RTKRequestForm
View original document →
Overview
This is a two-page Standard Right-to-Know Law Request Form issued by the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. It is designed for individuals or entities to formally request public records from government agencies in Pennsylvania.
Key Instructions & Requirements
- Retention: Requesters must complete the form and retain a copy of both pages, as this may be required if an appeal is filed.
- Appeal Window: There are 15 business days to appeal after a request is denied or deemed denied.
- Public Record: In most cases, the completed form itself is considered a public record.
- Residency: The requester must affirm they are a legal resident of the United States. Failure to check this box may result in denial of the request.
Section 1: Submission Details (Page 1)
- Agency Information: Fields to specify the agency name and attention line (Attn: AORO).
- Submission Method: Options to indicate how the request was submitted (Email, U. S. Mail, Fax, or In Person).
- Requester Information: Fields for Full Name, Company (if applicable), Email, Mailing Address, City, State, Zip, and Telephone.
- Response Preference: Requesters can choose to receive the response via Email or U. S. Mail.
- Contact Preference: Options for how the agency should contact the requester if they have questions (Telephone, Email, or U. S. Mail).
- Records Description: A section to provide detailed information about the records sought, including subject matter, time frame, and type of record.
Section 2: Delivery & Fees (Page 2)
- Copy Preferences: Requesters can choose between printed copies, electronic copies, or in-person inspection.
- Medium of Records: Records will be provided in the medium requested if they exist in that format; otherwise, they are provided in the medium in which they exist.
- Fee Notification: Requesters can opt to be notified before further processing if fees will exceed $100 (or a custom amount).
- Certified Copies: An option to request certified copies, which may incur additional costs.
Section 3: Agency Use Only (Page 2)
This section is reserved for the receiving agency to track and process the request. It includes fields for:
- Tracking number and Date Received.
- Response Due dates (standard 5 business days or a 30-day extension).
- Actual Response Date.
- Decision status: Granted, Partially Granted & Denied, or Denied.
- Cost to Requester.
- Confirmation that appropriate third parties were notified of the request.