CHAPTER 1. REPRODUCTION OF RECORDS

IC 5-15
    ARTICLE 15. PRESERVATION OF PUBLICRECORDS

IC 5-15-1
    Chapter 1. Reproduction of Records

IC 5-15-1-1
Copies or reproductions; destruction of originals; evidentiaryvalue of copies
    Sec. 1. (a) Any officer, office, court, commission, board,institution, department, agent, or employee of the state, county, orany political subdivision being charged with the duty or authorizedor required by law to record, preserve, keep, maintain, or file anyrecord, document, plat, paper or instrument-in-writing, may,whenever any such officer, office, court, commission, board,institution, department, agent, or employee of the state, county, orany political subdivision shall deem it necessary, for the purpose ofrecording or copying same, preserving and protecting same, reducingspace required for storage or filing of same, or any similar purpose,have or cause to have any or all such records recorded, copied, orreproduced by any photostatic, photographic, micrographic,electronic, or other process which correctly and accurately copies orreproduces, recreates, or forms a medium of copying or reproducingthe original record, document, plat, paper, or instrument-in-writing.Any officer, office, court, commission, board, institution,department, agent, or employee of the state may have or cause tohave records recorded, copied, or reproduced under this subsectionby any optical imaging process that correctly and accurately copiesor reproduces, recreates, or forms a medium of copying orreproducing the original record, document, plat, paper, orinstrument-in-writing.
    (b) The original filing record may be destroyed if:
        (1) the record has been copied or is capable of being reproducedor recreated under subsection (a); and
        (2) the commission on public records, as to state records, or thecommission of public records of the respective county, as torecords of counties and other local units of government, hasdecided to destroy the original record.
    (c) Copies, recreations, or reproductions made under subsection(a):
        (1) shall have the same force and effect at law as the originalrecord destroyed under subsection (b); and
        (2) shall be received as evidence in any court where the originalrecord could have been so introduced;
if the recreations, copies, or reproductions are properly certified asto authenticity and accuracy by a duly constituted official custodianof such records.
    (d) All micrographics processes done under this chapter shall

comply with the quality standards developed under IC 5-15-5.1-8.
    (e) This section does not apply to the state court administrationdivision of the supreme court.
(Formerly: Acts 1947, c.195, s.1.) As amended by Acts 1979, P.L.40,SEC.16; P.L.50-1991, SEC.2; P.L.79-1995, SEC.1.