GA Public Records Law

Georgia Open Records Act (ORA)

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.

Initial response

3 business days

Penalties

Per-day + fee shifting

Attorney fees

Discretionary

ALPR exemption

Yes

Burden of proof

On the agency

Response timeline

Agency must respond within 3 business days by producing records, providing a timeline for production, or denying with specific legal authority. No charge for the first 15 minutes of search time. Strong statutory presumption favoring disclosure without delay.

Appeal process

Administrative appeal required?: No, can go directly to court
Appeals body: Direct court action (Superior Court)

Advisory resource

The Office of the Attorney General, Open Government Unit can provide guidance and advisory opinions on your request.

Website: law.georgia.gov/key-issues/open-government
Phone: (404) 458-3600
Address: 40 Capitol Square SW, Atlanta, GA 30334

Enforcement

Court action: Civil action or mandamus in Superior Court
Filing fee: ~$250
Filing deadline: No specific deadline
Attorney fee trigger: Courts may award attorney fees and costs to prevailing requesters. Civil penalties of up to $1,000 for first violation and $2,500 for subsequent violations within 12 months. Criminal misdemeanor penalties also available. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-74.

Fees

Copy fee: $0.1/page
Search fees: Allowed
Electronic delivery: Not required

Maximum 10 cents per page for letter/legal size copies. Search fees capped at the prorated hourly salary of the lowest-paid qualified employee. First 15 minutes of search time are free. Requesters may use personal devices to copy records at no charge. Advance payment required if estimated costs exceed $500.

ALPR-specific provisions

Warning

This state has an ALPR-specific exemption: O.C.G.A. § 35-1-22. Georgia law explicitly exempts ALPR data from public disclosure. O.C.G.A. § 35-1-22(f) states captured license plate data "shall not be subject to public disclosure pursuant to Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50." Data must be destroyed within 30 months of collection unless related to an active investigation. Flock Safety is headquartered in Atlanta; Georgia has over 9,600 documented ALPR cameras statewide.

Exemptions to watch for

These are the exemptions agencies most commonly invoke to deny surveillance records requests. Knowing them helps you anticipate and counter a denial.

Law enforcement investigation records
ALPR captured license plate data (O.C.G.A. § 35-1-22)
Personal privacy (medical, financial identifiers)
Pending investigations until litigation is final
Trade secrets (with required affidavit)
Homeland security and terrorism response plans
Computer software programs
Sealed bids and proposals until contract award

Agencies in Georgia

Atlanta Police Department

Atlanta active

Cobb County Police Department

Cobb County active

Generate a request letter

For Atlanta Police Department

When to use

You want to see what the cameras actually recorded — plates, vehicle descriptions, images, timestamps.

Your name

Your mailing address

Your email

Date of interest

Start time

End time

Location (road, intersection, or area) (optional)

Cost cap ($) (optional)

Generated letter

To: Records Access Officer From: [Your Name] Date: 2026-08-30 Subject: ORA Request — ALPR/Flock Safety Detection Data Dear Records Access Officer: Pursuant to the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. \xA7 50-18-70 et seq.), I request access to and copies of the following records: All automated license plate reader (ALPR) detection logs, images, and associated metadata captured by any ALPR device (including but not limited to Flock Safety cameras) operated by or on behalf of Atlanta Police Department during the following time period: Date: [Date] Time: [Start Time] to [End Time] __IF_LOCATION__Location: __USER_LOCATION__ This includes but is not limited to: license plate numbers, vehicle make/model/color, vehicle images, detection timestamps, camera identification numbers, and any alerts generated. I request that records be provided in electronic format where available. If fulfilling this request will cost more than $25, please provide an estimate before proceeding. I expect a response within three business days as required by O.C.G.A. \xA7 50-18-71(b)(1)(A). If you deny any portion of this request, please cite the specific statutory exemption and provide a written explanation. Thank you for your assistance. [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email]