How to Make a GRAMA Public Records Request in Utah: What to Include, Deadlines, and Fees
General information, not legal advice. Read the full disclaimer.
Short answer: Utah's Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) lets you ask a government agency for its records. Send a written request to the agency that has the record, including your name, mailing address, email (if you accept email), daytime phone number, and a description that identifies the record "with reasonable specificity" (Utah Code § 63G-2-204(1)). The agency must respond as soon as reasonably possible, but no later than 10 business days after receiving the request (or 5 business days if you show that an expedited response benefits the public rather than you). It must approve the request, deny it with a written explanation, tell you it doesn't keep the record, or invoke a listed extraordinary circumstance with a date the records will be available. If the agency doesn't respond in time, that is treated as a denial (§ 63G-2-204(9)), and you can appeal. See Utah GRAMA Request Denied?.
Who this guide is for
Utahns who want a public record — a police report, a city contract, a school district policy, a court-related or agency file, their own records — and aren't sure how to ask. This is general information, not legal advice.
What to put in the request (§ 63G-2-204(1))
- Your name, mailing address, daytime phone, and email if you're willing to receive communications by email.
- A description of the record that identifies it with reasonable specificity: type of record, date range, people or case numbers, and the department.
- Send it to the agency that keeps the record. A single request may not be submitted to multiple agencies, though you may send separate requests to each (§ 63G-2-204(1)(b)).
- Ask for an expedited response only if you can show that responding benefits the public rather than you; people requesting records for a story or report for publication or broadcast are presumed to meet this standard (§ 63G-2-204(5)).
- Ask about fees up front and whether the first quarter hour is free, or a waiver is possible.
Many agencies have a GRAMA portal or form. If you send the request to the wrong office within an agency, that office must promptly forward it, and the response clock starts when the correct office receives it (§ 63G-2-204(8)).
The agency's deadlines
| Situation | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Normal request | 10 business days after receiving a written request |
| Expedited response shown to benefit the public | 5 business days |
| Agency notified a requester that expedited treatment isn't granted | within 5 business days of receipt |
| Extraordinary circumstances | The agency must give a description and date; time limits vary (for example, 15 business days when extensive editing is needed; legal review adds 5 business days) |
| No response | Treated as a denial you can appeal |
"Extraordinary circumstances" include another agency using the record, a voluminous request, a large number of pending requests, needing legal advice about disclosure, or extensive editing or computer programming (§ 63G-2-204(6)).
Fees (§ 63G-2-203)
- An agency may charge a reasonable fee covering its actual cost of providing a record, including staff time for compiling or searching, set by ordinance or policy for local entities.
- An agency may not charge for reviewing a record to decide whether it is disclosable, for inspecting a record, or generally for the first quarter hour of staff time (with an exception for requesters who file repeated requests within a short period).
- An agency may waive fees (and is encouraged to) if releasing the record primarily benefits the public, you are the subject of the record, or your legal rights are directly implicated and you are impecunious. A denied fee waiver can be appealed.
- Ask for an estimate before the agency does large work.
Records that aren't public
GRAMA classifies some records as private, controlled or protected, and some are exempt from disclosure. You may have a right to see records about yourself that others can't. If the agency denies your request, it must explain the legal basis (§ 63G-2-205).
Tips
- Be specific, but not so narrow that the agency can say it doesn't exist.
- Keep proof of the date you sent the request. Calendar the 10-business-day deadline.
- Follow up in writing at day 10 if you haven't heard.
- Use your own records for your own case. For example, a government record can help in a claim: see Utah Notice of Claim Against a Government Entity.
- Open meetings are a separate right. See Utah Open Meetings Act.
Frequently asked questions
Does a GRAMA request have to be in writing?
Yes. The statute requires a written request with your contact information and a reasonably specific description.
How long does the agency have to respond?
No later than 10 business days, or 5 business days for an expedited request that benefits the public.
Can the agency charge me?
Reasonable actual costs, but not for reviewing or inspecting records or generally for the first quarter hour of staff time. Fees can be waived in some circumstances.
What if I hear nothing?
Failure to respond on time is treated as a denial, which you can appeal.