Open Records Requests

The Georgia Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. §50-18-70, et seq, outlines how members of the public can request and inspect public records.

What is a public record?

The term "public record" includes a variety of document types, including papers, maps, and computer-based or generated information. Records must also be prepared, maintained, or received by an agency (or by an agency contractor) to qualify. See O.C.G.A. §50-18-70(b)(2) for a complete definition of “public record”. 

Not all governmental records are public records. O.C.G.A. §50-18-71(j) exempts agencies from preparing new records if they do not exist at the time a request is submitted. If a record does exist, then state law may exempt some or all of the record’s information from disclosure. Applicable exemptions are detailed in O.C.G. A. § 50-18-72. There are also numerous confidentiality statutes in federal and state law which may apply to an open records request.

How do I submit an Open Records Request?

OPB has designated Gus Elliott as its open records officer, pursuant to O.C.G.A. §50-18-71(b). Members of the public must submit open records requests to the open records officer following the instructions below. Once you submit your request, you will receive a response within three business days during normal business hours. The response will include a description of the records and a time and cost estimate for their release.

OPB is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM, excluding state holidays and emergency closures. You can find the state calendar at team.georgia.gov. 

Time and Cost

The Open Records Act permits state agencies to impose a reasonable charge for fulfilling open records requests. Time and cost are calculated using the hourly salary of the lowest paid employee qualified to work on the request. The first fifteen minutes of employee time expended on the request is exempt from being charged. Agencies will impose a fee for the physical copying of records or data at $.10 cents per page. Some types of documents may incur the actual cost of producing copies. For electronic records, agencies will charge the actual cost of the media on which the records or data are produced.

If the estimated cost for record production exceeds $500.00, OPB will insist on pre-payment before beginning work on the request. OPB may require pre-payment for a new request if the requestor has not paid for a prior request. 

See O.C.G.A. §50-18-71(c) & (d) for the full criteria for when an agency may charge to fulfill a request.

Submit an Open Records Request

Open records requests to the Office of Planning and Budget must be submitted via email to Gus Elliott ([email protected]).