How law enforcement uses Google's LERS Portal (lers.google.com) to request Gmail, Drive and account data: preservation, disclosure, emergency, and India's MLAT route.
Investigations involving Gmail, Google Drive, YouTube, Google Pay, Android or any Google account run through Google’s Law Enforcement Request System — the Google LERS Portal at lers.google.com. This is a step-by-step guide for authorised police and government officials to preserve and request Google user data.
- Portal: lers.google.com (the Google Law Enforcement Request System)
- Who can use it: verified government / law-enforcement agencies, registered with an official email
- Request types: preservation, disclosure (records), and emergency disclosure requests
- Key rule: non-content data (subscriber info, IP logs) is obtained more readily; content (email body, Drive files) generally needs US legal process — for India, via the MLAT route
Before you start
- An official government / law-enforcement email address.
- Your agency registered on LERS — it may already be on Google’s list; if not, request that it be added.
- The identifier: the target’s Gmail address, Google account, YouTube channel/URL, or phone number.
- The legal process appropriate to the data you need (see Step 3).
1Register and sign in to LERS
Go to lers.google.com and sign in with your official agency email. If your agency is not yet recognised, use Google’s process to have it added to the law-enforcement list. Once verified you can submit requests, track their status, and download Google’s response securely.
2Submit a Preservation Request (no legal process required)
A preservation request asks Google to freeze a snapshot of the account’s data while you obtain legal process, so it cannot be deleted or altered. Under US law Google preserves records for 90 days, extendable by a further 90 days on request. Submit the identifier and case reference; no signed legal notice is needed to start a preservation.
3Choose the data type — and the matching legal process
Google distinguishes two tiers, and each needs a different level of legal authority:
- Non-content data — subscriber information (name, recovery email/phone, account creation data) and IP/login logs. Obtained more readily, on valid legal process.
- Content data — the substance of communications: Gmail message bodies, Drive/Docs files, Photos. Treated as highly private; under US law this requires a search warrant.
4Submit the request and track it
Attach your legal process, enter the identifier and the time period, and clearly justify the offence and why the data is needed — vague requests are slower or rejected. Submit through the portal, monitor the status, and download the response when ready.
Emergency Disclosure Requests (EDR)
Where there is an imminent risk of death or serious physical harm, an Emergency Disclosure Request can be submitted through LERS without prior legal process. You must explain how the data will help prevent the harm; Google reviews these expeditiously.
For India
Indian law-enforcement agencies can register and submit on lers.google.com. In practice:
- Preservation, emergency, and non-content/subscriber requests can be made directly — Google reviews them against its policies and the requesting country’s law (in India, the IT framework and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023).
- Content data (email and Drive contents) is held in the US and generally requires US legal process via the India–US Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) or letters rogatory, because India has no CLOUD Act executive agreement with the United States.
Always send a preservation request first to stop the data being lost while the MLAT route runs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Google LERS Portal?
LERS is Google’s Law Enforcement Request System at lers.google.com, where verified agencies submit preservation, disclosure and emergency requests for Google user data.
Can Indian police use Google LERS?
Yes. Indian agencies can register and submit; non-content and emergency requests can be handled directly, while content data generally needs the US–India MLAT route.
What’s the difference between content and non-content data?
Non-content is subscriber and IP/log information; content is the actual substance of emails, Drive files and messages, which requires a search warrant under US law.
Is there an emergency option?
Yes — an Emergency Disclosure Request for imminent risk of death or serious harm, reviewed without prior legal process.
See also
- Overview: law-enforcement data-request portals across all platforms
- WhatsApp LERS Portal: police & government data request guide
- Facebook & Instagram LERS Portal: police data request guide
- Telegram law-enforcement data request: how to investigate Telegram
Sources
- Google Law Enforcement Request System portal: lers.google.com
- Google — How Google handles government requests for user information
- Google Transparency Report — Requests for User Information FAQs