---
title: "Art. 86 GDPR: Processing and public access to official documents"
canonical: "https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/86"
source: "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679#art_86"
source_note: "Source: Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Official Journal L 119, 4.5.2016, as corrected. Only the text published in the Official Journal is authentic. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu"
text_as_of: "2026-10-28"
last_reviewed: "2026-10-29"
language: "en"
publisher: "DPO School"
---

Art. 86 GDPR · Chapter IX: Provisions relating to specific processing situations

# Article 86 GDPR: Processing and public access to official documents

Text as of 28 October 2026 · [Reviewed by Sergio Maldonado Elvira on 29 October 2026](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/about#review)

## Summary (not the official text)

Personal data in official documents held by a public authority or body, or by a private body performing a task in the public interest, may be disclosed in accordance with Union or Member State law to reconcile public access to official documents with the right to the protection of personal data.

## Official text

Personal data in official documents held by a public authority or a public body or a private body for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest may be disclosed by the authority or body in accordance with Union or Member State law to which the public authority or body is subject in order to reconcile public access to official documents with the right to the protection of personal data pursuant to this Regulation.

## Source

Source: Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Official Journal L 119, 4.5.2016, as corrected. Only the text published in the Official Journal is authentic. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu

[Article 86 on EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679#art_86)

Text as of 28 October 2026.

This is reference material, not legal advice.

## Related recitals

This list is under review.

- [Recital 154](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/recital/154)

## Court of Justice judgments

### [C-439/19, Proceedings brought by B](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/case/c-439-19)

Judgment of 22 June 2021 · ECLI:EU:C:2021:504

Penalty points for traffic offences are data on criminal offences under Art. 10; the GDPR precludes a law making them publicly available without the requester showing a specific interest, or passing them on to businesses for reuse.

[CURIA](https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-439/19&language=en) · [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62019CJ0439)

## Navigation

[GDPR Navigator](https://dposchool.com/gdpr) / [Chapter IX](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/chapter/9) / Article 86

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Next: [Art. 87 GDPR: Processing of the national identification number](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/87)

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