BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
What is the timeline of an information request?
Once a request is submitted, the information holder usually has 30 days to respond to the request; however, it is common for the information holder to extend the response deadline by an additional 30 days. Information holders can extend the response deadline if it is approved by the Privacy Commissioner, if the requestor has not provided enough detail, if the request is very large and reasonably requires more time, or other organizations need to be consulted. If an information holder extends the response deadline, they must explain the reason, when the response can be expected, and what legal rights the requestor has regarding complaining about the extension.
As noted, legislation mandating a 30 day response time does not necessarily mean you will receive all or any of the records you asked for within 30 days. Further, a simple acknowledgement of the request may be viewed as a response. The timeframe for a complete response varies and greatly depends on the scope of the request and the resources required to produce the records. In some cases, you may be able to ask the body for an estimated timeline.
Narrowed, focused requests are more likely to receive a faster response. Please visit our resources for writing effective requests to the following types of bodies:
Updated 2024.07. 27
These pages were last updated and reviewed in the summer of 2024.
The information on these pages only contains general information and guidance; none of the information constitutes legal advice. If you have a specific issue that you believe is a legal problem, the best practice is to consult a lawyer.
The information is non-partisan, dynamic and ever changing. It is the result of FIPA’s research and public education programs.
If you note something that needs to be added, corrected, or removed, please contact us by email: fipa AT fipa.bc.ca.
