Maryland's Public Information Act (PIA) grants the people of this State a broad right of access to public records while protecting legitimate governmental interests and the privacy rights of individual citizens. Requests for public records always begin with a government agency (State, county, or municipal).
On , Maryland Governor, Wes Moore, approved Senate Bill 0541 (the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act or MDODPA), making Maryland the seventeenth State in the U.S. to enact comprehensive data privacy legislation. The MDODPA will take effect on October 1, 2025.
Exempt: Information that invades individual privacy; trade secrets; public policy development memos; and investigative materials. Visit, Maryland Sample FOIA Request, to view a sample FOIA request for the state.
The Maryland Public Information Act (PIA) governs the inspection and copying of public records held by state and local government agencies. The PIA is similar in some respects to the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which governs the disclosure of documents held by U.S. government agencies.
Sample FOIA Request Letter Dear FOIA Officer: This is a request for records under the Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act. I am requesting please describe the documents you seek in as much detail as possible. Include any file names or file numbers, if applicable.
Information/data that is NOT covered by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) includes: Non-agency records and personal records. Public requests for access to physical artifacts or scientific samples (e.g. core samples, sediment, rocks, fossils, specimen samples, blood samples).
Exempt: Information that invades individual privacy; trade secrets; public policy development memos; and investigative materials. Visit, Maryland Sample FOIA Request, to view a sample FOIA request for the state.
SAMPLE REQUEST: Dear Public Official: Pursuant to the your state's public records law, I would like to obtain a copy of the following public records: Be sure to describe the records sought with enough detail, or as the statute indicates, for the public agency to understand the request and be able to respond.
There are four basic elements to a FOIA request letter: The letter should state that the request is being made under the Freedom of Information Act. The letter should identify the records that are being sought as specifically as possible. The name and address of the requester must be included.
First include your name, address, phone number, and the date. This information should be located at the top of the page, either in the center, or indented on the right side of the paper. You then include the name and address of the person to whom you are sending the letter.