Open Records

Georgia’s public records law is the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA), found at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq. All government information is presumed to be available to the public unless a specific exemption applies, and the law is notable for one of the shortest response windows in the country.

Who can request records

Any person may request records – you generally don’t need to give a reason or disclose your identity or purpose. A few narrow exceptions require more: accident reports require a written statement of need, and certain 911 recordings or law enforcement body camera footage involving privacy concerns may require a sworn affidavit.

What’s covered

GORA applies to a broad range of public institutions – state, county, regional, city, and local agencies, plus many components within larger agencies. It also covers nonprofits that receive more than a third of their budget from state tax funds, and other organizations with significant public funding. It does NOT include the Georgia legislature. Most court records aren’t covered by GORA directly, though separate provisions allow access to court documents.

How to request

Requests may be made orally or in writing, though written requests are preferred by most agencies for documentation and clarity. Many agencies provide an online records portal (Georgia’s Attorney General’s office notes a streamlined complaint system exists too, for when things go wrong).

Response timeline

Georgia gives agencies just 3 business days to produce responsive records – a notably short window compared to most states. If only some records are available within that window, the agency must release what it has and provide a timeline for the rest. If a request is denied in whole or in part, the agency must state in writing the specific legal exemption relied on, by Code section and subsection, within that same 3-business-day period. There’s no further hard deadline beyond the initial 3 days – after that, the standard becomes “a reasonable amount of time” based on the volume and complexity of what’s being sought.

Fees

– The first 15 minutes of search/retrieval/redaction time is free. – Beyond that, the hourly rate charged cannot exceed the prorated hourly salary of the lowest-paid full-time employee with the necessary skill to do the work. – Copying costs up to $0.10/page for letter or legal-size documents; other formats are charged at actual cost. – Electronic records are charged at the actual cost of the media they’re produced on. – If estimated costs exceed $500, the agency can require prepayment before starting the search, retrieval, review, or production. – If a requester hasn’t paid for a prior request, an agency may require prepayment for any future requests until that balance is resolved. – If the estimated cost will exceed $25, the agency must notify the requester of that estimate within the initial 3-business-day window.

Exemptions

GORA’s exemptions are listed specifically in O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 – covering categories like certain personnel medical/insurance information, active or pending investigation records, and specific protections such as redacting Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, and bank account information before disclosure. Agencies aren’t required to create new reports, summaries, or compilations that don’t already exist.

If your request is denied

Enforcement runs through Georgia’s Superior Courts, which can compel record production, award attorney’s fees, and levy fines. Violations carry real consequences: a knowing and willful refusal can bring a $1,000 criminal misdemeanor fine, plus civil penalties of $1,000 for a first offense and $2,500 for repeat offenses within 12 months. Employees involved in wrongful denials can also face disciplinary action or termination. The Attorney General’s office maintains a streamlined complaint system for requesters running into problems, even though there’s no formal records ombudsman.

A note on terminology

Georgia’s law is officially the “Georgia Open Records Act” (GORA) – the same basic type of law that other states call a “Freedom of Information Act,” “FOIA Laws” (South Carolina), or “Public Records Laws” (Tennessee).