Freedom of Access Act Request

To Submit a Freedom of Access Act request for public records, please complete the form below. A reply email will be sent to you indicating that your request has been received. 

Title 1, Chapter 13: PUBLIC RECORDS AND PROCEEDINGS

1 M.R.S. § 408-A(8)(A) Fees: There is no initial fee for submitting a FOAA request and agencies cannot charge an individual to inspect records unless the public record cannot be inspected without being compiled or converted. 1 M.R.S. § 408-A(8)(D) However, agencies can and normally do charge for copying records. Although the FOAA does not set standard copying rates, it permits agencies to charge "a reasonable fee to cover the cost of copying". 

1 M.R.S. § 408-A(8)(C) Agencies and officials may also charge fees for the time spent searching for, retrieving, compiling or redacting confidential information from the requested records. The FOAA authorizes agencies or officials to charge $15 per hour after the first hour of staff time per request. As of October 18, 2021, an agency or official may charge $25 per hour after the first two hours of staff time per request. 1 M.R.S. § 408-A(8)(B) Where conversion of a record is necessary, the agency or official may also charge a fee to cover the actual cost of conversion.