Some collections redact location information data (latitude/longitude and locality description) for certain specimens from the general public. Individual specimens may have redacted location data because (a) the location is confidential (e.g., private or protected property), or (b) the taxon of the species is rare, threatened, endangered, or otherwise imperiled. Which taxa are selected for data redaction depends on the data portal, since some taxa are rare in certain places, but not in others.

Users may gain access to redacted location information by being granted Rare Species Reader (RSR) permissions, or through a one-time data export. To obtain these permissions, contact the curator or manager of the collection and provide information about yourself and why you would like access to their data.