The city of Somerville is asking the federal courts to overrule Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s office, which has concluded the Massachusetts public records law requires Somerville to release parking permit information requested by The Boston Globe. In a filing in US District Court, Mayor Joseph Curtatone’s administration argues that the federal Driver Privacy Protection Act bans government from disclosing some of the information the city collects from people who apply for parking permits in the city. But Galvin’s office ruled that the federal act does not apply to records kept at City Hall but only to those maintained by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.