Sunshine Week: State deadlines to respond to FOIA requests
Deadline to respond to a Freedom of Information or open records request:
2 business Vermont
3 business Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico
4 business days Connecticut, Nebraska
5 business days Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Washington, West Virginia
7 business days Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey
10 business days Alabama, Alaska, California, Delaware, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Utah, Texas
14 business days Mississippi
15 business days District of Columbia
20 business days Federal agencies
None specified - "reasonable" "upon demand" Arizona, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
State Deadline to reply
Alabama 10 business days
Alaska 10 business days
Arizona "Reasonable"
Arkansas 3 business days
California 10 business days
Colorado 3 business days
Connecticut 4 business days
Delaware 10 business days
District of Columbia 15 business days
Florida None
Georgia 5 business days
Hawaii 5 business days
Idaho 3 business days
Illinois 7 business days
Indiana 7 business days
Iowa 10 business days
Kansas 3 business days
Kentucky 3 business days
Louisiana 3 business days
Maine "Reasonable." Denial within 5 days.
Maryland 10 business days
Massachusetts 10 business days
Michigan 5 business days
Minnesota As soon as possible
Mississippi 14 business days
Missouri 3 business days
Montana None
Nebraska 4 business days
Nevada None
New Hampshire 5 business days
New Jersey 7 business days
New Mexico 3 business days
New York 5 days to notify. Then 20 days to produce.
North Carolina None
North Dakota "Reasonable"
Ohio "Reasonable"
Oklahoma Writer suggests deadline.
Oregon "Reasonable"
Pennsylvania 10 business days
Rhode Island None
South Carolina None
South Dakota None
Tennessee None
Texas 10 business days
Utah 10 business days
Vermont 2 business days
Virginia None
Washington 5 business days
West Virginia 5 business days
Wisconsin "As soon as practicable and without delay."
Wyoming None