Asking a Georgia agency for its records

01 How do I file an open records request with a Georgia agency?

A written request to a Georgia agency should name the records you want, not the questions you want answered. The agency then has three business days to tell you whether it holds them. Copies are usually charged at a set rate per page, and you can ask to inspect the records for free before you pay for copies.

Put it in writing. Email is fine, and it gives you a dated record of what you asked. Address it to the agency that holds the document, not to a general office. If you are unsure which office keeps it, the state portal georgia.gov lists agencies by subject, and a short phone call to the front desk will usually point you to the right desk.

Keep the request narrow. A good request names a type of record, a period, and a person or department. For example: the travel expense claims filed by the county school board between January and June of last year. That is a request an office can answer. A request for everything about a topic is not, and it invites delay.

You do not have to explain why you want the records. Georgia law does not require a reason, and agencies should not ask for one. You also do not have to say who you are beyond a name and a way to reach you.

Ask for the format you can use. If you want a spreadsheet, say so. If you are happy to read a paper file in the office, say that instead, because inspection is often quicker and cheaper than copying. A guide such as the Georgia open records request desk sets out how the state's public records and budget documents are organised, which helps when you are choosing the right office in the first place.

One practical habit: keep a single thread. Reply to your own sent email rather than starting a new one, and note the date of each exchange. If the answer is late, that thread is the record you will rely on.

02 How long does a Georgia agency have to respond to an open records request?

Three business days. That is the standard window under the state's open records law. The clock starts when the agency receives the request, not when you send it, so a request that arrives on a Friday afternoon effectively begins on the next working day.

The three days are for a response, not for the records themselves. The agency must tell you within that window whether it will provide the records, whether it needs more time, or whether it is denying the request and on what ground. A short written answer saying the office is still gathering the files is a valid response, as long as it comes inside the three days.

If the records are not ready, the agency should give you a date. Ask for that date in writing. A date is easier to follow up than a promise.

Some records are exempt. Personnel files, certain investigative material, and some health information fall outside the general rule. When an agency cites an exemption, ask it to name the exemption in writing. You are entitled to know which part of the law it is relying on.

If the deadline passes with no answer, send one short follow-up that repeats the request and the date you sent it. Keep the tone flat. Most delays are workload, not refusal, and a clear reminder resolves them. If the silence continues, the state has a process for mediation, and the attorney general's office publishes guidance on it.

03 What copy fees can a Georgia agency charge for public records?

Agency fees are set out in a published schedule, and the common charge is a few pence per page for standard black and white copies. The exact figure varies by office, so ask for the schedule before you agree to anything. An agency should be able to send you its fee list on request.

Inspection is normally free. If you go to the office and read the file there, you should not be charged for the reading. You pay for copies, and you can choose which pages you actually want once you have seen them. For a long file, that is the cheapest route.

Agencies may also charge for the time spent searching for records in some circumstances, particularly where a request is very broad or where the files are archived off site. Ask about search fees in advance if your request covers a long period or an old file. A written estimate before the work begins is reasonable to request, and it lets you narrow the request if the figure is high.

You can ask for electronic copies. Where a record already exists as a digital file, sending it by email costs the agency almost nothing, and many offices will do it. It is worth asking rather than assuming.

If a fee seems wrong, ask for the line in the schedule that supports it. Offices make mistakes, and a polite question about the calculation often brings the figure down.

04 Where do birth, death and court records sit?

These are held by different offices, and the request route differs for each.

Birth and death certificates are vital records, held by the state's public health office. You apply on a form, prove your relationship to the person named, and pay a set fee. These are not open records in the ordinary sense, because the certificate belongs to the person and their close family.

Court records sit with the clerk of the superior court in the county where the case was heard. Deeds, liens, and civil case files are usually kept there. Many county clerks now have an online index, so you can find the file number before you write. A request that quotes the file number is answered much faster than one that describes a dispute from memory.

State archives hold older material, including records from defunct offices. If a file is more than a few decades old, the state archives is often the right place to start, and its staff can tell you whether the record survives at all.

05 What about money and spending records?

The state publishes spending and salary data on its open budget site, and the Office of Planning and Budget publishes budget summaries and instructions. Audit reports are published too. Much of this is already online, so check before you write. A request for a document that is already posted will simply be answered with a link.

School district finances are a common subject. Each district publishes its own budget, and the district office holds the underlying claims and ledgers. Ask the district for the specific month and the specific fund.

For state agencies, salary and travel data are the usual starting point. If you want the detail behind a published total, name the total and the period, and ask for the supporting records.

06 A short routine that works

Write one page. Name the record, the period, and the office. Send it by email and keep the thread. Note the three day deadline in your diary. Ask for the fee schedule at the same time. If you hear nothing, send one reminder. If the fee is high, ask to inspect instead. If the record is old, try the archives. If it is a court file, start with the clerk's index.

That is the whole method. It is not dramatic, and it does not require a lawyer. It requires a clear sentence, a date, and a follow-up.