What are the requesters and records custodians rights and obligations for assessing charges?
A requester can ask the records custodian to estimate in advance the cost of filling a request for records, which presumably gives a requester the right to refuse further action if he or she thinks the amount is too expensive. For requests of $200 or more, the records custodian can ask the requester to pay a deposit of up to the total amount it will cost to process the request. Any amount deposited will be credited toward the final total. A records custodian may require a requester to pay any bills for past FOIA requests that are more than 30 days old before the custodian processes the next request for records.
Related Questions
- Can a records custodian charge a requester for the computer hardware, software or extra electricity it takes to process a request?
- What are the requesters and records custodians rights and obligations for assessing charges?
- What are my obligations or rights with regard to the confidentiality of student records?
