How To File a Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Act Request Effortlessly

The Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is called the Right to Know Law. Even though the FOIA was established in 1966, Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Act differed from it until 2009. The Act stated that the government files and documents were not public unless the requester could prove that they should be.

The Pennsylvania Right to Know Act enables anyone to file a FOIA request and access the records. If you want to file a FOIA request in Pennsylvania, we can help you do it in a trouble-free way.

How To File a Pennsylvania FOIA Request by Yourself

To file the PA Freedom of Information Act, you’ll need to follow a few steps first:

1. Do thorough research on which agency holds the information you need
2. Find out who the agency open records officer (AORO) is and address your request to them
3. Fill out the RTK request form
4. Submit your request via fax, email, letter, or in person

The method of submitting your request will depend on the agency (some may even have an online form), but you’ll need to address it to the AORO in any case. Your request must be specific so that the agency can find the records easily. Make sure to keep a copy of the request for yourself.

What Are the Fees for Filing FOIA PA Requests?

The Pennsylvania FOIA might require you to pay some fees. Every state has different rules, and the following apply to Pennsylvania:

• Black and white copies could cost up to $0.25 per copy for the first 1,000 of them and 0.20 per copy for more than 1,000 copies
• Color copies fees will go up to $0.50 per copy
• Conversion to paper can be up to $0.25 per page
• Certification is up to $5.00 per record

Delivery methods can also come with a fee:

What Are the Exemptions to the Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Act?

The Pennsylvania Right to Know Law has exemptions of its own. This state won’t allow its citizens to access:

• Investigative records
• Birth records
• Death records
• Accident reports

No exemption forbids you to make a FOIA request on yourself.

How To File Your FOIA PA Requests With DoNotPay

DoNotPay is the most convenient way for filing FOIA requests because our platform has an automated feature for online requests that does all the work. All you need to do is open DoNotPay in any web browser and input some information about your request. Our app will create the FOIA request letter and file it on your behalf.

Here are the steps you can follow to file a FOIA request with DoNotPay:

1. Open the FOIA feature by typing what you need in the search box—Pennsylvania FOIA
2. Specify whether the agency you’re filing your request with is a state or a federal agency
3. Type in the agency’s name, your full name, the title, author, date (if available) of the document you’re asking for
4. Select a fee waiver and expedited processing if that’s what you want

Following the completion of the steps, DoNotPay will generate a request based on what you’ve provided, and we’ll send it to the designated agency. If you ever wish to compile a request letter on your own, you can use DoNotPay’s template.

DoNotPay Works With Any Agency

Whether you want to access CIA files or check police reports and military records, DoNotPay can help you. Our sophisticated platform works with any agency you can think of.

Check out some of the agencies below:

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM)
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
• U.S. Air Force
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• State Department

You can use our platform regardless of the state you’re in. We can help you file a request in any of these states and more:

• Maryland
• Florida
• Texas
• Ohio
• Indiana
• West Virginia
• Massachusetts
• Pennsylvania

How To File an Appeal With Pennsylvania Office of Open Records

To file an appeal with the PA Office of Open Records, you’ll need to use their online appeal form. The deadline is 15 business days from the date you received the agency’s response.

You’ll need to provide the following information so that you can file an appeal:

• A copy of your original request
• The copy of the response or proof that the agency didn’t respond
• A statement that explains why you’re entitled to the denied public record
• A statement that addresses the basis on which the agency denied the request

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