Freedom of Information Requests

Freedom of Information Request Procedures

Public record requests are to be submitted to the City of Beaufort’s clerk. The form can be found below. 

It is the policy of the City of Beaufort to comply with the mandates of S.C. Code of Laws, Title 30, Chapter 4 – Freedom of Information Act. Please allow a minimum of ten (10) business days for an initial response, excluding weekends and City holidays. If this request is for any records older than two (2) years, then the minimum for the initial response shall be twenty (20) business days. All items shall be produced within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of the City’s initial response back to the requester, unless the request requires extraordinary staff research, in which case other arrangements will be made. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT FEE SCHEDULE: Pursuant to Section 30-4-30(B), the City may establish and collect reasonable fees, not to exceed the actual cost of the search, retrieval, and redaction of records. Copy charges will not apply to records that are transmitted in an electronic format. If records are not in electronic format and the City agrees to produce them in electronic format, the City may charge for the staff time required to transfer documents to electronic format. 

The records will be furnished at the lowest possible cost to the person requesting the records. Fees will not be charged for examination and review to determine if the documents are subject to disclosure. In certain circumstances, the City may waive fees when it feels that the information is in the best interest of the public. A deposit not to exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the total reasonably anticipated cost for reproduction of the records may be required prior to the City searching for or making copies of records. Contact the clerk's office to obtain copies of resolutions, meeting minutes, and other official documents of the City.

Freedom of Information Request Form