Phoenix to Increase Public Records Fees in November
The city is updating its fee schedule to manage a massive backlog of nearly 40,000 pending requests.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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Starting November 1, 2026, Phoenix will implement new police public records fees to address a backlog of nearly 40,000 outstanding requests. The city also plans to hire additional staff to speed up fulfillment times as volume continues to rise.
Why it matters
The fee changes aim to deter commercial users seeking to profit from viral social media content. By prioritizing local residents, the city hopes to manage a record-breaking volume of requests that currently causes multi-year delays for video processing.
The city now charges $23 for every 30 minutes of video review and $10 plus 25 cents per page for commercial document requests. While crime victims receive one free copy, traffic crash reports currently take six weeks to fulfill.
The players
Phoenix City Council
This is the governing body for Phoenix responsible for passing local ordinances and setting the city budget.
Kate Gallego
She is the Mayor of Phoenix who has addressed the city's significant public records backlog.
Phoenix Police Public Records and Services Bureau
This department handles the processing, redaction, and fulfillment of police records for the city of Phoenix.
The details
To combat a backlog that has grown to nearly 40,000 requests, the city is funding new personnel through one-time savings in the police budget. These measures are designed to mitigate the strain caused by a projected 140,000 total requests in 2026.
Timeline
Total public records requests processed in 2024.
Total projected public records requests for 2026.
Mayor Kate Gallego discussed the records backlog on October 15, 2026.
New public records fees take effect on November 1, 2026.
Legal Context
This policy follows a national trend of municipal departments attempting to curb the high costs associated with fulfilling massive public records requests for commercial use. Cities across the U.S. are increasingly evaluating fee structures to manage the operational strain caused by viral content demands.
Residents are exempt from certain costs, as crime victims will continue to receive one free copy of their police records. Others may experience faster turnaround times for routine documents once the city hires additional staff to manage the processing queue.
The takeaway
The city is prioritizing resident access by shielding victims from fees while charging commercial entities for the high cost of video redaction. Readers should check official municipal guidelines to determine if their request qualifies for free processing before filing.
Further reading
For more context on local government transparency and police administrative policy, visit Law Enforcement.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KTAR.
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Should commercial entities pay higher fees than individuals to access public government records?
