(1) Inspection. The department does not charge a fee for the inspection of public records. If printed copies of public records are requested at the time of inspection, the department may charge fees for producing copies as provided in subsection (2) of this section.

(2) Fee schedule. The department may charge fees for producing copies of public records consistent with the fee schedule established in RCW 42.56.120 and as published in the department's fee schedule available on its website at doh.wa.gov. Pursuant to RCW 42.56.120(2), the department does not calculate the actual costs for copying its records because it would be unduly burdensome for the following reasons:

(a) The department does not have the funding or staff resources to conduct a study and calculate actual copying costs for its records;

(b) To conduct such a study would interfere with other essential agency functions; and

(c) A study would interfere with and disrupt other essential agency functions.

(3) Costs of external vendors. If the department uses an external vendor to copy records, such as records in nonstandard sizes or formats, the department will charge the requestor the actual amount charged by the external vendor.

(4) Deposits. Before copying public records, the public records officer or designee may require the requestor to pay a deposit of up to 10 percent of the estimated cost of copying all the records requested. The public records officer or designee may also require payment of the remainder of the copying costs before providing all the records, or the payment of costs of copying an installment before providing the installment.

(5) Customized electronic access services. At the department's sole discretion, the department may provide customized electronic access to public records if the agency estimates that the request would require the use of information technology expertise to prepare data compilations, or when such compilations and customized access services are not used by the department for other agency purposes. The department will charge the actual costs, including staff time, necessary to reimburse the agency for providing customized electronic access services. The department will notify the requestor of the customized service charge to be applied to the request, as provided under RCW 42.56.120 (3)(b), and will provide the requestor the opportunity to amend the request to avoid or reduce the cost of a customized service charge.

(6) Payment of fees. The department will not release any requested copies of public records unless and until the requestor has paid all copying and other charges as set forth in this section. If a requestor fails to pay the requested deposits or fees, the request will be closed.

(7) Waiver of fees. The department may waive any charges for providing public records at the discretion of the public records officer or designee. This determination will be made on a case-by-case basis.