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Public Information Request
Fees
Fees for actual costs incurred in excess of two hours of time for research, preparation and production will be assessed. Records taking in excess of two hours to locate and prepare will not be produced until payment of such fees is made. In the event of a very broad request, the County may, in its discretion, request a deposit before expending more than two hours of research time to prepare a response. Requests should be narrowly tailored in order to avoid incurring fees related to production.
If a record is available in an electronic format, no reproduction fee will be assessed when the record is transmitted to the applicant electronically. Otherwise, the following fees will be assessed:
1. $.30 per page fee for each black and white paper copy;
2. $1.00 per page fee for each color paper copy; and,
3. $5.00 fee for records produced via thumb drive.
Waiver of Fees
An applicant may request a total or partial waiver of fees. Under GP § 4-206(e), a waiver of fees may be granted if:
1. The applicant asks for a waiver; and
2. The applicant submits an Affidavit of Indigency and meets the definition of “indigent” under the Maryland Public Information Act; or
3. After consideration of the applicant’s ability to pay the cost or fee and other relevant factors, the official custodian determines that a waiver would be in the public interest, rather than for personal or commercial purposes.
An Affidavit of Indigency form can be located through the Maryland Attorney General website at https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/OpenGov%20Documents/Appendix_D.pdf
To submit a Public Information Act Request to Harford County Council, email: PIARequest@HarfordCountyCouncil.com