Can places of deposit charge for access to deposited public records?
The Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967 raise no legal impediment to charging for access to public records. A few places of deposit do charge for access to their original archive material, including public records, but this practice is not widespread. In line with government policy, The National Archives has no plans to introduce charging for access to original historical records in its public search rooms at Kew, and strongly encourages other archives to follow suit.
Related Questions
- How much can a public governmental body charge for producing copies of public records, and can the records custodian require the person requesting the record to make copies?
- Does the strategy address the issue of central government funding for deposited public records kept in places of deposit?
- What role do places of deposit play in decisions about which public records should be permanently preserved?
