Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Sacramento County, CA Public Services (“we,” “our,” or “the website”) handles information when you visit saccountyca.org. It covers information collected automatically, our use of Google Analytics and Google AdSense, and the choices available to you.

Our website brings together resources, tools, contact details, and frequently asked questions about public services in Sacramento County, California. Topics include property assessments, taxes, courts, public records, animal services, permits, public assistance, utilities, and waste management. This policy applies to our website. Other websites linked from our pages have their own privacy practices.

Information You Do Not Need to Provide

You do not need to register or create an account to use our website. We do not actively request personal details such as your name or contact information as a condition of reading our articles or following resource links.

Our pages help you locate information and services. Reading a guide about a marriage license, building permit, court case, or public assistance program does not submit an application to the agency responsible for that service. Information you provide on an external application or search tool is governed by that provider’s privacy policy.

Information Collected Automatically

Although we do not actively ask visitors to identify themselves, using the website can involve automatic collection of technical and browsing information through Google Analytics, advertising services, and the technologies that deliver website content.

Depending on your browser settings, consent choices, and the services operating on a page, this information may include:

Device type, operating system, browser type, and language settings.
Pages viewed, visit duration, navigation activity, and interactions with links.
The website or search engine that referred you to our pages.
Cookie identifiers and similar browser or device identifiers.
General geographic information inferred from your internet connection.

Some technical identifiers may qualify as personal information under applicable privacy laws even when they do not directly reveal your identity. The absence of registration does not mean that all browsing activity is anonymous.

How We Use Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors find and use our website. This helps us analyze traffic, improve navigation, optimize the search experience, and identify pages that need clearer information or better organization.

For example, traffic reports may help us understand whether visitors can easily find property tax resources, court information, or animal shelter guidance. We use these reports to assess website performance and improve access to useful content.

Google Analytics uses cookies and related technologies to measure website activity. Google processes information collected through its services under its applicable terms and privacy policies. You can review Google’s explanation of Analytics privacy and data safeguards for further information.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

Cookies are small files stored in your browser. They can help a service distinguish visits, measure activity, or remember choices. Similar technologies, including browser storage, tags, and web beacons, may also support measurement and advertising.

Cookies used through our website may serve different purposes. Analytics cookies help measure website usage. Advertising cookies help deliver advertisements, measure their performance, and limit repeated displays. Some cookies expire when a browsing session ends, while others remain until they expire or you delete them.

Third parties providing analytics or advertising services may place or read cookies through our pages. Their handling of information is subject to their own policies as well as applicable requirements.

Google AdSense and Advertising

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements and support the website. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve advertisements based on visitors’ previous visits to this website or other websites. Google’s advertising cookies allow Google and its partners to personalize advertisements using browsing activity across participating websites.

Advertising services may also use web beacons, browser identifiers, and connection information to deliver advertisements, measure engagement, and detect invalid traffic. Whether advertisements are personalized depends on factors including your settings, applicable consent requirements, and advertising configurations.

For details about Google’s processing, read How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services and the Google Privacy Policy.

Your Privacy Choices

You can take the following steps to manage cookies, analytics, and advertising:

Browser controls: Use your browser settings to block, restrict, or delete cookies and other stored website data.

Google advertising controls: Visit Google My Ad Center to manage personalized advertising preferences.

Other advertising choices: Visit Digital Advertising Alliance choices to review opt-out options offered by participating companies.

Analytics opt-out: Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on in a supported browser to prevent supported Analytics scripts from sharing visit activity with Google Analytics.

These choices have different effects. Turning off personalized advertising does not remove all advertisements or stop every type of data collection. Cookie-based preferences may need to be renewed after clearing cookies or switching browsers or devices. Blocking cookies may affect some website features.

External Websites and Public Records

Our pages link to government agencies, courts, public record searches, and other service providers. Following a link takes you to a separate website that may collect information, require registration, or request details needed to process a service.

We do not control those websites or their records systems. Review their privacy notices before entering information. A public record appearing in a linked search system does not mean that our website collected that record from you.

Retention, Security, and Children

Retention periods vary by data type, service settings, and provider policies. Cookies may remain on your device until expiration or deletion. Google’s retention and deletion practices are described in its privacy documentation. No website or transmission method can guarantee complete security.

Our website provides general public service information and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly solicit personal information from children. Parents and guardians can use browser privacy controls to help manage children’s browsing activity.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy when our website features, service providers, or information practices change. Revisions will appear on this page. Review it periodically to stay informed about how information is handled and the privacy choices available to you.