Must copies of public records be provided at no cost if requestor says he/she cannot afford the cost?
There is no provision in state public disclosure law that exempts indigent persons from having to pay for copies of public records pursuant to a public disclosure request. A public agency could adopt a policy to that effect; however, unless it puts an upper limit on that number, it would be opening itself up to providing to indigent persons any number of copies at no charge. Also, any such policy should require proof of indigent status, as that may be defined in the policy. For more information on this topic, see MRSC’s “Public Records Disclosure” Web page. • Are building plans submitted by a developer for approval by the local government considered disclosable information? Building plans submitted to a local government for approval are considered public records and copies should be given to individuals requesting them. There is no public disclosure exemption that applies to such plans. If a municipality has reason to believe that the developer may object to the disclosure of the plans
