TO DO List
Before writing your IPRA request, follow these four steps to get your request right the first time
Ask yourself: “What piece of information do I want to know?”
No matter how you answer that question, you will not write that on your IPRA request.
Because the answer to “What do you want to know?” will almost always be a piece of information.
For instance:
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“I want to know what contractors work with the city.”
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“I want to know the number of accidents on my street.”
Those are pieces of information. But ...
What information are you trying to find out?
These are questions. Your IPRA request shouldn't include questions because records custodians are not required to answer them.
Instead, you need to figure out what record will contain the answer to your question, and then ask for that record.
The reason you should start your IPRA request by asking yourself what you want to know is simple: once you know what information you’re trying to get, you can figure out which record will have it.
​“how many”
“why”
“what is”
“list of”
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​You cannot ask for a piece of information in a records request.
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You can only ask for a record that already exists.
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Also, record custodians are not required to answer questions
1.
If you want to know how a city council voted on an ordinance, you would ask for city council meeting minutes.​
But most of the time, the name of a record is not that obvious.​
Use this list to find the closest match, then use the name of that record in your request.
What record will have that information?
Now that you know what you want to know, the next step is to figure out which record contains that information.
That record is what you will ask for in your IPRA request. It must be a record that already exists.
You know what information you want, but you don’t know what the government calls the record that has that information.
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2.
This is where most people get stuck.​​
Before you can submit a request, you need to figure out which government entity is responsible for the record.
Is it a city, county, or state agency?
For example:
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If you need an accident report, find out whether it was created by a city police department, a county sheriff’s office, or the state police.
The agency that created or maintains the record is the one you should send your request to.
Which agency will have that record?
Is that record exempt?
Click here to find out
3.
​Ways to submit requests
​The two most common ways:
Online form: Many agencies use portals like “NextRequest” or a “Records Request Portal.” The link may not always be obvious — it could be a button or hyperlinked text.
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Email: If they accept requests by email, they will provide an email address. Again, it isn't always obvious, so make sure to read the fine print.
If you prefer, you can also do requests:
In person: You can hand-deliver a written request to the records department
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Mail: You can send the request via letter through the U.S. Postal Service
4.
Where and how do I submit my request?
Next, you need to find out the agency's procedure for handling IPRA requests. By law, this information must be available on their official website.
To find their webpage about public records, it's easiest to do a Google search. Type in: “IPRA” or “records” + the name of the agency. Example: “IPRA records Eddy County”
​Once on the website, it will tell you how requests can be submitted.​
We do not recommend making a request verbally ...
While, you can make a request by speaking to the custodian in person or over the phone, but they are not required to fulfill it. In other words, it's best not to do it this way, even if it seems easier.​​
If you have a question for a record custodian ...
Remember, they are not required to answer questions.
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ONCE YOU KNOW
The name of the record you want
Where to send your request
How to send it
You are ready to write your request
