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Wisconsin open records guide

Wisconsin public records fees: what agencies can charge

Wisconsin authorities can recover certain costs of producing records, but the law limits what they may charge under Wis. Stat. § 19.35(3). Knowing the rules helps you keep costs down and challenge an improper fee.

What an authority may charge

An authority may charge the actual, necessary, and direct cost of reproducing a record (copies), and the actual cost of any photographing or transcribing it must do.

For locating records, an authority may charge only when the cost of location is $50 or more — and only the actual cost. It may also charge actual mailing or delivery costs.

What an authority may NOT charge for

An authority generally cannot charge for the time its staff spends reviewing records for exemptions or redacting them. That review-and-redact time is part of the cost of doing public business.

It also can't charge a fee designed to discourage requests or recover more than its actual costs.

Ask for an estimate and a waiver

Ask for a fee estimate before the work is done so there are no surprises. If the estimate is high, narrowing the request usually lowers it.

An authority may reduce or waive fees when doing so is in the public interest — worth requesting if your request serves a public purpose.

This guide is general information about Wisconsin’s Public Records Law, not legal advice. For an authority’s current contact details and the official guidance, see the Wisconsin DOJ Office of Open Government.

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