How to file a right-to-know request in Berks County
File a Right-to-Know request with Berks County: who to send it to, what to include, the county's 5-business-day deadline, fees, and how to appeal.
By The Berks Beat staff · Published July 22, 2026 · Updated July 22, 2026 · Facts last verified July 22, 2026
To get a public record from Berks County government, you file a Right-to-Know request in writing with the County Open Records Officer. You do not have to explain why you want the record, and the county has five business days to answer.
The Right-to-Know Law is Pennsylvania’s public-records law (Act 3 of 2008). It starts from the position that records a government agency makes, receives, or keeps are public, and the agency has to hand them over unless a specific exemption lets it withhold them. It covers county departments, but also townships, boroughs, school districts, and state agencies, each with its own open records officer.
What you can ask for
A record is any information a government body creates or holds in the course of doing its job: contracts, budgets, invoices, salaries, meeting minutes, inspection reports, emails about public business, permit files, and more. You are asking for records that already exist. The law does not require an agency to answer questions, do research, or create a new document to fit your request, so ask for the record, not for an explanation.
Some records are exempt and can be withheld or blacked out, including personal identifiers like Social Security numbers, records of a criminal or noncriminal investigation, some personnel and employee-discipline records, and material covered by attorney-client privilege. If the county withholds part of a record, it has to say which exemption applies.
Who to send it to
Berks County has one County Open Records Officer who handles requests for all non-judicial county departments. Court-related offices have their own officers: the Clerk of Courts, the courts themselves, the District Attorney, the Prothonotary, and the Sheriff each answer records requests separately. If you want civil court case records, those come from the Prothonotary and follow a different process; the county’s online civil records are offline until a new system launches, so see our report on the Berks County civil court records outage for how to get them in the meantime.
How to file: four ways
You can send a request by mail, hand delivery, email, or fax. Whichever you choose, keep a dated copy of what you sent, because the appeal deadlines run from the county’s response.
- By email, to Countyopenrecordsofficer@berkspa.gov. Email is the fastest way to file and gives you a timestamp.
- By mail or hand delivery, to the County Open Records Officer, 14th Floor, Berks County Services Center, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601.
- By fax, to 610-478-6139.
- On the state’s Standard Right-to-Know Request Form, which prompts you for everything an agency needs and which Berks accepts. A form is not required, but a written request is.
What your request must include
A written request to Berks County has to give three things:
- Your name and mailing address.
- A phone number or email address where the county can reach you.
- A detailed description of the record you want. Be specific: name the document, the department, the date range, and the people or subject involved. A narrow, concrete request (“the current refuse-hauling contract for X and any amendments”) gets answered faster than a broad one (“all documents about trash”).
You do not have to be a Berks County resident, and you do not have to say what you plan to do with the record.
What happens after you file
The county has five business days from the day after it receives your request to do one of three things: grant it, deny it and cite the legal reason, or invoke a 30-calendar-day extension. An agency can extend when a request is complex, needs legal review or redaction, involves records stored off-site, or requires a fee to be paid first.
If the county does not respond within five business days, the law treats that silence as a denial, called a “deemed denial,” and your right to appeal starts anyway.
What it costs
You can look at records in person at no charge; the county says arrangements can be made to view documents for free. You pay only when you want copies.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Viewing records in person | Free |
| Photocopy or printout, black and white, 8.5” x 11” | up to 25 cents per page |
| Certification that a copy is a true copy (per record) | up to $5.00 |
| Records sent by mail | actual postage |
The per-page and certification figures are the statewide caps the Office of Open Records fee schedule sets, and an agency cannot charge more than that for standard copies. Berks keeps its own open-records fee schedule for other formats; if your request will run to a lot of pages or a special format, ask the office for the fee in writing before it copies anything. When the estimated cost tops $100, the county can require you to pay before it releases the records.
If the county says no
You can appeal a denial, a partial denial, or a deemed denial to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, an independent state agency that decides these disputes.
- File your appeal within 15 business days of the date on the county’s response (or of the deemed-denial date if the county never answered).
- Send it to the Office of Open Records, 555 Walnut Street, Suite 605, Harrisburg, PA 17101-1925, or fax it to 717-425-5343. The office also takes appeals through its website.
- Include a copy of your original request and the county’s denial letter, and explain why you believe the record is public, answering each reason the county gave.
An appeals officer reviews the case and issues a written determination, usually within 30 days. If you disagree with that ruling, the next step is the Berks County Court of Common Pleas.
Where to go
Berks County Open Records Officer, 14th Floor, Berks County Services Center, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601. Email Countyopenrecordsofficer@berkspa.gov; fax 610-478-6139. For how the county fits with the state and your local government, see how Berks County government works. Records that name a specific property, like deeds, come from a different office; see our guides to getting a copy of a deed and recording a deed in Berks County.
FAQ
Do I have to say why I want the record?
No. Under the Right-to-Know Law an agency cannot ask why you want a record or make you justify the request, and your reason has no bearing on whether the record is public. You give your name and contact information so the county can respond, nothing more.
How long does Berks County have to respond?
Five business days from the day after your request arrives. Within that window the county must grant the request, deny it with a legal reason, or invoke a 30-calendar-day extension for a complex request. If it does not respond at all, the request is deemed denied and you can appeal.
What does it cost to get records?
Viewing records in person is free. Copies cost up to 25 cents per page for standard black-and-white pages, the maximum the state fee schedule allows, plus certification and postage where they apply. Ask the office to confirm the total before it makes copies of a large request.
What if the county denies my request?
You have 15 business days from the county’s response to appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records in Harrisburg. Send your original request, the denial letter, and an explanation of why the record is public. An appeals officer issues a written decision, and the county court is the next step if you still disagree.