How to request public records from a county office
Every state has a public records law that lets you ask a government office for records it holds. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually follow their own rules, but letters, contracts, reports and files that are not online can be requested under the law.
On this page
Before you write
Check whether the office already publishes what you need: recorded documents, court dockets and property records are often searchable online and cannot be requested any faster under the public records law. Some offices say so: the Harris County Clerk asks people not to use its public information form for land records, marriage licenses or assumed names, which are on its portal (see the Harris County guide).
What to put in a request
- The office you are writing to, and the law (the table gives each state's law and citation).
- A clear description of the records: names, dates, file or case numbers, and the kind of document.
- The format you want (electronic copies are often cheaper).
- Your contact details, and whether you agree to fees up to a stated amount.
Keep a copy and note the date: response deadlines run from the day the office receives your request. We do not send requests for you and this is not legal advice.
If the office says no or does not answer
Each state sets an appeal route, often a complaint to the attorney general, a review by an ombudsman or commission, or a court action. The state pages quote the route and any deadline.
Public records laws by state
| State | Law | Response time | Copy fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Open Records Act (Code of Alabama 1975, Title 36, Chapter 12, Article 3 'Inspection and Copying of Records'); substantially revised by Act 2024-278 (Ala. Code §§ 36-12-40 to 36-12-47) | — | — |
| Alaska | Alaska Public Records Act (Alaska Statutes AS 40.25.100 - 40.25.295 (regulations 2 AAC 96)) | Executive-branch agencies (2 AAC 96.325): as soon as practicable, but not later than the 10th working day after receipt, furnish disclosable records and explain any non-disclosure | Copy fees may not exceed the agency's standard unit cost of duplication. If production for one requester in a calendar month exceeds five person-hours, the agency must charge the personnel costs (not more than actual salary and benefit costs), payable before the records are disclosed |
| Arizona | Arizona Public Records Law (A.R.S. §§ 39-121 through 39-161 (Title 39, ch. 1)) | No fixed number of days: custodians must 'promptly' furnish records | Inspection is free. For non-commercial requests the custodian may charge a copying fee and postage (and may require advance payment for mailed copies) |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Freedom of Information Act of 1967 (FOIA) (Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101 et seq.) | Records not in active use must be provided immediately | Actual cost of reproduction only (no staff time) |
| California | California Public Records Act (Gov. Code § 7920.000 et seq. (recodified; operative Jan. 1, 2023)) | 10 days to determine whether records are disclosable | Direct costs of duplication, or a statutory fee if applicable |
| Colorado | Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) (C.R.S. 24-72-200.1 to 24-72-205.5 (24-72-206 is repealed) (criminal justice records: Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, C.R.S. 24-72-301 et seq.)) | Three working days is the presumed reasonable time when records are not readily available (C.R.S. 24-72-203(3)(b)) | Copies: custodian may charge up to $0.25 per standard page, and no per-page fee for digital or electronic records (C.R.S. 24-72-205(5)(a)). Research and retrieval: first hour free |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (Conn. Gen. Stat. secs. 1-200 et seq. (Chapter 14)) | "Promptly" during regular office hours | Copies: max $0.25/page from state agencies (and judicial administrative functions) |
| Delaware | Delaware Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (29 Del. C. §§ 10001-10008 (Title 29, Chapter 100)) | As soon as possible, but within 15 business days | Unless another Delaware Code section or county/municipal code sets different fees: first 20 standard black-and-white pages free, then $0.10 per sheet ($0.20 double-sided) |
| District of Columbia | District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act (D.C. Official Code §§ 2-531 to 2-539) | 15 business days, extendable by up to 10 business days in unusual circumstances | No initial fee |
| Florida | Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes) and Article I, Section 24, Florida Constitution (Ch. 119, F.S.; Art. I, s. 24, Fla. Const.) | No fixed statutory deadline | Up to 15 cents per one-sided copy (up to 14 x 8.5 in.) |
| Georgia | Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.) | Within a reasonable time not to exceed 3 business days | — |
| Hawaii | Uniform Information Practices Act (Modified) (UIPA) (Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 92F) | 10 business days to grant or deny (in whole or part), or to send a written acknowledgment that more time is needed (usually not more than 10 additional business days). Requester must answer a clarification or prepayment notice within 20 business days or the request is considered abandoned. | Search $2.50 per 15 minutes |
| Idaho | Idaho Public Records Act (Idaho Code §§ 74-101 through 74-127 (Title 74, Chapter 1)) | Idaho residents: grant or deny within 3 working days | Residents: no charge for the first 2 hours of labor or the first 100 pages of paper copies |
| Illinois | Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) | 5 business days after receipt (day 1 = first business day after receipt) | First 50 pages of black-and-white letter/legal copies free |
| Indiana | Access to Public Records Act (APRA) (IC 5-14-3) | Agency must respond (not necessarily produce) within 24 hours if the request is made in person, by phone, or for enhanced access | No fee to inspect or to search/review. Local (non-state) agencies: fee schedule set by the fiscal body |
| Iowa | Iowa Open Records Law (Examination of Public Records) (Iowa Code ch. 22 (ss. 22.1-22.16), as amended by 2026 Iowa Acts HF 2490) | No fixed deadline in ch. 22. A good-faith, reasonable delay to decide whether a record is confidential or to seek an injunction may not exceed 20 calendar days and ordinarily should not exceed 10 business days (s. 22.8(4)). IPIB FAQ: Iowa courts have found that an unreasonable delay may be interpreted as an implied refusal. | Inspection is free while the record is in the custodian's possession. Copy fees may not exceed the actual cost of providing the service |
| Kansas | Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) — cited in statute as 'the open records act' (K.S.A. 45-215 et seq. (core sections 45-215 through 45-223; supplemental sections incl. 45-228, 45-230, 45-240, 45-251)) | Act 'as soon as possible' but no later than the end of the 3rd business day after receipt | Agencies may charge and require advance payment |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Open Records Act (KRS 61.870 to 61.884) | Agency must decide and notify in writing within 5 days excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays (i.e., 5 business days) | Inspection free |
| Louisiana | Public Records Law (La. R.S. 44:1 et seq.) | Immediately if available | Local custodians (incl. clerks) may set and post a reasonable copy fee schedule and require advance payment |
| Maine | Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) (1 M.R.S. §400 et seq.) | Acknowledge within 5 working days | Copies up to 10¢ per page (no per-page fee for electronic records) |
| Maryland | Maryland Public Information Act (PIA / MPIA) (Md. Code, General Provisions §§ 4-101 et seq. (Title 4)) | Grant or deny promptly, but not more than 30 days after receiving the application (50 days for applications covered by § 4-356, records depicting certain crime victims) | — |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Public Records Law (M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 and § 10A; definition and exemptions at M.G.L. c. 4, § 7, cl. 26; regulations 950 CMR 32.00) | — | — |
| Michigan | Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Act 442 of 1976 (MCL 15.231 to 15.246) | 5 business days after receipt | Fee limited to actual mailing costs and the actual incremental cost of duplication or publication including labor, the cost of search, examination, review, and deletion/separation of exempt information (components itemized in MCL 15.234(1)) |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Minn. Stat. ch. 13) | No fixed day count for public requests: 'appropriate and prompt manner' | Inspection is free. Copies or electronic transmittal: the entity may charge actual costs of searching for and retrieving the data (including employee time) and of making, certifying and transmitting copies, but not for separating public from not public data |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983 (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 25-61-1 et seq. (Title 25, Chapter 61)) | — | — |
| Missouri | Missouri Sunshine Law (RSMo Chapter 610 (sections 610.010-610.035)) | Act on each request as soon as possible, no later than the end of the third business day after the custodian receives it | Paper copies up to 9x14 in.: max 10 cents/page |
| Montana | Montana Constitution Art. II § 9 (Right to know) and Public Records statutes, Title 2, Chapter 6, MCA (Mont. Const. art. II, § 9; Mont. Code Ann. §§ 2-6-1001 et seq.) | — | — |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Public Records Statutes (Neb. Rev. Stat. 84-712 through 84-712.09) | Upon a written request, the custodian must respond as soon as practicable and no later than 4 business days after actual receipt (excluding the day received) with a cost estimate and either access/copies, a written denial, or a written explanation of delay giving the earliest practicable date | Inspection is free. Copy fees may not exceed the actual added cost of making copies. For Nebraska residents (including news media regardless of domicile) no staff-time charge for the first 8 cumulative hours of searching, identifying, redacting or copying |
| Nevada | Nevada Public Records Act (NRS Chapter 239 (NRS 239.001 et seq.)) | Not later than the end of the 5th business day after receiving a written or oral request, the entity must provide the record, say in writing it lacks custody (and name the custodian), give written notice of the earliest date it will be available, or deny in writing citing the specific confidentiality statute | Copy fee may not exceed the actual cost to the entity unless a specific statute or regulation sets the fee |
| New Hampshire | Right-to-Know Law (Access to Governmental Records and Meetings) (RSA chapter 91-A (inspection and copies: RSA 91-A:4; exemptions: RSA 91-A:5; remedies: RSA 91-A:7, 91-A:7-a, 91-A:7-b)) | — | — |
| New Jersey | Open Public Records Act (OPRA) (N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (P.L. 2001, c. 404, as amended by P.L. 2024, c.16, effective September 3, 2024)) | 7 business days after the custodian receives the request (day 1 = the business day after receipt) | $0.05 per letter-size page or smaller |
| New Mexico | Inspection of Public Records Act (NMSA 1978, Chapter 14, Article 2 (Sections 14-2-1 to 14-2-12)) | Immediately or as soon as practicable, at most 15 days after a written request | Reasonable copying fees, capped at $1.00 per printed page up to 11 x 17 inches, unless another law sets a different fee. No charge for deciding whether a record is disclosable |
| New York | Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) (N.Y. Public Officers Law, Article 6, §§ 84-90) | 5 business days to grant, deny, or acknowledge in writing with an approximate date | Paper copies up to 9"x14": max 25 cents per photocopy, unless another statute sets a different fee |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Public Records Law (N.C.G.S. Chapter 132) | As promptly as possible | Uncertified copy capped at actual cost |
| North Dakota | North Dakota open records law (N.D.C.C. § 44-04-18 (definitions at § 44-04-17.1); N.D. Const. art. XI, § 6) | No fixed number of days: a public entity must respond within a reasonable time. Denial or unreasonable delay violates § 44-04-18(8). | Up to 25 cents per impression for a paper copy up to 8.5x14 |
| Ohio | Ohio Public Records Act (Ohio Revised Code 149.43) | No fixed number of days: inspection "promptly" | Inspection free |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Open Records Act (51 O.S. §§ 24A.1 et seq. (Title 51, Officers)) | No fixed number of days: public bodies must provide 'prompt, reasonable access' | Copying only: max $0.25 per page (8.5x14 or smaller), max $1.00 per certified page |
| Oregon | Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.311 to 192.478 (ORS chapter 192)) | Public body must acknowledge receipt or complete the response within 5 business days of a written request | Fees reasonably calculated to reimburse actual cost (may include attorney review/redaction time but not time deciding exemptions) |
| Pennsylvania | Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) (Act of Feb. 14, 2008, P.L. 6, No. 3) | — | — |
| Rhode Island | Access to Public Records Act (APRA) (R.I. Gen. Laws Title 38, Chapter 2 (§§ 38-2-1 et seq.)) | 10 business days | Copies: max $0.15 per page (letter/legal size). Search/retrieval: max $15 per hour, first hour free |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (S.C. Code Title 30, Chapter 4 (§ 30-4-10 et seq.)) | Written requests: determination within 10 business days (20 business days if the record is more than 24 months old). Records must then be furnished within 30 calendar days of the determination (35 if more than 24 months old). No timely notice means the request is considered approved as to nonexempt records. | Reasonable fees not above actual cost of search, retrieval and redaction, at the prorated hourly salary of the lowest paid qualified employee |
| South Dakota | South Dakota public records law (SDCL chapter 1-27, 'Public Records and Files'; open records procedures) (SDCL §§ 1-27-1 to 1-27-1.15 (access and exemptions) and §§ 1-27-35 to 1-27-43 (request, fee and review procedure)) | Informal request goes to the records custodian (no statutory deadline stated) | — |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Public Records Act (TPRA) (Tenn. Code Ann. Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5 (core access provision § 10-7-503; court petition § 10-7-505)) | Promptly if readily available | — |
| Texas | Texas Public Information Act (Tex. Gov't Code ch. 552) | Promptly (as soon as possible, without delay) | AG charge schedule: standard paper copy $.10 per page |
| Utah | Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) (Utah Code Title 63G, Chapter 2) | As soon as reasonably possible, but no later than 10 business days after a written request (5 business days if the requester shows an expedited response benefits the public) | Reasonable fee covering actual cost, approved by the entity's executive officer |
| Vermont | Vermont Public Records Act (PRA) (1 V.S.A. §§ 315-320) | Promptly: not more than 3 business days from receipt | Actual cost of copies plus mailing/transmission |
| Virginia | Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3700 et seq.) | Promptly, but within 5 working days: provide records or respond in writing (withheld, partly withheld, not found, or more time needed) | — |
| Washington | Washington Public Records Act (RCW ch. 42.56) | Respond promptly | No fee for inspection or locating records |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Freedom of Information Act (WV-FOIA) (W. Va. Code § 29B-1-1 et seq. (Chapter 29B, Article 1, 'Public Records')) | As soon as practicable but within a maximum of 5 days (not counting Saturdays, Sundays or legal holidays): furnish copies, set a time and place to inspect, or deny in writing with reasons | — |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Public Records Law (Wis. Stat. ss. 19.31-19.39) | No fixed deadline: the authority must fill or deny the request "as soon as practicable and without delay" (s. 19.35(4)(a)). DOJ says 10 business days may be reasonable for a simple, limited request. | Copies: actual, necessary and direct cost of reproduction unless another law sets the fee |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Public Records Act (W.S. 16-4-201 through 16-4-205) | Readily available records must be released immediately | No fee may be charged just to inspect. Copies: a reasonable fee set by the custodian, but only if authorized by statute, rule, resolution, ordinance or similar authority |
Each state links to its guide, where every office and fee carries its official source and check date. Fees shown are the state’s fee for a copy; the state guide lists the others.
Get copies from the office, not a look-alike site
Searching an official index costs nothing or the fee the office sets. Some commercial sites that rank for record searches sell subscriptions or reports that are not certified copies. How to tell them apart.