(1) Costs of copying. OFM may charge a customized service charge, as permitted by law, for compiling or providing access to certain public records. OFM charges a fee for the copying of public records, including electronic records, as permitted by law. OFM has determined that calculating the actual costs of providing copies of records is unduly burdensome for the following reasons: (a) OFM does not have the resources to conduct a study to accurately determine the actual costs of such staff time; and (b) conducting such a study would interfere with other essential agency functions. Therefore, rather than charging the actual costs of copying paper and electronic records, OFM may charge the fees permitted by law. OFM may waive fees in accordance with its fee waiver schedule, published online at OFM's website at http://www.ofm.wa.gov/publicrecords/default.asp.

Before making copies, the public records officer may require a deposit of up to ten percent of the estimated costs of copying all the records selected by the requestor. Where records are provided on an installment basis, the public records officer may also require the payment of the remainder of the copying costs before providing all the records, or the payment of the costs of copying an installment before providing that installment.

(2) Actual costs of electronic storage media and mailing. OFM may charge actual costs of mailing public records, including the cost of the shipping container. Requestors who request a specific type of postal service, such as return receipt requested, will be charged accordingly. In addition, when OFM determines that it is in its best interest to confirm that the requestor has received the records, OFM may charge the requestor for return receipt requested. OFM may also charge actual costs for providing electronic storage media such as discs or USB thumb drives.