Deadlines, fees and appeals
Federal agencies are directed to respond within twenty business days, a clock that governs the response, not the delivery of records. In practice complex requests run far longer, and a backlog is not itself a violation. State deadlines vary from a few days to no fixed limit at all.
Fees depend on requester category. Journalists, researchers and educational requesters generally pay lower duplication fees than commercial ones, and fee waivers are available where disclosure is in the public interest — but the waiver must be requested and justified, not assumed.
A denial is not the end. Administrative appeal is usually a prerequisite before any court action, and it is often successful, because the appeal is reviewed by someone other than the person who denied it.
