It is the policy of the executive branch of the State of Alabama to promptly provide citizens with public records upon request, subject to their payment of reasonable fees, to applicable laws protecting sensitive information, and to the interest of the general public in having the business of government carried on efficiently and without undue interference.

We strive to respond as promptly as possible to all public-records requests we receive consistent with the demands of our agency’s functions as determined by state law.

The nature of your request will dictate how promptly we respond. If your request very clearly identifies a specific, discrete document you are looking for, we will respond more quickly than if your request requires substantial staff time to process. A request will require substantial staff time to process if it requires difficulty in identifying and retrieving documents or taking measures to redact or otherwise withhold legally protected information.

In addition, we are permitted by state law to charge reasonable fees in connection with processing public-records requests. We will notify you in advance of the fees you likely will incur as a result of your request.

You may contact our agency’s public-records coordinator at public.records@commerce.alabama.gov.