Massachusetts · Public Records Law

The Massachusetts Public Records Law, Supervisor's orders included

AccessPoint manages Public Records Law requests under G.L. c. 66 § 10 — the 10-business-day written response, the clause Twenty-sixth exemptions, and the Supervisor of Records' orders to produce — pre-configured for Massachusetts and running inside your own Microsoft 365 tenant.

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Massachusetts at a glance

Response standard
Written response within 10 business days (G.L. c. 66 § 10(a)–(b))
Appeal
Petition the Supervisor of Records, who orders relief on finding a violation (§ 10A(b))
Exemptions
The lettered exemptions (a)–(x) of clause Twenty-sixth (G.L. c. 4 § 7(26))
Charges
5 cents per page for black-and-white copies; first 2–4 hours of labour free, then up to $25/hour
Oversight
Supervisor of Records; Attorney General enforcement; Superior Court (§ 10A)
Languages
English

Built for Massachusetts

One platform for the whole access-and-privacy mandate, pre-configured for this regime and running in your own Microsoft 365 tenant.

Public records lifecycle

Intake to release under the Public Records Law (G.L. c. 66 § 10) — the 10-business-day written response, fee estimates, and denials that cite an exemption — all on Microsoft 365.

The Supervisor's orders

Appeal a denial to the Supervisor of Records, who issues a written determination and, on finding a violation, orders the record produced. AccessPoint assembles the petition record and tracks the file to the order.

The 10-business-day clock

Provide a written response within ten business days — records, a fee estimate, or a denial — with any good-cause extension the Supervisor grants, computed and reminded for you.

Exemptions and redaction

Apply the clause Twenty-sixth exemptions line by line, each denial citing the specific exemption and explaining why it applies, on a colour-coded, audit-trailed redaction record.

Reduced-fee charges

Charge under the reformed fee rules — five cents a page for black-and-white copies, the first two to four hours of labour free, and time capped at $25 an hour — with an itemized estimate.

In your own tenant

Every request and record stays inside your own Microsoft 365 and Azure tenant — no third-party cloud, no cross-border transfers, and no per-user fees.

The Supervisor's order

In Massachusetts, a denied requester can get the Supervisor of Records to order the record produced.

The Massachusetts Public Records Law backs its ten-business-day deadline with real teeth. A requester who is denied — or ignored, or overcharged — can petition the Supervisor of Records in the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office. The Supervisor issues a written determination and, on finding a violation, orders the records access officer to grant timely and appropriate relief. If an agency defies the order, the Supervisor may refer it to the Attorney General; the requester can also sue in the Superior Court, where bad faith invites punitive damages of $1,000 to $5,000. AccessPoint assembles the petition record and tracks the file to the order.

Petition the Supervisor Appeal a denial, delay, or overcharge to the Supervisor of Records.
An order to produce A written determination that, on a violation, orders timely relief.
AG and court enforcement Unmet orders referred to the Attorney General; Superior Court on top.

Configured out of the box

Installing the us-ma-prl configuration pack seeds your tenant with everything this regime needs — a starting point you can adjust, not a lock-in.

Related guide: FOI Workflow Quick Check
  • The Massachusetts Public Records Law (G.L. c. 66 § 10; c. 4 § 7(26)) as the legal-authority and citation spine
  • The Massachusetts state-holiday calendar and the 10-business-day written-response due-date rules
  • The Supervisor of Records appeal — petition assembly, the written determination, and tracking to the order
  • The clause Twenty-sixth exemptions (a)–(x), colour-coded for redaction
  • The reformed fee schedule — five cents per page and the first two-to-four labour hours free, capped at $25/hour
  • Public-records correspondence templates with statutory wording, including exemption-cited denials
  • The Attorney General referral and Superior Court (§ 10A) enforcement workflow
  • Massachusetts timeliness tracking against the 10-business-day standard

Massachusetts Questions

When must a Massachusetts agency respond to a public records request?
Within ten business days, the records access officer must provide a written response — the records, a good-faith fee estimate, or a denial that cites a specific exemption. The Supervisor of Records may grant a limited good-cause extension. AccessPoint computes the ten-business-day point and drafts the response.

What makes Massachusetts different — the Supervisor of Records?
Yes. A denied requester can petition the Supervisor of Records, who issues a written determination and, on finding a violation, orders the records access officer to produce the records. Unmet orders may be referred to the Attorney General, and requesters may sue in the Superior Court, where bad faith invites $1,000–$5,000 in punitive damages. AccessPoint assembles the petition record and tracks the file to the order.

What can an agency charge?
Under the reformed rules, five cents per page for black-and-white copies or printouts; the first four hours of labour are free for state agencies and the first two for larger municipalities, with time then capped at $25 per hour unless the Supervisor approves more. AccessPoint computes the charge and issues an itemized estimate.

Where does data reside?
Entirely within your own Microsoft 365 and Azure tenant. Requests, documents, and audit history never leave your control — no third-party cloud, no vendor access, and no cross-border data transfers.

Run the Massachusetts Public Records Law in One Platform

Try AccessPoint free for 30 days, pre-configured for Massachusetts. No credit card required.

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