The Ohio Public Records Act

Ohio’s Public Records Act (Revised Code 149.43) gives “any person” access to government records. The act establishes the legal duties of a public office, the rights and obligations of a requester, and what a requester can do if an office violates the act. The act also exempts certain records and information from disclosure.

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There is no set period for a public office to respond to a request. The Public Records Act says that an office must respond to a request to inspect records “promptly,” and must respond to a request for copies of records “within a reasonable period of time.”

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Whether an office responded promptly or within a reasonable period depends on the facts and circumstances of each situation. For example, a court may consider the type of record that is requested, whether the public office must redact information, or whether the office must get legal advice on whether or how to produce the record. A court will not, however, consider the overall burden on the office to respond to the request.

The Public Records Act specifies that when a law enforcement agency responds to a request for video records, the timeliness of the office’s response must take into account the time needed for the office to retrieve, download, review, redact, seek legal advice, and produce the video record, in addition to other facts and circumstances.

*Ohio Attorney General's Office - https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Legal/Sunshine-Laws/Public-Records-Act

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If you would like to submit a public records request for Lake Township, please click the button below to fill out the Public Records Request Form.  Once complete, you can drop it off at the Administration Building or email it to fiscaloffice@laketwp.com.