Public Records

All requests for public records must be made in writing and submitted through the fillable web form below. If you cannot access this form, requests may also be mailed to:

General Counsel Division
Office of Public Defense Services
198 Commercial Street SE, Suite #205
Salem, OR 97301
The Office of Public Defense Services (OPDS) may charge a fee for the cost of fulfilling a public records request when the cost to fulfill the request exceeds $25. If the cost exceeds $25, OPDS will provide the requester with a cost estimate and will not proceed with fulfilling the request until the agency received written confirmation from the requester that the agency should proceed with the request. OPDS may require payment in advance.
Fees to fulfill public records requests may be waived or reduced if doing so is in the public interest. Regardless of the level of public interest, a requester must have the ability to meaningfully disseminate the information for a request to qualify as being in the public interest. The determination of whether a fee is waived or reduced will be assessed using these criteria Public Interest Threshold Evaluation Form.
The first 60 minutes of staff time will be waived for all public records requests. You may be required to cover the cost to complete a records request that requires additional staff time to fulfill. Costs may also include locating, photocopying, reviewing, redacting, making available for inspection, and mailing or emailing the requested documents. Standard fees are $0.25/page for photocopies and $5.00/record for certification of a public record.
Staff time to fulfill requests is charged as follows:
- Administrative - $25/hour: administrative, office specialist, other support staff
- Managerial - $40/hour: program managers and high-level research and program analyst
- Professional - $75/hour: IT, HR, and high-level manager
- Attorneys - $105/hour: general counsel, deputy general counsel, PCRP manager