Open Records Requests
The Open Records Law allows the public to inspect and/or obtain copies of public records. Chester County, PA has adopted Open Records Regulations and Procedures. Requests for information should be addressed to the Solicitor in person, by mail, by fax, or by email.
To contact the Chester County Open Records Office:
Office of the Solicitor
County of Chester, PA
Chester County Court House
2 N. High Street, Suite 150
West Chester, PA 19380
Ref: Open Records Request
Fax: 610-344-5471 (fax)
You will be charged a fee for all copies you request. Copies will not be provided until you have paid the applicable fee. In a few instances (such as a request for a deed), the fees will be determined by a statute other than the Open Records Law.
In most instances, however, the County’s fees are as follows:
- Photocopies of standard-sized records (8 ˝ x 11 or 8 ˝ x 14):
- For one-sided copies, 25 cents per page.
- For two-sided copies, 25 cents per side.
- Certification of a record: $1 per record.
- Blueprints, maps and other specialized documents: County cost of reproduction, depending on size.
- Postage fees: County cost of mailing.
- Electronic data: Rates are set by the County with approval of the State Open Records Office.
- The County does not charge for time spent redacting, or blacking out, nonpublic information in a public document, but the County will charge for making all copies needed to produce redacted material for viewing by the requester.
You will receive a response within five business days of the Open Records Office’s receipt of your request.
The response will:
- State how and when you may inspect or obtain copies of the records you requested; or
- Inform you, when appropriate, of any additional time that will be needed for legal review of your request or for the gathering or duplicating of the requested records; or
- Inform you, when appropriate, that some or all of the requested records are not subject to production under the Open Records Law.
