All public records of the office are deemed to be available for the public during normal business hours, pursuant to these rules and applicable state law. For the purposes of this chapter, normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding legal holidays. Records must be inspected at the office, for which an appointment is required.

(1) Records index. Pursuant to RCW 42.56.070, an index is available on the office's website at www.sos.wa.gov. A variety of other records are also available on the office's website. Requestors are encouraged to view the documents available on the website prior to submitting a records request.

(2) Organization of records. The office will maintain its records in a reasonably organized manner. The office will take reasonable actions to protect records from damage and disorganization.