FAQ Page

Can the County charge for data requests?

The Data Practices Act allows, but does not require, governments to charge for copies of government data. You can look at the data for free. Statutory requirements drive the copy charges. Government cannot charge to separate public from not public data.


Members of the Public

  • For 100 or fewer paper copies of letter or legal size, the charge is 25 cents per single-sided page copied or 50 cents per double-sided page copies.
  • For copies of other data (more than 100 paper copies, photographs, data on thumb drive, data stored electronically, etc.), government may charge the actual cost for an employee to search for and retrieve the data, and to make paper copies or to print copies of electronically stored data.

Data Subjects

  • Government may charge the actual cost for an employee to make paper copies or to print copies of electronically stored data. Government may not charge a data subject any fee for searching for and retrieving data.

Proof of Identity

Data subjects requesting private data on themselves require proof of identify. If a data subject wants to release their private or confidential data to someone else, they must provide a signed authorization/consent form to release the data.


The following constitutes proof of identity:

  • An adult individual must provide a valid Photo ID, such as
  • a state driver's license
  • a military ID
  • a passport
  • a state-issued ID
  • a tribal ID
  • A minor individual must provide a valid photo ID, such as
  • a state driver's license
  • a military ID
  • a passport
  • a state-issued ID
  • a tribal ID
  • a school ID
  • The parent or guardian of a minor must provide a valid photo ID AND either
  • a certified copy of the minor's birth certificate or
  • a certified copy of documents that establish the parent or guardian's relationship to the child, such as
  • a court order relating to divorce, separation, custody, foster care
  • a foster care contract
  • an affidavit of parentage
  • The legal guardian for an individual must provide a valid photo ID AND a certified copy of appropriate documentation of formal or informal appointment as guardian, such as
  • court order(s)
  • valid power of attorney

NOTE: If there are concerns about the validity of the ID documents, you may be required to provide certified copies of the identifying documents that are required or an affidavit of ID.