How to File a Public Records Request in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law (RTKL), enacted in 2008 and effective January 1, 2009, fundamentally reversed the state's prior public records presumption. Under the current law, all records held by state and local government agencies are presumed to be public. The burden falls on the agency — not the requester — to justify withholding any record. Any legal U.S. resident may file a request; no reason is required. Agencies must respond within five business days of receipt, though they may invoke a 30-calendar-day extension when necessary. The law created the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR) as a free, accessible administrative forum for appealing denials, making Pennsylvania's system notably more requester-friendly than most states.
The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law
- Statutory Citation
- 65 P.S. §§ 67.101 et seq. (Act of Feb. 14, 2008, P.L. 6, No. 3)
- Response Deadline
- 5 business days
- Fee Provisions
- Under the RTKL, agencies may charge for actual duplication costs — up to $0.25 per page for black-and-white standard copies under the OOR's Official Fee Schedule (updated Dec. 30, 2024). No fee may be charged for searching for, retrieving, or reviewing records to determine whether they are public. Agencies may require prepayment if estimated fees exceed $100. All fees may be waived at agency discretion. Electronic records must be provided in the requested format if they exist in that medium, at no charge beyond any required printing.
- Key Exemptions
- The RTKL contains 30 enumerated exceptions in Section 708 and approximately 39 statutory exclusions. Records that may be withheld include personal security and safety information, DNA and Social Security records, personal financial information, confidential law enforcement investigative records, identities of covert officers, home addresses of judges and law enforcement, attorney-client privileged communications, trade secrets, and records barred from disclosure by state or federal law or court order.
- Appeal Process
- If a request is denied — or not responded to within five business days (a 'deemed denial') — requesters have 15 business days from the mailing date of the denial to appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR) at 333 Market Street, 16th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120. The OOR must issue a final determination within 30 days. Adverse OOR decisions may be appealed to Commonwealth Court. Under 65 P.S. § 67.1304, courts may award attorney fees and costs if an agency acted in bad faith or with willful and wanton disregard of access rights, or if a denial was not based on a reasonable interpretation of law.
- Ombudsman
- Pennsylvania does not have a standalone ombudsman, but the Office of Open Records (OOR) serves as a free administrative appeals body and public resource. The OOR can be reached at (717) 346-9903 or at openrecords.pa.gov.
City FOIA Guides in Pennsylvania
Select a city below for a detailed guide on how to file a public records request with that municipality.
Need Help with Public Records in Pennsylvania?
If you're dealing with missing records or unresponsive agencies in Pennsylvania, Project Paper Trail can help you follow the paper trail on development approvals.
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