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MA Public Records Law

Massachusetts Public Records Law

G.L. c. 66, § 10; G.L. c. 4, § 7(26)

Initial response
10 business days
Final response
25 business days
Penalties
Per-day + fee shifting
Attorney fees
Discretionary
ALPR exemption
None
Burden of proof
On the agency

Response timeline

Records Access Officer must respond within 10 business days. State agencies must produce records within 15 business days; municipalities within 25 business days. Extensions of up to 20 additional business days (agencies) or 30 (municipalities) with good cause shown.

Appeal process

Administrative appeal required?
No, can go directly to court
Appeal deadline
90 days from denial
Appeal response deadline
10 business days
Appeals body
Supervisor of Records (Secretary of the Commonwealth)
Advisory resource

The Supervisor of Records can provide guidance and advisory opinions on your request.

Website
www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/public-records/public-records-law/appealing-a-denial.htm
Phone
(617) 727-2832
Address
One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, MA 02108

Enforcement

Court action
Civil action to compel compliance in Superior Court
Filing fee
~$320
Filing deadline
No specific deadline
Attorney fee trigger
Superior Court may award reasonable attorney fees and costs to a requester who obtains relief, with a presumption favoring the award. Five narrow exceptions: supervisor found no violation, reliance on published appellate decision, reliance on published AG opinion, request designed to harass, or commercial purpose unrelated to government transparency. Punitive damages of $1,000–$5,000 for bad faith denials. G.L. c. 66, § 10A.

Fees

Copy fee
$0.05/page
Search fees
Allowed
Electronic delivery
Required when requested

Hourly rate for search, segregation, and redaction capped at $25/hour. State agencies: first 4 hours free. Municipalities: first 2 hours free. Copying at reasonable cost. Electronic delivery required when requested.

ALPR-specific provisions

Favorable

No ALPR-specific exemption. ALPR data is subject to standard Public Records Law exemptions only. No ALPR-specific exemption. A pending bill seeks stronger privacy protections limiting employee access to ALPR data. ALPR data is subject to standard public records exemptions.

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
  • Personal privacy (personnel, medical files)
  • Endanger physical safety
  • Trade secrets and proprietary information
  • Attorney-client privileged communications
  • Homeland security and terrorism response plans

Agencies in Massachusetts

Boston Police Department
Boston active
Worcester Police Department
Worcester active

Generate a request letter

For Boston Police Department

When to use

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

Generated letter
To: Records Access Officer From: [Your Name] Date: 2026-08-30 Subject: Public Records Law Request — ALPR/Flock Safety Detection Data Dear Records Access Officer: Pursuant to the Massachusetts Public Records Law (G.L. c. 66, \xA7 10), 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 Boston 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 as required by the Public Records Law when available. If fulfilling this request will cost more than $25, please provide an estimate before proceeding. I expect a response within ten business days as required by G.L. c. 66, \xA7 10(b). If you deny any portion of this request, please cite the specific statutory exemption and explain how it applies to each withheld record. Thank you for your assistance. [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email]