APLS Public Records Policy

 

It is the policy of the executive branch of the State of Alabama to promptly provide citizens with public records upon request, subject to their payment of reasonable fees, to applicable laws protecting sensitive information, and to the interest of the general public in having the business of government carried on efficiently and without undue interference.
The APLS public request policy can be viewed here:  Records Request Policy
 

Submitting a public records request

You may submit a public records request by completing the Records Request Form.
You may email the completed request form to: publicrecords@apls.state.al.us

or mail to:

APLS Public-Records Coordinator
6030 Monticello Drive
Montgomery, AL 36117

 

What to expect

APLS strives to respond promptly to all public records requests consistent with the demands of our agency’s functions. The nature of your request will determine how promptly we respond. If your request clearly identifies a specific, discrete document you are looking for, we will respond more quickly than if your request requires significant staff time to process. A request will require significant staff time to process if it is difficult to identify or retrieve documents or if it takes measures to redact or withhold sensitive information. In addition, we are permitted by state law to charge reasonable fees to process public records requests. We will notify you in advance if any fees are necessary to process your request.

Fees
Document retrieval and preparation.
A. An initial inquiry fee of $20.00 will be charged when a records request form is submitted. A standard, minimum fee of $20.00 per hour will be charged for time spent locating, retrieving, and preparing records for production.
B. There will be no charge for legal review or redaction necessary to withhold legally protected information.
Per-page fees.
A. A per-page fee of $.50 for copies produced on standard 8.5x11 paper.
B. There will be no per-page fee for documents provided electronically.
Actual costs.
A. The Alabama Public Library Service will charge any actual costs incurred while processing or responding to a public-records request.
Examples:
1. Flash drive or other hardware necessary for electronically producing records
2. Special paper sizes
3. Costs associated with searching electronic databases

 

You may contact APLS for any questions about public records at publicrecords@apls.state.al.us