The rule permits one extension of no more than 30 days with a written reason and completion date. State-law requirements may differ; this is not a summary of every applicable deadline. [45 CFR § 164.524(b)(2)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/45/164.524#b_2) ## Sources - [California Health & Safety Code § 123110(j)(1)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=123110.) - [California Health & Safety Code § 123145(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=123145.) - [45 CFR § 164.524(b)(2)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/45/164.524#b_2) ## Questions ### Where do you retrieve records in California? Statewide, including Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, the Bay Area counties of San Francisco, Alameda and Santa Clara, Sacramento County and the Central Valley. Records outside California can be part of the same patient’s workflow. ### What do I need to start a request? Provide the signed patient authorization, patient details, provider name and location, dates of service and record types. Identify the hospital campus, clinic or medical group that treated the patient. In Los Angeles, a hospital chart and a separately maintained imaging study may need different custodians. Include the dates and record types for each one. ### Which records can I request? Medical records, itemized billing records and radiology images. Name each record type and the custodian that holds it; an imaging report and the images themselves are distinct files. ### Is this service only for law firms? No. Healthcare organizations, clinical research teams, health-tech companies, insurers and law firms can request patient-authorized records through Tavrn. ### Can a request include providers in other states? Yes. California care and out-of-state care can be included in the same workflow, with a separate retrieval request for each provider. ### How are the records delivered? Use the Tavrn platform, an integration such as Clio, Litify or SmartAdvocate, or the API and webhooks. Your team can track each provider request and receive the files as providers respond. ### Does HIPAA require every request to be completed in 30 days? the covered entity must act on a request for access no later than 30 days after receipt of the request. This is the individual right of access, not a delivery promise for every authorization-based third-party request. The rule permits one extension of no more than 30 days with a written reason and completion date. State-law requirements may differ; this is not a summary of every applicable deadline. ### Do the legal excerpts apply to every provider? No. Each excerpt identifies its scope and links to the full legal text. Hospital rules, physician rules and patient-access requests are not interchangeable. These excerpts are not legal advice or a complete statement of applicable law. ## Explore retrieval coverage - [Texas](https://www.tavrn.ai/medical-record-retrieval/texas) - [Houston, TX](https://www.tavrn.ai/medical-record-retrieval/texas/houston) - [Los Angeles, CA](https://www.tavrn.ai/medical-record-retrieval/california/los-angeles) - [Florida](https://www.tavrn.ai/medical-record-retrieval/florida) - [New York](https://www.tavrn.ai/medical-record-retrieval/new-york) - [Illinois](https://www.tavrn.ai/medical-record-retrieval/illinois) - [Chicago, IL](https://www.tavrn.ai/medical-record-retrieval/illinois/chicago) [Nationwide medical record retrieval](https://www.tavrn.ai/medical-record-retrieval) [Book a demo](https://www.tavrn.ai/demo) · [Explore the API](https://www.tavrn.ai/medical-record-retrieval/api)