2020 Public Records Reporting

Baseline data includes:

• 21,773 public records requests open at the start of the reporting period.
• 336,008 public records requests received during the reporting period.
• 322,673 public records requests closed during the reporting period.

South Sound 911 reported the largest number of records requests, at 38,838 requests.

On average, agencies received 1,448 requests in 2020.

This data includes information about entities that make public records requests.

Agencies do not solicit this information from requesters. Requester type is reported only when it was known by the agency.

• In 2020, the most common types of requesters were individuals, other entities, law firms, governments, and organizations.
• Anonymous entities made 13,889 requests.
• Current or former employees made 2,551 requests.

State law requires agencies to respond to public records requests within five days.

• Collectively, cities and towns closed the most requests within five days, at 75,255 requests.
• The Legislature closed the fewest requests within five days, at 96 requests (out of 307 total requests received).
• South Sound 911 closed the most requests within five days of any single agency, at 10,473 requests.

• State agencies, commissions, and boards provided the most estimates, at 51,696 requests.
• Legislature provided the fewest estimates, at 209 requests (out of 307 total requests received).
• South Sound 911 provided the most estimates, at 48,070 requests.

Agencies reported that large requests may affect the average number of days between receiving and closing a records request.

• Statewide, the average number of days to final disposition was 17 days.
• Statewide, the median number of days to final disposition was five days.
• Cities and towns reported the shortest response time, with an average of eight days and a median of three days to final disposition.
• Higher education institutions reported the longest response time, with an average of 46 days and a median of 16 days to final disposition.

Agencies reported the number of requests needing clarification, not the number of times a request was clarified. For example, one request with five different clarifications is counted once.

• Statewide, 21,411 requests required clarification.
• 7,518 (6%) requests to cities and towns required clarification.
• 220 (11%) requests to higher education institutions required clarification.
• 25 requests (8%) to Legislature required clarification.

• South Sound 911 reported the most requests required clarification, at 1,633 (4%) requests.

• 23 agencies reported that no requests required clarification.

Fully denied requests

• 6,906 (2%) requests were fully denied.

• Local governments accounted for 38% of the fully denied requests.

• South Sound 911 reported the most requests fully denied, at 689 requests (9% of the fully denied requests).
• 99 agencies reported that no requests were fully denied.

Partially denied requests

• 86,719 (26%) requests were partially denied.

• Cities and towns accounted for 36% of partially denied requests.
• South Sound 911 reported the most requests partially denied, at 10,610 requests (12% of partially denied requests).
• 50 agencies reported that no requests were partially denied.

• 16,575 (5%) requests were abandoned by requesters.
• Seattle reported the largest number of abandoned requests, at 4,281 (26%) requests.
• 50 agencies reported that no requests were abandoned by requesters.
• 43% of abandoned requests were made to cities and towns.

• 246,174 (77%) requests were fulfilled with only electronic records.
• 15,079 (5%) requests were fulfilled with only physical records.
• 3,781 (1%) requests were fulfilled with a combination of physical and electronic records.
• 58,333 (18%) requests were closed because the agency did not have responsive records.

• 48,180 (15%) requests required agencies to scan physical records.
• Washington State Patrol reported the most requests requiring scanning, at 10,398 requests.
• 40 agencies reported that no requests required scanning.
• On average, each agency received 216 requests that required scanning of physical records.

Averages may not always reflect a typical records request.

• Agencies spent an average of 5,268 hours responding to records requests.
• The statewide average is 3.45 hours per request.
• Seattle reported the most estimated staff hours, at 105,758 hours.
• Four agencies reported an estimated one staff hour spent responding to requests.
• Higher education institutions reported the most staff time spent per request, with an average of 15.05 hours per request. Special districts reported the least time spent, with an average of 1.58 hours per request.

• The total estimated cost to agencies in 2020 was $87 million.
• The average cost per agency was $376,513.
• The average cost per request was $243.
• King County - Clerk reported the largest total estimated cost, at $7,056,162.
• Five agencies reported no estimated costs.

• The average cost per agency was $838,408
• Health Care Authority reported the highest costs, at $36,880,380.
• Twenty three agencies reported no estimated costs.

Agencies may collect fees or payment from requesters to cover expenses incurred in responding to a records request.

• State agencies, boards, or commissions reported the most expenses recovered, at $68,643 (30% of total costs recovered).
• On average, each agency recovered $1,738, or about $0.67 per request.
• The Department of Ecology reported the most expenses recovered, at $51,314.
• Four agencies reported that they recovered less than $200.