PNA Legal Hotline: Informal requests for records OK
From the PNA Legal Hotline
By Teri Henning, General Counsel
and Melissa Melewsky, Media Law Counsel
Pennsylvania Newspaper Association
Q: If I want a document from a local agency, do I have to make a Right to Know request?
A: No.
The Right to Know Law requires government agencies to provide access to and copies of public records within the timeframe set forth in the law. In many circumstances, you may receive a faster response if you request a record (or information) more informally. Informal requests do not need to be in writing. They may be made to any contact you have at the agency.
If you don’t receive a quick, satisfactory response to your informal request, we recommend that you put your request in writing, reference the Right to Know Law, and e-mail or fax it to the agency’s open records officer.
Only when you submit your request in writing does the clock start for an agency to respond, and only then do you have the rights and remedies set forth in the Right to Know Law.
Pennsylvania Newspaper Association attorneys provide member newspapers with advice on the state's open records and open meetings laws.
