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Public Records Requests

Please fax your request form(s) to the Clerk of the Board at 602.506.6402

Background Information for Requesting Public Records in Maricopa County

Requestors only have a right to a record:

1. that is already maintained, and

2. in the format in which it is kept.

Arizona's Public Records Law does not require the County to:

1. obtain a new record, or

2. create new report formats, or

3. convert a record to a different medium or format

All information is considered public record, with three broad exceptions:

1. Confidentiality - Disclosure is not required where prohibited by statute, court rule, or court order (e.g., social security numbers, court orders, etc.).

2. Personal privacy - Some records need not be disclosed due to an individual's privacy rights (e.g., home address, telephone numbers, racial background, age).

3. "Best interest" - Disclosure may not be required if release of the record is not in the best interest of the state (e.g., release would inhibit public safety efforts or place the County at a competitive disadvantage).

    

   The only charge for records for non-commercial purposes is the cost of reproduction. The County cannot charge for the cost of searching for the record nor for retrieval from off-site storage.

• The Standard Document Copying Charge is $0.25 per sheet for 8½ x 11, black and white copies

• A standard "Non-Commercial Purpose Public Record Request" form is available. This form should be completed by a requestor before the record is released, unless the requestor has already provided all the information in writing.

Special circumstances regarding Public Record Request for Commercial Purposes

• The County is not obligated to perform custom programming or extraction, but may choose to do so.

• The County must collect information about the request because control is lost over that information once released.

• Requests for Records for Commercial purposes have four costing options (one or more may apply):

1. cost of reproduction
2. cost of searching (includes retrieval from off-site storage),
3. cost of record maintenance, and/or,
4. percent of fair market value

• A standard "Commercial Purpose Public Record Request" form is available. This form should be completed by a requestor before the record is released, unless the requestor has already provided all the information in writing.

• The Public Records Advisory Board may assist County staff in determining costing strategies, fair market value, and responses to commercial-purpose requests.