The Kentucky Open Records Act (Kentucky Revised Statutes §61.870 through §61.884) outlines the procedures for filing and handling an open records request, which records are open for inspection, and which records are exempt from inspection.
Please Note: You must be a resident of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to make an open records request. Every request must contain a statement indicating how the requestor is a resident of the Commonwealth. To determine whether you are a resident of the Commonwealth, review the relevant statute.
How to submit an open records request
All open records requests must be submitted in writing. When making an open records request, please provide:
- Your name
- Address
- Daytime telephone number
- Email address
- As much specific information as possible to allow us to identify the correct document or record in a timely manner
- Additional supporting documentation may be required to be eligible to receive records (affidavit, proof of guardianship, administrator/executor documentation, or other documentation)
Where to submit your open records request
You may request a record electronically by:
Submitting an open records request via electronic form
- Submitting the form approved by the Attorney General to ORR@lexingtonky.gov
- Submitting a written request to ORR@lexingtonky.gov
You may also request a record by submitting the form approved by the Attorney General or otherwise submitting a written request:
In Person: Lexington Police Department
150 E. Main St.
Lexington, KY 40507
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (excluding holidays)
By Fax: (859) 425-2270
By Mail: Open Records Unit
Lexington Police Department
150 E. Main St.
Lexington, KY 40507
If the records you are seeking are under the custody and control of another agency, please submit your request to that agency. Failure to do so may delay the time it takes for you to obtain the records that you seek.
I filed an open records request. Now what?
Once the Police Department receives an open records request, it has five business days to respond. The day the request is received does not count as one of the business days. For instance, if a request is received on Friday, the request will be completed or a response mailed by the end of business the following Friday. If it is not clear what documents you are requesting, or if your request is vague, we may contact you with questions.
Most of the requests we receive can be processed within five days. However, there are instances where requests involve documents which are voluminous in nature and/or are not centrally located. If more time is needed to process the request, a letter stating such will be sent to you within five business days, including estimated date of completion.
What can I expect to receive?
Processing an open records request involves several factors relating to the incident(s) involved and may cause certain documents to be redacted (information removed or omitted) and/or exempt from public inspection. Some of these factors include but are not limited to:
- the relationship of the requestor to the incident
- whether investigation of the incident is complete
- if the incident involves a court case, whether the status of the case is open or closed
- whether the incident is of a particularly sensitive matter (i.e. domestic violence, stalking, sex crimes, crisis intervention, hate/bias crimes, involvement of juveniles)
- information of a personal nature (a person’s date of birth, social security number, address, etc.)
- whether documents are past retention schedule and no longer exist
A response letter is included with the completion of every request. This letter will accompany any documents released to the requestor. The response letter specifically addresses every aspect of the request and notes all documents that were redacted and/or denied, if any. The Kentucky Revised Statues include chapters concerning state open record laws. If a denial of information or documents occurs, the response letter will reference the specific KRS which justifies the denial.
How do I obtain my documents?
The response letter will be emailed or mailed to the address provided on the request. If you are receiving hard copies, you will be notified of the total cost for the documents requested ($0.10 per page, $1 per CD, $5 for a collision report, postage, and other processing fees when applicable). If you reside in Fayette County, the response letter will indicate that the documents are available for pickup at the front desk of Lexington Police Headquarters, 150 East Main St.
If you live outside of Fayette County, the response letter will instruct you to send payment prior to the receipt of documents (payment will include postage). Once payment is received, the released documents will be mailed to the address provided on the request.
Payment can be made by cash, check, or money order.
If at any time you have any questions concerning open records requests, please contact the Open Records Unit at (859) 258-3675.