Request response times by state

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Most states specify a time period within which a response to a public records request must be made by. This table gives the time period of each state. All time frames given are business days and exclude weekends, holidays, etc.

Response time generally refers to the time frame within which a public body must either provide the requested records, ask for an extension to gather the records, or deny the request.

In 15 states (Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming), there is no statutory time limit for public agencies to reply to open records requests. In 2008, Tennessee adopted a statutory time limit (seven days) for the first time.

The other 35 states specify a time within which public documents must either be furnished, denied, or an extension may be requested. Rhode Island gives the longest reply time (up to 30 days) and Mississippi requires the quickest turn-around of records (1 day if the agency does not have a written policy stating otherwise).

The mandatory response time under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act will be reduced on January 1, 2010 from seven days to five days.^[1]

State	Law	Response Time
Alabama	Alabama Public Records Law	No response time specified
Alaska	Alaska Public Records Act	"as soon as practicable" but no later than the tenth working day after receiving a proper request
Arizona	Arizona Public Records Law	No response time specified
Arkansas	Arkansas Freedom of Information Act	3 days
California	California Public Records Act	10 days
Colorado	Colorado Open Records Act	3 days
Connecticut	Connecticut Freedom of Information Act	4 days
Delaware	Delaware Freedom of Information Act	No response time specified
D.C.	District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act	10 days
Florida	Florida Sunshine Law	No response time specified
Georgia	Georgia Open Records Act	3 days
Hawaii	Hawaii Uniform Information Practices Act	10 days
Idaho	Idaho Public Records Act	3 days
Illinois	Illinois Freedom of Information Act	7 days
Indiana	Indiana Access to Public Records Act	7 days if request by mail / 24 hours if request in person
Iowa	Iowa Open Records Law	10 - 20 days
Kansas	Kansas Open Records Act	3 days
Kentucky	Kentucky Open Records Act	3 days
Louisiana	Louisiana Sunshine Law	3 days
Maine	Maine Freedom of Access Act	5 days
Maryland	Maryland Public Information Act	30 days
Massachusetts	Massachusetts Public Records Act	10 days
Michigan	Michigan Freedom of Information Act	5 days with automatic 10 day extension; administrative appeal, 10 days plus additional 10 days in "unusual circumstances"
Minnesota	Minnesota Data Practices Act	No response time specified
Mississippi	Mississippi Public Records Act	1 - 14 days
Missouri	Missouri Sunshine Law	3 days
Montana	Montana Public Records Act	No response time specified
Nebraska	Nebraska Public Records Law	4 days
Nevada	Nevada Open Records Act	No response time specified
New Hampshire	New Hampshire Right to Know Law	5 days
New Jersey	New Jersey Open Public Records Act	7 days
New Mexico	New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act	3 - 15 days
New York	New York Freedom of Information Law	5 days
North Carolina	North Carolina Public Records Law	No response time specified
North Dakota	North Dakota Open Records Statute	No response time specified
Ohio	Ohio Open Records Law	No response time specified
Oklahoma	Oklahoma Open Records Act	No response time specified
Oregon	Oregon Public Records Law	No response time specified
Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania Right to Know Act	5 - 10 days
Rhode Island	Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act	7 days[2]
South Carolina	South Carolina Freedom of Information Act	15 days
South Dakota	South Dakota Sunshine Law	No response time specified
Tennessee	Tennessee Open Records Act	7 days[3]
Texas	Texas Public Information Act	10 days
Utah	Utah Government Records Access and Management Act	10 days
Vermont	Vermont Public Records Law	2 - 5 days
Virginia	Virginia Freedom of Information Act	5 days
Washington	Washington Public Records Act	5 days
West Virginia	West Virginia Freedom of Information Act	5 days
Wisconsin	Wisconsin Open Records Law	No response time specified
Wyoming	Wyoming Sunshine Law	No response time specified

[edit] See also

• State sunshine laws
• Years that state FOIA laws were enacted
• List of who can make public record requests by state

[edit] External links

• Citizen Access Project
• Open Government Guide
• Across-States Comparison of Public Records response times, prepared by Bill Harbaugh in 2009.

[edit] References

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