Public records laws by jurisdiction
The federal Freedom of Information Act and state public records laws, summarized from official sources. Each page has the statute, response deadline, fee rules, appeal path and notes for writing a request letter. Verified 2026-10-17. States are added one at a time, with official sources only.
| Jurisdiction | Response deadline (short) | Fees (short) |
|---|---|---|
| United States (federal agencies) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552 | 20 working days to determine whether to comply (extendable by up to 10 working days in unusual circumstances) 5 U.S.C. § 552 (FOIA), text on Cornell Legal Information Institute (an educational copy, not the official U.S. Code site) | Search and duplication for most requesters; generally no charge for the first two hours of search or first 100 pages FOIA.gov: Frequently Asked Questions (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Information Policy) |
| New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), Public Officers Law Article 6, §§ 84-90 | 5 business days to grant, deny in writing, or acknowledge with a reasonable approximate date NY Committee on Open Government: FOIL law text, Public Officers Law Article 6, §§ 84-90 (PDF, updated May 29, 2026) | Up to 25 cents per page for photocopies up to 9 by 14 inches; no fee for inspection or search NY Committee on Open Government: Freedom of Information Law (overview, FAQ, regulations 21 NYCRR Part 1401) |
| Texas Public Information Act, Texas Government Code chapter 552 | Produce "promptly"; if not produced within 10 business days, certify that in writing with a date; to withhold, generally ask the Attorney General for a ruling within 10 business days Texas Attorney General: Public Information Act Handbook 2024 (PDF) | Standard paper copy $0.10 per page; labor $15 per hour (not for requests of 50 or fewer pages, with exceptions); itemized estimate if over $40 (per 2024 AG handbook) Texas Attorney General: Public Information Act Handbook 2024 (PDF) |
| California California Public Records Act (CPRA), Government Code § 7920.000 and following | 10 days to determine whether records are disclosable and say when they will be available; up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances; no fixed deadline to produce Cal. Gov. Code § 7922.535 (California Legislature, leginfo) | Direct costs of duplication, or a statutory fee if one applies Cal. Gov. Code § 7922.530 (California Legislature, leginfo) |
| Florida Public Records Act, Florida Statutes chapter 119 | No fixed number of days in § 119.07 as read: acknowledge requests "promptly" and respond in good faith Fla. Stat. § 119.07 (2026 Florida Statutes, Florida Senate Online Sunshine) | If no fee is set by law: up to 15 cents per one-sided copy, plus up to 5 cents more for a two-sided copy; $1 for a certified copy; a special service charge for extensive IT or clerical work Fla. Stat. § 119.07 (2026 Florida Statutes, Florida Senate Online Sunshine) |
| Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (RTKL), 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104 | 5 business days to respond in writing; one 30-calendar-day extension on specified grounds; no timely response is a deemed denial Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104 (statute text, PDF, on the Office of Open Records website; Chapter 15 as amended by Act 2023-29 effective July 1, 2024) | Up to $0.25 per black-and-white copy (first 1,000; $0.20 after); no fee for email delivery, redaction, search or review; prepayment only if fees are expected to exceed $100 Pennsylvania Office of Open Records: Official RTKL Fee Schedule (adopted Dec. 30, 2024) |
| Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 ILCS 140 | 5 business days to comply or deny; one extension of up to 5 business days on listed grounds, by written notice within the first 5; failure to respond is a denial Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/3 (Illinois General Assembly, ilga.gov) | No fee for the first 50 black-and-white letter or legal pages; up to 15 cents per page after that; certification up to $1; no search or review charges for ordinary (non-commercial, non-voluminous) requests Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/6, fees (Illinois General Assembly, ilga.gov) |
| Ohio Public Records Act, Ohio Revised Code § 149.43 | No fixed number of days: inspection "promptly"; copies "within a reasonable period of time" Ohio Attorney General: The Ohio Public Records Act (Sunshine Laws pages) | Inspection is free; copies "at cost" (actual cost does not include employee time or overhead, with exceptions such as law enforcement video); postage and delivery may be charged Ohio Attorney General: The Ohio Public Records Act (Sunshine Laws pages) |
| Georgia Georgia Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. §§ 50-18-70 through 50-18-77 | Within a reasonable time not to exceed 3 business days; if records are not ready, a description and timeline within 3 business days Georgia Attorney General: Georgia's Sunshine Laws, A Citizen's Guide to Open Government (PDF; reprints O.C.G.A. §§ 50-18-70 to 50-18-77; an older edition, it names a former Attorney General) | Copies up to 10 cents per letter or legal page; search, retrieval and redaction at the lowest-paid qualified employee's prorated hourly salary, none for the first quarter hour; notice of any estimate over $25; prepayment may be required only over $500 or after unpaid prior costs Georgia Attorney General: Georgia's Sunshine Laws, A Citizen's Guide to Open Government (PDF; reprints O.C.G.A. §§ 50-18-70 to 50-18-77; an older edition, it names a former Attorney General) |
| Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. c. 66, §§ 10-10A and c. 4, § 7(26) | 10 business days to provide records or a written response; if more time is needed the written response sets a timeframe of up to 15 business days (agencies) or 25 business days (municipalities) Massachusetts General Laws c. 66, § 10 (Massachusetts Legislature, malegislature.gov) | Up to 5 cents per black-and-white page; no fee for electronic copies; no time charge for the first 4 hours (agencies) or first 2 hours (municipalities over 20,000 people); no more than $25 per hour in general Massachusetts General Laws c. 66, § 10 (Massachusetts Legislature, malegislature.gov) |
| New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. | As soon as possible, and no later than 7 business days after receiving a request (14 business days for a commercial-purpose request or one needing review under Daniel's Law, with notice of the added time within 7 business days); a reasonable extension is allowed with notice New Jersey Government Records Council: Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., readable version as of September 3, 2024 (P.L. 2024, c. 16) (PDF) | $0.05 per letter-size page and $0.07 per legal-size page for paper copies; electronic records by email or fax are free; actual cost of supplies such as discs; a reasonable special service charge may apply for extraordinary effort New Jersey Government Records Council: Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., readable version as of September 3, 2024 (P.L. 2024, c. 16) (PDF) |
| Michigan Freedom of Information Act, Act 442 of 1976, MCL 15.231 et seq. | Within 5 business days after receipt, a public body must grant, deny in writing, grant in part, or issue one notice extending the response time by up to 10 business days MCL 15.235 (Freedom of Information Act section 5, Michigan Legislature) | Actual incremental cost only, under the body's published procedures; paper copies not more than 10 cents per sheet; labor charged at the hourly wage of the lowest-paid capable employee (plus up to 50% for fringe benefits); search and review labor only if not charging would cause unreasonably high costs MCL 15.234 (Freedom of Information Act section 4, Michigan Legislature) |
| Virginia Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA), Va. Code § 2.2-3700 et seq. | Promptly, and in all cases within 5 working days: provide the records or respond in writing (withhold, partly withhold, none found, or not practically possible, which gives 7 more working days); no response is a denial Va. Code § 2.2-3704 (public records to be open; procedure for requests; charges, Virginia Law) | Reasonable charges not exceeding actual cost of accessing, duplicating, supplying or searching; written notice and cost estimate on request; deposit allowed if charges are likely to exceed $200 Va. Code § 2.2-3704 (public records to be open; procedure for requests; charges, Virginia Law) |
| North Carolina Public Records Law, N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 132 | No fixed number of days in the sections read: custodians must furnish copies "as promptly as possible" N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-6 (inspection, examination and copies, North Carolina General Assembly, PDF) | Uncertified copies may not exceed the actual cost of making the copy, unless another law sets a fee; a reasonable special service charge may apply for extensive IT or clerical use N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-6.2 (copies; fees, North Carolina General Assembly, PDF) |
| Washington Public Records Act, RCW chapter 42.56 | Within 5 business days of receiving a request, an agency must provide the record, give a link, acknowledge with a reasonable estimate of time, ask for clarification, or deny in writing RCW 42.56.520 (prompt responses required, Washington State Legislature) | No fee to inspect or locate records; copying charges limited to actual costs the agency has published (default caps of 15 cents per photocopy page, 10 cents per scanned page, and others, if it has not set its own); optional flat fee of up to $2.00; deposit up to 10% of estimated copy cost RCW 42.56.120 (charges for copying, Washington State Legislature) |
Short summaries leave out exceptions. Open the jurisdiction page and the linked source before relying on a detail. The request letter builder uses the same data.
Earlier state guides
- New Hampshire: Right-to-Know Law, RSA 91-A
- Vermont: Public Records Act, 1 V.S.A. ch. 5, subch. 3
- Maine: Freedom of Access Act (FOAA), 1 M.R.S. ch. 13
Not yet researched
These states have no entry yet. An empty state means "not yet researched", not "no law": Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.