KORA Request
Kansas Open Records Act Request for Information and Form
Open Records Request
The Kansas Open Records Act allows you to inspect and obtain copies of public records created or maintained by public agencies in Kansas, as long as those records are not exempt from disclosure. The Open Records Act, K.S.A. 45-215, et seq, as amended, declares that it is the public policy of Kansas that, generally "public records shall be open for inspection by any person." Public records are defined as "any recorded information, regardless of form or characteristic, which is made, maintained, or kept by or is in the possession of any public agency." The Kansas Office of Administrative Hearings is a public agency for the purposes of this Act.
You Have the Right To…
- Request assistance from the agency's Public Information Officer at any time
- Receive a response to your request within three (3) business days of the date the request was received in the agency. The response may inform you that it will take additional time to produce the records
- Inspect and obtain copies of public records that are not exempted from mandatory disclosure by law
- File a complaint with the Kansas Attorney General if you feel your public records request is wrongfully denied
Your Responsibilities
- You may request existing records. The Kansas Open Records Act does not require an agency to create records, answer questions, or prepare reports
- You must put your record request in writing
- You may not use any list of names and addresses in public records to solicit the purchases of services or property
- You may be required to pay reasonable fees, not exceeding actual cost, for copies of records, mailing costs, and staff time spent processing your request and helping you to access records
Office Hours
The hours of operation for OAH are 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday except official state holidays. Requests received after 5:00 p.m. are deemed to be received the next business day and will not be processed until the next business day.
Delayed Requests
All efforts will be made to process your request for public records as soon as it is received. However, some requests may be delayed if:
- More information is needed to identify or retrieve the records
- Legal issues must be addressed to determine if the records may be closed or released
- The requested records are archived or stored off site
- The volume of records requested is large and will take time to duplicate
If the request is delayed, you will receive a written explanation for the delay within three (3) business days of the date your request was received with a detailed explanation of the cause for further delay and the place and earliest time and date the record will be available.
Denied Requests
It's possible your request may be denied in whole or in part. If it is denied, we will identify generally the records that have been denied and the specific legal authority for those records being denied.
Common reasons a request is denied include:
- Record does not exist
- OAH does not maintain the record that has been requested
- Request is unclear, generally requiring the request be resubmitted
- Record is closed under exceptions set forth in KORA, K.S.A. 45-221
If your request is ultimately denied for any reason, you will be notified of that fact within three (3) business days or, if it takes longer to make that determination, as soon as the outcome is decided or known.
Charges and Fees
One request for records in a 12-month period that can be provided with less than one (1) hour of staff time or which is less than 25 pages will be provided at no charge.
For requests exceeding one (1) hour of staff time or that are more than 25 pages, the following rates shall apply:
Copies: $0.25 per page for paper copies and $0.125 per page for electronic copies
Mailing: $0.50 for the first five pages and $0.25 for additional five-page increments for paper copies; electronic copies may be mailed or transmitted electronically, and the cost is calculated based on volume
Faxes: $0.65 per 10-page fax
Staff Time: Charged at the rate of pay for each person(s) whose time is used to assist and/or respond to a specific request. This may include the time spent to access records maintained on computer facilities, review records to determine whether exemptions to disclosure apply, and/or to redact open from closed information. For most requests, time will be charged as follows:
- Legal Assistant time: $18 per hour
- Attorney II time: $28 per hour
- Administrative Law Judge time: $35 per hour
- Information Technology (IT) services: $38 per hour
- Director time: $44 per hour
Additional fees, including any other costs incurred by the agency in connection with complying with a record request, may be assessed to the requester.
Advance Payment of Fees Required
The agency will provide the requester with an estimate of the fees before gathering and processing or providing access to the records. The estimated fees MUST be paid BEFORE the agency processes the request or provides access to the requested records.
While we do our best to provide an accurate estimate of the fee, it is possible that the records can be produced for less than the estimated amount. If so, any additional amounts will be refunded.
Written Request
To submit a KORA request for the Kansas Office of Administrative Hearings click the following link:
By email to: OAH@ks.gov
Please note in the Subject line that it is a KORA request.
By Regular Mail to:
Records Custodian
Office of Administrative Hearings
1020 S. Kansas Ave.
Topeka, KS 66612
By Fax:
Information to Include
In order to assist, please include the following information in your request:
- Date
- Name (First and Last)
- Contact Number
- Email Address
- Mailing Address
- OAH Case Number (if applicable)
- A description of the record(s) being requested