NEWMake a Right-to-Know request

Get the inspection notes, photos and letters the City keeps on a building — not just what shows on the public map. We fill in the official Pennsylvania form for you.

Start the form ↓

What is a Right-to-Know request?

Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law (65 P.S. § 67.101 et seq.) lets any person ask a government agency for its public records. For a Philadelphia building, that agency is the Department of Licenses & Inspections (L&I).

What you can ask for: inspection reports, inspectors' notes and photos, letters and emails about the property, and complaints on file. Ask for records, not answers to questions. The agency may withhold records the law exempts.
Free to file. You pay nothing to ask. The agency may charge for copies, and you set a limit on the form, asking them to check with you first.
The clock: the agency must answer within 5 business days (it can take a 30-day extension). No answer by the deadline counts as a denial. If you're denied, you have 15 business days to appeal to the state Office of Open Records.
Who can file: anyone who is a legal resident of the United States, using their real name and contact details. The form asks you to confirm this.

Source: the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records' Standard Right-to-Know Law Request Form (the same form this page fills in) and openrecords.pa.gov. This is general information, not legal advice.

1 · Fill inYour details and the property. We pre-write what you're asking for.
2 · DownloadThe official PDF, filled in on your device.
3 · SendEmail or mail it to the L&I Open Records Officer.
4 · Keep a copyYou'll need it if you have to appeal (15 business days).

The property

Property address

OPA account no. (optional)

L&I case numbers (optional, comma-separated)

Submitted to

Agency (Attn: Agency Open Records Officer)

I'm submitting by

Person making request

Full name (required)

Company (optional)

Telephone

Your mailing address

City

State

Zip

Send the response by

If the agency has questions, contact me by

I affirm that my full name and contact information is true and correct, and that I am a legal resident of the United States. (The form says failing to check this may get the request denied and any appeal dismissed.)

Records requested

Edit this freely. Ask for records, not questions.

Copies and fees

Do you want copies?

Yes, electronic Yes, printed No, in-person inspection

Notify me before processing if fees will be more than

$100 Other

Certified copies?

No Yes (may cost extra)

Your form is ready. Check the PDF, then send it to the L&I Open Records Officer by email or mail — get the current address at phila.gov/open-records-policy. Keep a copy of both pages. The agency has 5 business days to respond.

Filled in on your device — nothing you type here is sent to or stored by 4PHILLY. Only your name is remembered in this browser, so it's ready next time.

Prefer paper, or want the blank form?

The blank Standard Right-to-Know Law Request Form comes straight from the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. Print it and fill it in by hand if you'd rather.

Blank form (PA Office of Open Records) (opens in a new tab) Where to send it: Philadelphia (opens in a new tab)

4PHILLY is an independent, non-governmental tool. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Philadelphia or the Office of Open Records. The form is the state's official form; what you write on it is yours. Not legal advice.