Right to Know

As of 2009, the Sunshine Act and the PA Right to Know Law have worked together to provide transparency of government and give citizens access to public records to which they are entitled. For a nominal fee, requests can be made seeking review or copies of records from any public body.

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Fees are as follows:

• Copies: $.25 per page side ($.50 for two-sided copy)

• Certified record: $5.00 per record

• Third-party copy: Actual cost

• Postage: Actual cost

• Fees exceeding $100: Prepayment required

 

The state office asks requesters to use good judgment in seeking records and not use the law to harass or overburden public bodies from performing their main functions.

A request must be specific enough to enable the determination of which records are being requested. The request should be made to seek records, not to have questions answered. For instance, there is a difference between asking “How much money did you spend on the new traffic light?” vs. “Please provide records that reflect the expenditures by the Township for the traffic light at the intersection of streets X and Y.”

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Requesters must make their request directly to the agency or agencies that hold the records they are seeking. See the PA Office of Open Records Citizen’s Guide for additional information.