Requesting Public Records During COVID-19 Outbreak
In accordance with Governor Inslee’s March 24, 2020, Proclamation 20-28 – Open Public Meetings Act and Public Records Act – the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) is not accepting in-person Public Records Act business at this time.
Public Records requests can be made via email to the Public Records Officer – publicdisclosure@wtsc.wa.gov.
The required five-day initial response time has been suspended temporarily by Proclamation 20-28; however, the WTSC Public Disclosure Officer will respond to public records requests as soon as feasible.
These changes are effective from March 24, 2020, through midnight April 23, 2020, unless extended beyond that date.
How to file a public records request
We prefer requests be made in writing or e-mail so both parties have a record of the contact. If this is not possible, we can discuss a request over the telephone and place it in writing for the requester. Requests and questions about public records should be directed to:
Geri Nelson
Public Records Officer
Washington Traffic Safety Commission
621 8th Avenue SE, Suite 409
P.O. Box 40944
Olympia, WA 98504-0944
E-mail: PublicDisclosure@wtsc.wa.gov
Phone: 360-725-9898
Information to include in a public records request
A request should contain the following information:
- Name, address, and telephone number or e-mail address of the person requesting the record
- Date on which the request is being made
- Description of the record(s) requested
A form is available, but not required, for requesting public records. You may submit the completed form by e-mail or mail using the contact information above.
Potential costs of a public records request
There is no cost to review requested public records in our office in Olympia during normal business hours. In accordance with the Governor’s directive, we try to supply public records electronically whenever possible. For paper copies there is a charge of $.15 per page for letter-size paper (RCW 42.56.120); two-sided copies count as one page. There is no charge for CDs unless multiple disks are produced.
Responding to a public records request
Within five (5) business days of receiving the request, as required by law, WTSC will respond in one of the following ways:
- Make the requested record(s) available
- Make a portion of the records available in installments as they are assembled
- Ask for clarification if the request is unclear
- Acknowledge the request and provide a reasonable estimate of time needed to respond
- Deny the request
Material exempt from public disclosure
The Public Records Act provides that certain types of records and information are exempt from public disclosure. Where exempt information can be deleted from a record (redacted), the record will be provided without the exempt information. Whenever WTSC withholds all or part of a record, we will identify the applicable exemption on a log we produce and provide to the requester.
