# Division 16. Personnel Records Codified through Bill No. CB-018-2026, adopted May 12, 2026, effective July 24, 2026. Source: Municode, Supplement 2026 Update 2. Editorial notes and legislative history omitted. ## Division 16. Personnel Records ### Sec. 16-215. Records policy Prince George's County, Md., Code § 16-215 (2026) Pursuant to the provisions of Section 203 of the County Charter and Title 10, Subtitle 6, State Government Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, all personnel and leave records and documents contained in each employee's personnel file shall be regarded as confidential information and shall not be made available to any person except those persons described in Section 16-216(d) and except under circumstances otherwise authorized by applicable State or Federal statute and any regulations authorized pursuant thereto. ### Sec. 16-216. Official personnel records Prince George's County, Md., Code § 16-216 (2026) (a) Official Custodian. The Director of Human Resources Management shall be the official custodian of all employee personnel files and of all records and documents contained in each such file. (b) Maintenance and Disposition. (1) An official personnel file shall be established and maintained by the Director of Human Resources Management for each former and current County employee. Each such employee personnel file shall contain all records and documents relating to employment from initial appointment through final termination of County employment. Consistent with the provisions of Section 16-197 and any other applicable law or regulation, the Director of Human Resources Management shall develop personnel procedures providing for the designation and maintenance of all employment records and documents in each employee personnel file as either temporary records or permanent records. Said personnel procedures shall further provide for the disposal of temporary records and the retention of permanent records. (c) Verification of Information. (1) The Director of Human Resources Management may, for the purpose of assisting a former or current employee in establishing credit or upon the inquiry of an employer of a former or current employee, verify any such employee's full name, date of employment, class, title and salary. (d) Inspection of Files. (1) An employee's personnel file may be inspected by the following persons: (A) The employee in interest; (B) Any person to whom the employee in interest has given prior written authorization; (C) The present appointing authority and supervisor of the employee in interest; (D) The Personnel Board as necessary for the proper performance of the duties and responsibilities of the Personnel Board; (E) The County Auditor, as necessary for the proper performance of the duties and responsibilities of the County Auditor; (F) The County Director of Finance, as necessary for the proper performance of the duties and responsibilities of the County Director of Finance; (G) The County Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for purposes of investigating appeals to the Personnel Board wherein discrimination is alleged pursuant to the provisions of Section 16-203(a)(7); and (H) Any other person who has been specifically authorized by law to inspect such files. (2) In any event where any person described in paragraph (d)(1), above, except for the employee in interest, has inspected any employee's personnel file, any such person shall, thereafter, maintain all information acquired as a result thereof in a confidential manner and shall not divulge or make available in any other manner any of said information to any person. (3) In any event where the employee in interest inspects said employee's own personnel file, as provided under paragraph (d)(1), above, said employee shall be entitled to file a signed statement for inclusion in said file where the employee finds that any information contained therein is inaccurate, incomplete, or not being maintained in accordance with applicable law if the employee is not otherwise able to have said information corrected under the supervision of the Director of Human Resources Management. (4) Any person, other than the employee in interest, a person authorized by the employee in interest, the Director of Human Resources Management, or a person acting on behalf of the Director of Human Resources Management, who requests to review a personnel file, except those made pursuant to subpoena as a result of a criminal case, or when an employee is subject to an administrative investigation pursuant to Section 16-193, must be accompanied by a release form signed by the employee whose file is the subject of the request. When a personnel file is reviewed pursuant to subpoena, the Director of Human Resources Management shall notify the employee of the review within five (5) business days after the subpoena allows disclosure. When a personnel file is reviewed as part of an administrative investigation pursuant to Section 16-193, the Director of Human Resources Management shall notify the employee of the review 90 days after the examination of the Appointing Authority or designee conducting an investigation. If any person, including the employee in interest, a person authorized by the employee in interest, the Director of Human Resources Management or appointing authority, or a person acting on behalf of the Director of Human Resources Management examines a personnel file, the date of examination, reason for examination, and identity of the person examining the file shall be recorded in one or more logs maintained by the Director of Human Resources Management. The entry into a personnel file by staff assigned to the Office of Human Resources Management whose job function requires regular access to such files for the purposes of routine filing of records and/or verifying or updating information is not required to be logged. (e) The official personnel file includes any file that contains documents relating to employment with the County, including, but not limited to, application, resumes, documentation of disciplinary actions and related appeals, performance ratings and counseling forms, processed employee actions, supervisor's report of injury, job-related letters of commendation, training certificates, service awards, job-related personal information, and personal information provided by the employee, such as emergency telephone numbers and next of kin designations. Preemployment physical examination or fitness for duty examination reports and evaluations, records of required vaccinations or related waivers, infectious disease exposure reports, and benefit election and designation forms shall be maintained separately and in a manner that protects the confidentiality of medical information relating to the employee. ### Sec. 16-217. Departmental or agency personnel files Prince George's County, Md., Code § 16-217 (2026) (a) Appointing authorities shall not be authorized to establish and maintain separate departmental or agency personnel files regarding employees under their respective jurisdictions without consulting the Office of Human Resources Management and following the guidance and provisions provided thereupon. All documents and records maintained in any such departmental or agency personnel file shall be maintained by the appointing authority in a confidential manner and, as such, no other persons, except those individuals specified in Section 16-216(d)(1), above, shall be permitted to inspect any such file. All documents and records pertaining to an employee's performance which are not included in the employee's performance evaluation shall be destroyed after the submission of the performance evaluation or within one year of the date the record was created. (b) The Director of Human Resources Management shall develop personnel procedures governing the establishment, contents, maintenance, and disposition of departmental or agency personnel files. The Director of Human Resources Management shall be authorized to periodically inspect any established departmental or agency personnel files in order to insure that said files are being maintained in a manner consistent with personnel procedures. (c) In the event that an appointing authority establishes a departmental or agency personnel file regarding any employee under the appointing authority's jurisdiction, any such employee shall be promptly notified by the appointing authority of the establishment of said personnel file. Any such employee shall be entitled to inspect the employee's file during the employee's hours of work at a time mutually agreed to by the employee and the appointing authority. Any such employee shall be entitled to file a signed statement for inclusion in the employee's file under the circumstances described in Section 16-216(d)(3) as if the employee were filing a signed statement in the employee's official personnel file. (d) Any person, other than the employee in interest, a person authorized by the employee in interest, the Director of Human Resources Management, the appointing authority, or a person acting on behalf of the Director of Human Resources Management, who requests to review a personnel file, except those made pursuant to subpoena as a result of a criminal case, or when an employee is subject to an administrative investigation pursuant to Section 16-193, must be accompanied by a release form signed by the employee whose file is the subject of the request. When a personnel file is reviewed pursuant to subpoena, the Director of Human Resources Management shall notify the employee of the review within five (5) business days after the subpoena allows disclosure. When a personnel file is reviewed as part of an administrative investigation pursuant to Section 16-193, the Director of Human Resources Management shall notify the employee of the review 90 days after the examination of the Appointing Authority or designee conducting an investigation. If any person, including the employee in interest, a person authorized by the employee in interest, the Director of Human Resources Management or appointing authority, or a person acting on behalf of the Director of Human Resources Management examines a personnel file, the date of examination, reason for examination, and identity of the person examining the file shall be recorded in one or more logs maintained by the Director of Human Resources Management. The entry into a personnel file for the purpose of filing of records is not required to be logged. ### Sec. 16-217.01. Penalties; violations Prince George's County, Md., Code § 16-217.01 (2026) Any person found to have violated any provision of Subtitle 16, Division 16, shall be fined up to One Thousand Dollars ($1,000).