Connecticut public records law: how to make a request

Freedom of Information Act, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-200 et seq. Rules below are quoted or closely paraphrased from the linked official pages, and each shows the date it was last checked (2026-10-20). Jurisdiction code: CT.

Build a request letter Official source

Statute and who may ask

• Except as otherwise provided by federal law or state statute, all records maintained or kept on file by any public agency are public records, and every person has the right to inspect them promptly during regular office or business hours, to copy them, or to receive a copy under section 1-212. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-210(a))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• "Public agency" includes executive, administrative and legislative offices of the state and of its political subdivisions, state and town agencies, boards and commissions, school and other districts, judicial offices only with respect to their administrative functions, and any person that is the functional equivalent of a public agency. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-200(1))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• Any person applying in writing must receive, promptly upon request, a plain, facsimile, electronic or certified copy of any public record; the agency chooses the type of copy, except that it must give a certified copy when asked and may not send only an electronic or fax copy to someone without access to a computer or fax machine. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-212(a))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• An agency that keeps records in a computer storage system must give a copy of nonexempt data on paper or on the electronic medium requested, including by email, if it can reasonably make the copy. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-211(a))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• The Commission's FAQ says there are no required forms for records requests, although an agency may ask a requester to complete a form it has prepared.

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: Frequently Asked Questions · last verified 2026-10-20

Response deadline

• A denial of the right to inspect or copy records must be made in writing by the official who has custody of the record within four business days of the request (ten business days for certain personnel or medical file requests under § 1-214). Failure to comply within the applicable number of business days is deemed a denial. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-206(a))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• The Commission's FAQ says an agency must provide "prompt" access, judged by factors such as how busy the agency is, how time-consuming the request is and how urgently the information is needed.

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: Frequently Asked Questions · last verified 2026-10-20

Fee rules

• Copy fees may not exceed 25 cents per page for state offices and agencies (including judicial offices for administrative functions), and 50 cents per page for all other public agencies, such as municipal agencies. A transcription may not cost more than the agency's cost. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-212(a))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• Copies of computer-stored records may cost no more than the agency's cost, limited to listed items such as staff time for formatting or programming (not search or retrieval), an outside copying service if necessary, storage media, and certain computer time charges. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-212(b))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• An agency may require prepayment if the fee is estimated at ten dollars or more. It must waive fees for an indigent individual, when the records located are exempt, or when in its judgment the request benefits the general welfare (and in some cases for local elected officials and public defenders). (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-212(c)-(d))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• Certifying a copy costs one dollar for the first page and fifty cents for each additional page unless another law provides otherwise. Anyone may copy a record with a hand-held scanner; an agency may set a fee of up to twenty dollars each time. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-212(e), (g))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

Appeal path and remedies

• A person denied the right to inspect or copy records may appeal to the Freedom of Information Commission by filing a notice of appeal not later than thirty days after the denial. The Commission must hear and decide the appeal within one year of the filing. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-206(b)(1))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• The Commission's Citizen's Guide says no specific form is needed: a letter stating all relevant facts, naming the persons or agencies believed to have violated the Act, and giving a daytime phone number is enough. If you want a civil penalty considered, say so explicitly in the letter.

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: Citizen's Guide · last verified 2026-10-20

• The Commission may order the agency to produce records. If it finds a denial was without reasonable grounds, it may, after a hearing, impose a civil penalty of $20 to $5,000 against the responsible custodian or official. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-206(b)(2))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• The Citizen's Guide says an aggrieved party may appeal a final Commission decision to the Superior Court, and that a Commission staff member (an "ombudsman") is assigned to each appeal to try to settle it.

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: Citizen's Guide · last verified 2026-10-20

• Freedom of Information Commission contact as listed: 165 Capitol Ave., Suite 1100, Hartford, CT 06106; phone (860) 566-5682; toll free (866) 374-3617 (CT only); email [email protected].

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: Contact Us · last verified 2026-10-20

Request-letter wording notes

• Send the request to the agency or official that has custody of the records. Put a request for copies in writing, since § 1-212(a) applies to a person applying in writing. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-212(a); Commission FAQ)

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• Say whether you want to inspect, receive copies, or both, and ask for electronic copies by email for computer-stored records. (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 1-210(a), 1-211(a))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• Ask for a fee estimate, and ask for a waiver if you are indigent or if the request benefits the general welfare. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-212(c)-(d))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

• Ask that any denial be in writing. Note the date of the request: an appeal to the Commission is due within thirty days after a denial, and no written reply within four business days counts as a denial. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-206(a)-(b))

  Source: Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission: The Freedom of Information Act as codified in chapter 14 of the General Statutes, including 2025 amendments (PDF; the Commission notes this compilation is unofficial and that the General Statutes are the official codification) · last verified 2026-10-20

Not yet researched or not verified

• The official statute text on the General Assembly's website could not be read by this site's fetcher (a certificate error, not bypassed), so this entry relies on the Freedom of Information Commission's compilation of the Act including 2025 amendments, which the Commission describes as unofficial
• The exemptions in § 1-210(b) and the special rules for personnel and medical files (§ 1-214), arrest records (§ 1-215) and residential addresses (§ 1-217)
• The Commission's regulations, declaratory rulings and decisions, and its rules for which appeals get priority hearings
• Individual agencies' request procedures, forms and fee schedules

This is legal information from public sources, not legal advice. Laws and agency practices change; read the linked official source and consult a lawyer about your situation. Local agencies may have their own forms and contacts.