Unlike the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Idaho’s own Public Records Act makes it very easy for citizens to request copies government records. Our state law requires government agencies at all levels in Idaho to respond to requests quickly. The law also assumes that all public records, unless expressly exempted by law, are disclosable. The Office of the Attorney General publishes an informative guide to help citizens request public information.
Days Needed to Close Public Records Requests in 2021
Under the law public agencies have three working days from the date of the receipt of the request to grant or deny the information. However, public agencies should not delay three days to provide information that is readily available.
Employees of the public agency are allowed to determine that a longer period of time is needed to locate or retrieve information, notify the individual in writing that more time is needed, and then grant or deny the request in whole or in part within ten working days following the request.
Fees Collected for Processing Records Requests in 2021
Although Idaho Code allows agencies to establish a fee to recover labor costs for voluminous or complex requests, or requests that involve locating archival information, IDL is able to full most public records requests at no cost.
Idaho Code does allows state agencies to establish a copying fee schedule, which “may not exceed the actual cost to the agency of copying the record…”. For information provided in electronic form, the law permits charging for the “direct cost of copying the information in that form.”
If it is determined that fulfilling the request will result in a fee for labor and/or copies, the 10 business days count will stop on the date the requester is notified of a fee due. All work to fulfill the request stops until the fee is paid. The requester has 30 calendar days to make payment. When the fee is paid, the 10 business days count will resume.
IDL does not charge a fee for the first 100 pages of records or for the first 2 hours of research/labor time when processing public records requests. Fees are also not changed unless the total billable amount exceeds $40.00
Staff Time Required to Process Requests in 2021
A request for records must be granted or denied within three days after receipt. If the custodian determines that a request cannot be granted within three days after receipt, IDL will acknowledge receipt of the request in writing and advise the requester that up to 10 business days may be necessary to retrieve the records. The request must be granted or denied in whole, or in part, within 10 business days.
If a state agency does not respond to a request within 10 business days following the request, the request is deemed to be denied per Idaho Code.
Public Records Requested by Subject in 2021
Total Hours to Process Public Records Requests by Subject in 2021
Processing requests for information about land exchanges in 2021 was time consuming. Nearly 20% of the time logged to process all public records requests was attributed to Land Exchanges, but only 6% of the total number of requests pertained to this subject. For comparison, Encroachment Permits accounted for more than 58% of the total request volume, but required only 26% of the total hours of processing time.
Public Records Requests Redacted or Denied in 2021
A request for records must be granted or denied within three days after receipt. If the custodian determines that a request cannot be granted within three days after receipt, IDL will acknowledge receipt of the request in writing and advise the requester that up to 10 business days may be necessary to retrieve the records. The request must be granted or denied in whole, or in part, within 10 business days.
If a state agency does not respond to a request within 10 business days following the request, the request is deemed to be denied per Idaho Code.
Individuals Submitting the Most Public Records Requests in 2021
| Requestor Name | Total Requests |
| Kelli Williams | 67 |
| Kari Burg | 29 |
| Bruce Smith | 22 |
| Leanne Oliveira | 21 |
| Bill Fanning | 20 |
| Denise Riggs | 17 |
| Jonathan Oppenheimer | 15 |
| Bailey Powell | 13 |
| Cindy Richardson | 13 |
| Connie Nelson | 10 |
Unique Public Records Requests with Longest Processing Times in 2021
| Requestor Name | Time to Process |
| David Arkoosh | 64.5 hours |
| Blake Ringer | 48.25 hours |
| Ben Timchak | 25.75 hours |
| Bruce Smith | 15.75 hours |
| Christy Smith | 13.38 hours |
| Demarie Slinger | 8.5 hours |
| Erin VanGundy | 8 hours |
| Jamie Berube | 5 hours |
| Jonathan Oppenheimer | 5 hours |
| Jonathan Oppenheimer | 5 hours |