About
The Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) grants you the right to review available records that are disclosable and to obtain copies of those records. A public record is defined as the original or copy of any documentary material in any form created or received by an agency in connection with the transaction of public business. Included in this definition are written materials, books, photographs, photocopies, films, microfilms, records, tapes, computerized records, maps, drawings and other materials.
However, some public records are confidential under federal or state statutes, under court rules, or under various common law privileges such as attorney-client privilege and legislative privilege, and may be protected from disclosure under the PIA. In addition, the County has the right to withhold records if it is determined that disclosure of those records would be “contrary to the public interest."
Note: The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) applies only to agencies of the U.S. government, not to State and local agencies.
Submit a PIA Request
County Administration
To submit a PIA request to Howard County Administration, you may either email piarecords@howardcountymd.gov or mail your request to the following address:
Department of County Administration, Attn: Patrick Pope, Assistant CAO, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Note: If you have any questions, you can find contact information on our website or by calling 410-313-4305.
Police
To submit a PIA request to the Howard County Police Department, you may either email therecordssection@howardcountymd.gov or mail your request to the following address:
Howard County Police Department, Attn: Records Section, 3410 Court House Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Note: If you are looking to obtain a copy of an existing police report (crime, accident, 911 recording), details can be found on HCPD's Online Resources website.
Fire & Rescue Services
To submit a PIA request to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, you may either email firepia@howardcountymd.gov or mail your request to the following address:
Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, Public Information Officer, 2201 Warwick Way, Marriottsville, MD, 21104
Note: If you have any questions, you can find contact information on our website or by calling 410-313-6000.
Health Department
Public Information Act (PIA) requests grant people the right to access to public records. To submit a PIA request to the Howard County Health Department, click on the button below.
Note: If you have any questions, please email askhealth@howardcountymd.gov.
County Council
To submit a PIA request to Howard County Council Office, you may either use the form linked below, email councilpio@howardcountymd.gov, or mail your request to the following address:
Howard County Council, Attn: Michelle R. Harrod, Council Administrator, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Note: If you have any questions, you can find contact information on our website or by calling 410-313-2001.
County Auditor
To submit a PIA request to the Howard County Auditor, you may either use the form linked below, email councilpio@howardcountymd.gov, or mail your request to the following address:
Howard County Council, Attn: Michelle R. Harrod, Council Administrator, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Note: If you have any questions, you can find contact information on our website or by calling 410-313-2001.
Other
To submit a PIA request to Howard County, you may either email piarecords@howardcountymd.gov or mail your request to the following address:
Department of County Administration, Attn: Patrick Pope, Assistant CAO, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Note: If you have any questions, you can find contact information on our website or by calling 410-313-4305.
Frequently Asked Questions
Response Time
Upon receipt of your request, a custodian must grant or deny the request not more than 30 days after receiving the request. However, if a custodian believes it will take more than 10 working days to respond to the request, the custodian must notify the requestor in writing or by email within that time period of the following: the amount of time it will take to produce the public record, an estimate of fees (if applicable) and the reason for the delay.
Response Cost
Please note that under Section 4-206 of the PIA, a custodian may charge a fee for the search for, preparation of, and reproduction of a public record; this fee is prorated for each individual's salary and actual time attributable to the search for and preparation of a public record. In addition, under the current Fee Schedule, the County Council charges a copying fee of $0.25 per page for a black and white paper copy. If electronic copies of the responsive records exist, they are free of charge; however, when an electronic response, or portion thereof, is too large to send electronically, the response, or portion thereof, will be provided either in paper format, or electronically on a flash drive. The cost of the flash drive is the actual cost of the flash drive.
Judicial Review and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Pursuant to MPIA Section 4-362, you are entitled to seek judicial review if you are denied inspection of a public record or are not provided with a copy, printout, or photograph of a public record as requested. Under MPIA Section 4-1B-01 et seq., you may request dispute resolution from the Public Access Ombudsman for disputes related to requests for public records. Under MPIA Section 4-1A-01 et seq, you may also file a complaint with the State PIA Compliance Board if you believe you have been unlawfully denied inspection of a public record, were charged an unreasonable fee in excess of $350, or if your request was responded to in an untimely manner if you have first attempted to resolve a dispute through the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman issues a final determination that the dispute was not resolved.
Additional Information
For more information on the PIA, visit Maryland’s Office of the Attorney General website.