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PA Public Records Law

Right-to-Know Law (RTKL)

65 P.S. §§ 67.101 et seq.

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

Response timeline

Agency must respond within 5 business days. May extend by up to 30 additional calendar days with written notice, for reasons including extensive redactions, complex searches, or legal review. Failure to respond within the deadline is a deemed denial.

Appeal process

Administrative appeal required?
Yes, before going to court
Appeal deadline
15 days from denial
Appeal response deadline
30 business days
Appeals body
Office of Open Records (OOR)
Advisory resource

The Office of Open Records (OOR) can provide guidance and advisory opinions on your request.

Website
www.openrecords.pa.gov
Phone
(717) 346-9903
Address
333 Market Street, 16th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101

Enforcement

Court action
Appeal to Court of Common Pleas in Court of Common Pleas
Filing fee
~$250
Filing deadline
30 days from final denial
Attorney fee trigger
Courts may order attorney fees and court costs if the agency is found to have unreasonably withheld records. Civil fines up to $1,500 for bad faith denial. Additional penalties up to $500/day for failing to comply with OOR final orders.
Per-day penalty cap
$500/day

Fees

Copy fee
$0.25/page
Search fees
Not allowed
Electronic delivery
Required when requested

Duplication costs only; agencies cannot charge for review time or determining whether records are exempt. Standard copy fees set by OOR fee schedule. Electronic delivery required when requested.

ALPR-specific provisions

Favorable

No ALPR-specific exemption. ALPR data is subject to standard RTKL exemptions only. No ALPR-specific exemption. A pending bill proposes a permitting process for state agency ALPR installations. ALPR data is subject to standard RTKL 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.

  • Criminal investigation records
  • Personal privacy (personal identification information)
  • Endanger physical safety or personal security
  • Trade secrets and confidential proprietary information
  • Attorney-client privileged communications
  • Internal predecisional deliberations
  • Homeland security records

Agencies in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Police Department
Philadelphia active
Pittsburgh Bureau of Police
Pittsburgh active

Generate a request letter

For Philadelphia 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: RTKL Request — ALPR/Flock Safety Detection Data Dear Records Access Officer: Pursuant to Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law (65 P.S. \xA7\xA7 67.101 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 Philadelphia 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 pursuant to the Right-to-Know Law. If fulfilling this request will cost more than $25, please provide an estimate before proceeding. I expect a response within five business days as required by 65 P.S. \xA7 67.901. If you deny any portion of this request, please provide a written response citing the specific statutory exemption and explaining how it applies. Thank you for your assistance. [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email]