Terms and Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the GovLink civic reporting service ("Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to these terms, you must discontinue use of the Service immediately. These terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and the City of San Jose ("City").

2. Description of Service

GovLink is a digital platform operated by the City of San Jose that enables residents to submit non-emergency service requests and civic issue reports to City departments. The Service facilitates communication between residents and City staff for matters including, but not limited to, infrastructure maintenance, public works concerns, and neighborhood quality-of-life issues.

The Service is intended solely for reporting non-emergency issues. For life-threatening emergencies, dial 911 immediately. GovLink does not dispatch emergency services and should not be used as a substitute for emergency response.

3. Eligibility and Account Registration

The Service is available to any person submitting a report related to public infrastructure or services within the City of San Jose. No account registration is required to submit a report. Optional contact information may be provided at the time of submission solely for the purpose of tracking report status. The City will not use contact information for commercial marketing purposes.

4. Submission of Reports

By submitting a report through the Service, you certify that:

• The information provided is accurate and complete to the best of your knowledge.
• The reported issue is a genuine, non-emergency public concern within City jurisdiction.
• You are not submitting false, misleading, or malicious reports.
• Any photographs or media submitted are your own original content or content you have the right to share, and do not depict private individuals without consent.

The City reserves the right to decline, close, or reclassify any report that does not fall within the scope of City services, is determined to be outside City jurisdiction, or is found to be duplicative of an existing active report.

5. Use of Submitted Content

By submitting a report, you grant the City of San Jose a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute the submitted content, including photographs and descriptions, for the purposes of service delivery, public transparency, and civic record-keeping. Submitted reports may be made publicly visible on the GovLink platform in accordance with applicable public records laws.

6. Privacy and Data Collection

The City of San Jose collects and processes information submitted through the Service in accordance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and applicable state and federal privacy laws. Information collected through GovLink, including report content, location data, and optional contact details, is used exclusively to process and respond to service requests and to improve the Service.

Location data provided at the time of report submission is used solely to route the report to the appropriate City department. The City does not sell personal information to third parties.

7. Prohibited Conduct

Users of the Service are prohibited from:

• Submitting false, fraudulent, or malicious reports intended to misuse City resources.
• Using the Service to harass, defame, or target any individual or group.
• Uploading content that is unlawful, obscene, or in violation of any third-party rights.
• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to City systems or data through the Service.
• Using automated tools, bots, or scripts to submit reports without prior written authorization from the City.

Violations of these prohibitions may result in termination of access to the Service and referral to appropriate law enforcement authorities.

8. Response Time and Service Levels

The City of San Jose does not guarantee a specific response time for any report submitted through the Service. Response and resolution timelines vary based on the nature and severity of the issue, available City resources, and departmental workloads. Submission of a report through GovLink does not constitute a contractual obligation by the City to perform any specific action within any specific timeframe.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the City of San Jose, its officers, employees, agents, and contractors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out of or related to your use of the Service, including reliance on information provided through the Service, delays in response, or any action or inaction taken by the City based on a submitted report.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. The City does not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from technical defects. The City may suspend, modify, or discontinue the Service at any time without prior notice.

11. Modifications to Terms

The City of San Jose reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time. Updated terms will be posted to this page with a revised effective date. Continued use of the Service following the posting of revised terms constitutes acceptance of those changes.

12. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California. Any disputes arising under or in connection with these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the County of Santa Clara, California.

13. Contact Information

For questions regarding these Terms and Conditions or the GovLink Service, contact the City of San Jose Office of the City Clerk at: