Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting the Placer County website. The county recognizes the public's concern about privacy on the Internet and the Web. This privacy statement describes how information will be gathered about you from your visit to our site and how it will be used by the county's website operators. As a website visitor, you should be aware that much information submitted to Placer County is public information under the laws of the State of California. Under some circumstances, we may be required to disclose such information upon request, in accordance with the California Public Records Act or in response to other legal requirements.

The county will make every effort to protect personal or business information you choose to provide on our website in the same way it protects personal and business information provided through other methods.

This privacy statement is provided for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be a contract of any type. Placer County may change its privacy statement at any time, without prior notice.

Information Collection on This Website

If you read or download information:

If you only browse through the website, read pages, or download information, the county website computer will gather and store certain information about your visit automatically. (This is a routine function of website computers.) We may store a "cookie" on your computer. (A cookie is a tiny element of data that a website computer sends to your browser. It is stored on your personal computer.) The information in this cookie is used only to identify your computer to our website, as we gather information to evaluate how visitors make use of the site so we may improve it. This information does not identify you personally. We automatically collect and store only the following information about your visit:

  • The Internet domain and IP address for the computer you use when visiting our website (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you connect from a university's domain)
  • The type of Web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Netscape) and computer operating system (e.g. Windows, Mac) used to access our site
  • Your screen resolution setting (e.g. 800 by 600 pixels, or 1024 by 768 pixels)
  • Whether or not you've visited the county website before, and how long you stay
  • The date and time you visit the site
  • The pages you visit
  • If you linked to the county website from another site, the address of that site

We use this information to help us make our site more useful to visitors - to fix problems, and to learn about the number of visitors to our site and the types of technology visitors use. We do not track or record information about individuals, except as described.

If you send email to a Placer County email address:

By sending us an electronic mail message, you may be sending personal information (i.e, your name, address, email address, etc.). We may store your name and address, and may share your email with various county staff, to address your problem or concern or to answer your question. In addition, Placer County may be required to provide this information in response to a California Public Records Act request or a court order.

Email is not necessarily secure and can be intercepted. Placer County has arrangements with some third parties for online payments of some county fees. Always use those secure methods to pay any fees, fines or to make other county payments online.

If you use an interactive application:

If you are filling out a form on the County website or using one of our online services, we may store a "cookie" on your computer. (A cookie is a tiny element of data that a website can send to your browser. It is stored on your PC.) The information in this cookie is used only to identify you to our online service or application, to make it easier for you to use this site.

If you register with a county department or agency or request other specific information:

As the county adds online services, a county department or related agency may ask visitors who request specific information or a service to fill out a registration form or establish a user identification and password. For example, when the county Procurement Division adds an online bidding system, vendors requesting access to that service will be asked to provide their names, addresses, email addresses and other pertinent information so Procurement staff can process and deliver the information requested.

Other information may be collected on the county website through questionnaires, feedback forms or other means, such as cookies, to allow us to determine website visitors' interests so we can improve site design or service.

Privacy Statements for County Department, Division or Other Agency Web Areas

This privacy statement describes the information-gathering practices and procedures of the Placer County website in general. However, our site contains many departmental and agency Web page areas, to provide a comprehensive and convenient information and service resource for Placer County residents. For this reason, department or agency Web areas within the Placer County website may have posted additional specific information concerning their own department or agency Web information-gathering practices, requirements, or policies.

Links to Non-County (Third Party) Websites

This website contains links to information located on sites maintained by other public agencies and private organizations. Once you use a link to another agency, organization or company website, Placer County privacy standards no longer apply and you are subject to the privacy policy of that website.

Website Security

For website security purposes and to be sure the county website remains available to all users, this site uses software programs to monitor Internet network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Unauthorized attempts to upload information, change information, or cause damage on this website are prohibited and may be prosecuted and punished under current state and federal laws prohibiting activity of that nature.

Glossary

Here are links to definitions for terms used in this privacy statement, for your convenience.

  • IP Address
  • Domain
  • Cookie - A cookie is like a little data ID card for your computer, carrying information about that specific computer. It can't store information about you - the actual computer user - unless you specifically provide it. When you visit a website, a cookie can show if your computer has been used to visit the site before, helping the Web manager to track how many visitors return to the site. A cookie also can store information about your computer, like the type of operating system you use, your Web browser, etc. That information helps website operators fine-tune their sites so they work well with your computer and software. You can set your Web browser not to allow cookies. Check your browser help files to learn how. However, that may mean some functions on a website may not work properly.