Open Records Request Form

Kansas Open Records Act
K.S.A. 45-215 et seq.

Access to Open Record

You have the right to inspect and obtain copies of public records maintained by the Kansas Department of Agriculture that are not exempt from disclosure.  You may request the records using the online open records request form.

The Kansas Open Records Act does not require the department to prepare a report or create a record at your request.

We will act on your request for public record by the end of the third business day after we receive your written request.  If it takes longer than three business days, we will notify you.  Acceptable reasons for taking additional time include the need to maintain normal and necessary department activities, voluminous records, complicated request parameters, unresolved legal issues, or difficulty accessing archived public records.

Your request may be denied in whole or in part.  If it is denied, we will identify generally the records denied and the specific legal authority for the denial.

What Records Are Available

  • Statutes, regulations, policies
  • Minutes and documents cited in open, public meetings
  • Salaries and basic information about public employees
  • Budget information
  • Licensing data about regulated industries

What Records Are Not Available

Some records may contain private, privileged or confidential information. Exceptions to the Kansas Open Records Act may include, but not limited to, the following:

  • Certain personnel information
  • Records protected by the attorney-client privilege or an attorney work product
  • Notes and preliminary drafts
  • Correspondence between a private individual and a government agency
  • Records related to matters in which administrative or civil litigation is pending, if the records were compiled in the process of detecting or investigating the violations involved.

A detailed list of exemptions to the Kansas Open Records Act can be found in K.S.A. 45-221(a).

How To Request A Record

The principal office of the Kansas Department of Agriculture is 109 S.W. 9th Street, 4th Floor, Topeka, Kansas 66612. Regular office hours Monday through Friday are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding official state holidays. Records may be viewed at the office.

A request for records must be in writing, either by clear and understandable letter or on the department’s form. You may complete and submit the open records request online. You may also submit the request in person, by fax to (785) 368-6668, or by mail to:

Kansas Department of Agriculture
Legal Section
109 SW 9th Street, 4th Floor
Topeka, Kansas 66601

If you have questions, or a difference of opinion with a records custodian, you may contact the Freedom of Information Officer at (785) 296-4172.

Fees

You will be charged reasonable fees for staff time and expenses incurred processing your request. We may require advance payment of the fee.

Fees will be assessed as follows:

Copies 25¢ per page
Color Copies 50¢ per page
Fax 65¢ per page, 15-page maximum including cover page
 
Staff Time
   Records custodian,
   clerical and secretarial $20 per hour charged in quarter-hour increments
   Administrative/professional $28 per hour charged in quarter-hour increments
 
Additional Fees Any other actual costs incurred by the Kansas Department of Agriculture in connection with fulfilling a record request

25¢ copy charge is a per-page charge.  It is assessed to reimburse the department for routine costs associated with retrieving, reviewing and copying requested records possessed and located by the department.  This charge does not include staff time to locate records that are not readily accessible, to dtermine what specific records meet the requestor’s criteria, to segregate public from non-public information, to access records from archives, or other similar and necessary services.

Records may be faxed if the request is for no more than 15 pages including the cover page.  Fax charge of 65¢ per page includes the 25¢ per page copy charge, in addition to all domestic fax transmission charges.

No fee will be charged unless the total combined fee for staff time and expenses exceeds $15.

Kansas Department of Agriculture
Legal Section
109 S.W. 9th Street, 4th Floor
Topeka, KS 66612
Telephone: (785) 296-4623
Facsimile: (785) 368-6668
E-Mail Address: lgarner@kda.state.ks.us
KANSAS OPEN RECORDS ACT - K.S.A. 45-201 et seq.

*First Name: *Last Name: Business Name (if applicable):
*Street Address:
*City: *State: *Zip Code:
*Telephone: Facsimile:
Email Address:
*Records requested (Please be specific as possible):

*How would you like the request returned?  

PROHIBITED USES: K.S.A. 45-230 prohibits the use of names and addresses derived from public records for certain commercial purposes. Violation of this law can result in a civil penalty not to exceed $500 for each violation.

By clicking the “I agree” button below, Requester does not intend to, and will not, use any list of names or addresses contained in or derived from the records or information for the purpose of selling or offering for sale any property or service to any person listed or to any person who resides at any address listed, or sell, give or other wise make available to any person any list of names or addresses contained in or derived from the records or information for the purpose of allowing that person to sell or offer for sale any property or service to any person listed or to any person who resides at any address listed.

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