Effective 28 Aug 2001

109.120. Records reproduced by photographic, video or electronic process, standards — cost. — 1. The head of any business, industry, profession, occupation or calling, or the head of any state, county or municipal department, commission, bureau or board may cause any and all records kept by such official, department, commission, bureau, board or business to be photographed, microphotographed, photostated or transferred to other material using photographic, video, or electronic processes, including a computer-generated electronic or digital retrieval system, and the judges and justices of the several courts of record within this state may cause all closed case files more than five years old to be photographed, microphotographed, photostated, or transferred to other material using photographic, video, or electronic processes, including a computer-generated electronic or digital retrieval system. Such reproducing material shall be of durable material and the device used to reproduce the records shall be such as to accurately reproduce and perpetuate the original records in all details and ensure their proper retention and integrity in accordance with standards established by the state records commission.

2. The cost of reproduction of closed files of the several courts of record as provided herein shall be chargeable to the county and paid out of the county treasury wherein the court is situated.

3. When any recorder of deeds in this state is required or authorized by law to record, copy, file, recopy, replace or index any document, plat, map or written instrument, the recorder may do so by photostatic, photographic, microphotographic, microfilm, or electronic process, including a computer-generated electronic or digital retrieval system, which produces a clear, accurate and permanent copy of the original, provided they meet the standards for permanent retention and integrity as promulgated by the local records board. The reproductions so made may be used as permanent records of the original. When microfilm or electronic reproduction is used as a permanent record by recorder of deeds, duplicate reproductions of all recorded documents, indexes and files required by law to be kept by the recorder shall be made and one copy of each document shall be stored in a fireproof vault and the other copy shall be readily available in the recorder's office together with suitable equipment for viewing the record by projection to a size not smaller than the original and for reproducing copies of the recorded or filmed documents for any person entitled thereto. In all cases where instruments are recorded pursuant to this section by microfilm or electronic process, any release, assignment or other instrument affecting a previously recorded instrument by microfilm or electronic process shall be filed and recorded as a separate instrument and shall be cross-indexed to the document which it affects.

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(L. 1945 p. 1427 §§ 1, 3, A. 1949 H.B. 2048, A.L. 1963 p. 157, A.L. 1986 S.B. 732, A.L. 1999 S.B. 34, A.L. 2001 H.B. 453 merged with H.B. 567)