Public Information Act (PIA) Requests


Carroll County is committed to open and transparent government. The County will assist in locating existing records and documents when access is permitted by law. Please note that the PIA does not require the County compile information and answer questions or a series of questions. Rather, the basic mandate of the PIA is to enable people to have access to government records without unnecessary costs or delay. Custodians have a responsibility to provide such access unless the requested records fall within one of the exceptions in the statute. All “public records” are covered by the PIA. The term “public record” is defined in GP § 4-101(j) and includes not only written material but also photographs, films, microfilms, recordings, tapes, computerized records, maps, drawings, and any copy of a public record. Please note that in the event your request encompasses more than one agency, it is possible that you will receive separate responses from each agency.

PIA requests will be acknowledged and you will receive the documents or a status report within ten (10) working days. However, the County has up to thirty (30) days to comply with more time consuming requests. The County is not required to create records to satisfy a PIA request.

The County may also assess a fee for responding to a PIA request. The first two hours of the search are at no cost, after two hours a fee of $25/hour will be assessed. The County may also charge for copies at the rate of $0.25/page. If the County determines that the search will take more than two hours, the requestor will be provided with a written estimate of the cost to produce the records. Payment of the estimated costs must be received before the search is started.

I AM LOOKING FOR DOCUMENTS CONCERNING:

The Carroll County Government does not have records regarding the following, and you will need to submit your request to the appropriate agency:

+ Birth, Death, Marriage Certificates, or Vital Statistics

These records are maintained by the Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, Division of Vital Records.

Marriage Certificates issued prior to 1990 are maintained by the Circuit Court for Carroll County.

+ Accident Reports, or Arrest Records

These records are maintained by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.

+ Well, Septic, Wastewater discharge permits, or Health Inspections

These records are maintained by the Carroll County Health Department.

+ Deed, Mortgage, Real Estate, or Land Records

These records are maintained by the Circuit Court for Carroll County.

+ Military Service Records

These records are maintained by the National Archives.

+ Animals

Sick, stray, abused animals, or other animal control issues

The Carroll County Humane Society responds to animal control issues.

+ School System (Public Schools)

These records may be available from the Board of Education’s Office of Community and Media Relations.

+ Municipalities (Cities and towns)

These records are maintained by the individual Cities and Towns.