Build a Public Records Request With the Deadline Counted
A records request fails in one of two ways: it's too vague to action, or nobody follows up and it lapses. This fixes both. It turns your description into a dated request skeleton, counts the statutory response window in business days from the date you submit, and schedules the follow-ups that keep the request alive. Local only; nothing leaves the tab.
- Clock
- Statutory response window counted in business days
- local
- What it replaces
- A vague email that quietly goes nowhere
- $0.00
- Input
- Agency, records sought, and the response window
- no card
- Output
- A dated skeleton and a follow-up ladder
- recomputed
What you pay otherwise
| Route | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Research service | Someone files requests on your behalf | $50+/hr |
| A vague first attempt | A rejection, then a rewrite, then a delay | weeks |
| Not following up | The request lapses and you start again | the whole cycle |
| This page | A dated request and a follow-up ladder | $0 |
The workflow
Describe the records, not the story you want from them
'All invoices issued to vendor X between January and June 2026' is actionable. 'Everything about the contract scandal' is not, and it invites a clarification round that costs you a month. Name the record type, the date range, and the parties.
State the response window your jurisdiction actually allows
It varies a lot — some bodies have 10 business days, others 20, and some allow an extension. The tool counts business days, skipping weekends, so the date it prints is the one you hold them to.
Make the fee-waiver argument in the first request
If the release serves the public rather than a commercial interest, say so explicitly and give the reason. Asking after a fee quote arrives is much weaker than establishing it up front.
Diary the follow-ups before you send anything
The ladder prints three dated prompts. A request that isn't chased at the halfway point and again after the deadline is a request that lapses, regardless of how well it was written.
Worked example
Sample: 20 business-day window, submitted 2026-09-14 Response due 2026-10-12 First follow-up 2026-09-28 (halfway) Second follow-up 2026-10-13 (day after due) Escalation 2026-10-27 Uploaded nothing — counted in the tab
Numbers above are sample data produced by the tool's own pre-loaded example, run in the browser — not averages or measured benchmarks.
What breaks this
Asking for a conclusion instead of a record gets a refusal — name the document type, the date range and the parties. Using calendar days where the statute means business days gives you a deadline that arrives too early or too late. Skipping the follow-ups is the most common reason a well-written request produces nothing.
Try it now
A 20-business-day window from today is loaded with a full follow-up ladder. Change the window to 10 days and watch every date pull in.
Open the request builder →Go deeper: the printable receipt
The request is free forever. The $4 one-time tier adds:
- Printable receipt — the request and the follow-up dates on one sheet — estimate: ~15 min saved reformatting before you send.
- Saved requests shelf — keep up to 10 open requests in this browser — estimate: ~20 min saved tracking them by hand.
- Follow-up drafts — the three chase messages pre-dated — estimate: ~12 min saved per chase.