The Access to Public Records Act (APRA) applies to records maintained by state and municipal agencies. APRA allows a public body ten (10) business days to respond to a request for access to public records, or all materials generated or collected by public entities in connection with the conduct of official business.
APRA is not applicable to court case files. If you are an individual looking for court documents regarding a case you are associated with, you do not need to file an APRA request. You should contact the clerk’s office of the court where your case was filed.
Requests may be extended up to an additional twenty (20) business days to comply with the request if the public body can demonstrate that additional time is necessary to avoid imposing an undue burden to facilitate the request. If the public body determines that the requested records are exempt from disclosure, the public body will provide the requester with the specific reasons for the denial of the request in writing. The public body is not obligated to produce for inspection or copying records that are not in the possession of the public body and the public body is not required to reorganize, consolidate, or compile data that is not maintained.
Requests for data will be responded to in accordance with G.L. 1956 § 38-2-2, which requires a response within ten (10) business days from the date of receipt and an additional twenty (20) days for good cause. Responses will be provided in one (1) of the following ways:
- Fulfill the request;
- Notify the requestor in writing or via email that the information cannot be provided; or
- Notify the requestor in writing or via email that the request has been received and the expected date that the information will be available.
The time to fulfill a request will vary based on the volume and complexity of the request. Requestors should expect a longer return on a request if an original data report is requested.