Knowledge Base

1. FEES MAY BE CHARGED FOR PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS: As provided in Section 5 of Washoe County's Public Records Request Policy, fees may be charged for providing responses to a public record request. The fee is limited to the actual cost to the agency to provide the copy of the public record, unless a specific statute or regulation sets a fee that the governmental entity must change for the copy. For example, many fees charged by the County Recorder are set by a specific statute. There is no such statute for records requested from Washoe County as a whole. This policy applies to County departments not headed by an elected official. 

2. FEES CHARGED TO FILL PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS: The actual cost to fulfill the public records requests received by Washoe County shall be charged to the requester of public records as follows: 

a. PAPER COPIES shall be provided at $0.05 per page. Any records that require redaction shall be provided by paper copy. 

  b. ELECTRONIC STORAGE (thumb drives, CDs) shall be provided at the actual cost of the device. 

  c. POSTAGE shall be charged to the requester at actual cost. 

  d. PERSONNEL COSTS shall be charged at the minimum hourly rate of an Office Assistant I for staff time that exceeds 10 hours. 

  i. The current hourly rate for an Office Assistant I (OAI) is $19.65 per hour. Hourly rates can be found on the Washoe County website. The Washoe County Salary Schedule is currently available at the following website.

  ii. Washoe County will not charge any fees for the first 10 hours of personnel time necessary to fill a public records request. 

  e. Any other actual costs that may be incurred in the filling of the request. 

3. PAYMENT: Payment must be made by cash, check, or money order payable to "Washoe County" and must include the Washoe311 ID number for the request being paid for. Payment may be made at the Washoe County department that responds to the requester with requested records or information of the office of the Comptroller located at 1001 E. 9th Street (corner of 9th Street and Wells Avenue) Building D, 2nd Floor, or other department that accepts payment. Payment of half the estimated amount must be made prior to fulfillment of the request. Any remaining amount is due upon completion of fulfillment of the request. Once the request is released until all outstanding amounts due have been paid. If payment is required, the requester will be provided with an anticipated completion date, estimated from the date that the initial payment is made. 

This list of fees may be obtained at the Washoe311 webpage entitled Submit Public Records Request. Effective July 1, 2022.