Public Records Compliance Ledger Va. Code § 2.2-3704 Updated continuously
The University of Virginia is past deadline on — public records requests by a combined
— days and countingNext increment in –:–:–
- Longest unanswered
- ——
- Average delay
- —per overdue request
- Fees paid, nothing produced
- ——
- Requests resolved late
- Not shownThis ledger lists only requests still unfulfilled today
The ledger
Sorted by length of delay
| Request | Records sought | Days past deadline |
|---|
How this is counted
The clock. Counts begin the day after the deadline expired — whether that deadline came from the statute, from an extension the University took, or from a production date the University set for itself.
What counts as unfulfilled. A request appears here only if no records have been produced, no exemption has been claimed in writing, and no denial has been issued. A late response still closes the entry. Requests answered late are tracked separately and are not shown on this page.
Fees paid. Where a request is marked fee paid, the University issued a cost estimate, accepted payment, and then produced nothing. The amount shown is what was paid.
Verification. Every request number is a real University of Virginia FOIA reference and can be checked against the University’s records portal. Corrections are welcome and will be made promptly.
Figures last verified —
The standard
What Virginia law requires
Five working days
A public body must answer a records request within five working days of receiving it. The clock starts the day after the request arrives, and the reason for the request is irrelevant — the University may not ask why you want the records. § 2.2-3704(A), (B) (opens the Code of Virginia in a new tab)
Four permitted answers
Within those five days the body must produce the records, or state in writing that it is withholding all of them, withholding part of them, or that the records do not exist or could not be found. Any withholding must cite the specific section of the Code that allows it. § 2.2-3704(B)(1)–(3) (opens the Code of Virginia in a new tab)
One extension, seven more days
If answering in five days is practically impossible, the body may take seven additional working days by giving written notice that specifies the conditions making a timely response impossible. That is twelve working days in total, and it is the only extension the statute grants. § 2.2-3704(B)(4) (opens the Code of Virginia in a new tab)
Beyond that, only a judge
For an extraordinary volume of records or an extraordinarily lengthy search, a public body may ask a court for more time. It cannot simply grant itself more. Both sides are expected to try to reach agreement first. § 2.2-3704(C) (opens the Code of Virginia in a new tab)
Silence is a denial
Failing to respond within the deadline is not a delay. The statute treats it as a denial of the request and as a violation of the Act in its own right. § 2.2-3704(E) (opens the Code of Virginia in a new tab)
Fees, and when the clock pauses
A body may charge its actual cost of searching for and copying records, and may require a deposit when the estimate exceeds $200. The clock stops between the request for a deposit and the requester’s payment — and starts again once the money is paid. § 2.2-3704(F), (H) (opens the Code of Virginia in a new tab)
How it is enforced
Anyone denied these rights may petition a general district or circuit court for mandamus or an injunction. These petitions are heard on an expedited basis, and a requester who substantially prevails may recover costs and attorney fees. § 2.2-3713 (opens the Code of Virginia in a new tab)
Penalties fall on individuals
Where a court finds a violation was willful and knowing, it must impose a civil penalty on the officer or employee personally — between $500 and $2,000, rising to between $2,000 and $5,000 for a repeat violation. § 2.2-3714(A) (opens the Code of Virginia in a new tab)
Every citation above links to the official text on the Commonwealth’s own site. The full statute is the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Va. Code § 2.2-3700 et seq. (opens the Code of Virginia in a new tab) — this page summarises only the provisions.