Privacy Policy

Lancaster County Government has created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy. The following discloses the information gathering and dissemination practices for this web site.

Virginia Law

We protect our records in accordance with our obligations as defined by applicable Virginia statutes, including, but not limited to, the "Virginia Privacy Protection Act of 1976", the "Virginia Freedom of Information Act", and by any applicable U.S. federal laws.

Information Automatically Logged

When you access our website, the routing or client information, and the essential and nonessential technical information listed below, is automatically collected. No other information is collected through our website except when you deliberately decide to send it to us (for example, by clicking on a link to send us an email). The information you might choose to send us is listed below as "optional information."

Routing, or client, information: the Internet domain and Internet address of the computer you are using.

Essential technical information: identification of the page or service you are requesting, type of browser and operating system you are using; and the date and time of access.

Nonessential technical information: the Internet address of the website from which you linked directly to our website.

Optional information: when you send us an e-mail, your name, e-mail address, and the content of your e-mail; when you fill out online forms, all the data you choose to fill in or confirm.

Cookies: Our website does not place any "cookies" on your computer.

How the collected information is used

Routing information is used to route the requested web page to your computer for viewing. We send the requested web page and the routing information to our Internet service provider or other entities involved in transmitting the requested page to you. We do not control the privacy practices of those entities. Essential and nonessential technical information helps us respond to your request in an appropriate format [or in a personalized manner] and helps us plan website improvements.

Optional information enables us to provide services or information tailored more specifically to your needs or to forward your message or inquiry to another entity that is better able to do so, and also allows us to plan website improvements.

We may keep your information indefinitely, but we ordinarily delete the transaction routing information from our computer within 30 days after the web page is transmitted and do not try to obtain any information to link it to the individuals who browse our website. However, on rare occasions when a "hacker" attempts to breach computer security, logs of routing information are retained to permit a security investigation and in such cases may be forwarded together with any other relevant information in our possession to law enforcement agencies. We use this transaction routing information primarily in a statistical summary type format to assess site content and server performance. We may share this summary information with our business partners when needed.

Optional information is retained in accordance with the records retention schedules at the Library of Virginia.

Under the "Virginia Freedom of Information Act", any records in our possession at the time of a "Freedom of Information Request" might be subject to being inspected by, or disclosed to, members of the public. However, all identifiable confidential/personal information will be removed prior to releasing the routing information.

Choice to provide information

There is no legal requirement for you to provide any information at our website. However, our website will not work without routing information and the essential technical information. Failure of your browser to provide nonessential technical information will not prevent your use of our website, but may prevent certain features from working. Failure to provide optional information will mean that the particular feature or service associated with that part of the web page will not be available to you.

External Links

This site contains links to other sites. Lancaster County Government is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites.

Contacting the Web Site

If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this Web site, e-mail Glenn D. Rowe, or call (804) 462-5129.