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50-State Medical Records Copy Fees & Turnaround Times
The authoritative legal reference guide to state statutory medical records copy fee caps, legal response deadlines (turnaround times), and official health code citations. Used by personal injury law firms, health information management (HIM) departments, and retrieval specialists nationwide.
Federal 30-Day Limit
Under 45 CFR § 164.524, healthcare facilities must produce records within 30 calendar days, unless strict state law mandates a shorter window (e.g. 15 days in CA/TX, 10 days in NY).
Statutory Fee Caps
Third-party commercial requests (attorneys, insurance) are subject to individual state legislative price schedules, prohibiting arbitrary vendor overbilling.
Digital vs. Paper Caps
Most modern state codes strictly cap electronic records delivery (PDF/CD), preventing facilities from applying legacy per-page paper reproduction rates to EHR portals.
The $15 Flat Solution
Acute Health Directory provides tracked direct dispatch for $15 flat, eliminating tedious fee disputes and third-party vendor markups.
50-State Statutory Matrix (51 States)
Filter by state name, turnaround deadlines, or statutory fee limits.
| State | Statutory Citation | Legal Turnaround (TAT) | Paper Copy Fee Limit | Electronic (EHR) Fee Limit | Directory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama AL | Ala. Code § 12-21-6.1 Search fee permitted for third-party requests plus tiered per-page fee. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $5.00 search fee + $1.00/pg (1-25), $0.50/pg thereafter | Actual cost of digital media reproduction | Facilities |
Alaska AK | Alaska Stat. § 18.23.100 Strict reasonable cost limits apply under state administrative code. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $10.00 base fee + $1.00/pg (1-25), $0.50/pg thereafter | Reasonable cost-based reproduction fee | Facilities |
Arizona AZ | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-2295 Third parties pay $10 clerical fee plus $0.25 per page cap. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $10.00 search fee + $0.25/pg | Direct labor cost of electronic retrieval | Facilities |
Arkansas AR | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-46-106 Retrieval fee allowed plus tiered reproduction caps. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $15.00 base + $0.50/pg (1-25), $0.25/pg thereafter | $15.00 retrieval fee + direct electronic media cost | Facilities |
California CA | Cal. Health & Safety Code § 123110 Strict 15 calendar day turnaround. No search or handling fees. | 15 Calendar Days | $0.25/pg for paper copies or $0.50/pg from microfilm | Free patient electronic access or direct actual labor cost | Facilities |
Colorado CO | 6 Colo. Code Regs. § 1011-1, Ch. 2, Pt. 5.2 State board of health adjusts maximum copy fees annually. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $18.50 base (first 10 pgs) + $0.85/pg (11-40), $0.57/pg thereafter | $14.00 flat certification / digital release fee | Facilities |
Connecticut CT | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-490b Strict $0.65/page ceiling prohibits separate administrative charges. | 30 Calendar Days | $0.65/pg maximum cap inclusive of search and handling | $0.65/pg or direct electronic storage device cost | Facilities |
Delaware DE | 16 Del. Admin. Code § 4405-7.0 Tiered state schedule with per-page sliding limits. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $2.00/pg (1-10), $1.00/pg (11-20), $0.50/pg thereafter | Actual direct electronic cost | Facilities |
Florida FL | Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B8-10.003 Florida medical board sets $1.00/page for initial 25 pages. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $1.00/pg (1-25), $0.25/pg thereafter | Reasonable actual cost of media / labor | Facilities |
Georgia GA | Ga. Code Ann. § 31-33-3 Annual CPI inflation adjustments apply to statutory caps. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $25.88 search/handling + $1.15/pg (1-20), $0.98/pg (21-100), $0.80/pg thereafter | $25.88 administrative fee + direct electronic media cost | Facilities |
Hawaii HI | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 622-57 Base administrative fee plus uniform per page copy cap. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $15.00 admin fee + $0.25/pg | $15.00 administrative fee + electronic media cost | Facilities |
Idaho ID | Idaho Code § 39-1392e Reasonable cost ceiling enforced by state health rules. | Within 30 Calendar Days | Reasonable cost, capped at $0.50/pg (1-25), $0.25/pg thereafter | Actual labor cost of digital export | Facilities |
Illinois IL | 735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/8-2001 State comptroller issues annual inflation updates on handling caps. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $33.60 handling + $1.26/pg (1-25), $0.84/pg (26-50), $0.42/pg thereafter | 50% of paper rate calculation or direct digital media cost | Facilities |
Indiana IN | Ind. Code § 16-39-9-3 Indiana Department of Insurance maintains statutory maximums. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $20.00 labor (1-10 pgs) + $0.64/pg (11-50), $0.32/pg thereafter | $20.00 flat fee for electronic records delivery | Facilities |
Iowa IA | Iowa Admin. Code r. 653-13.7 Strict $50 maximum cap on complete standard medical charts. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $20.00 base (1-20 pgs) + $0.25/pg thereafter (max $50) | $20.00 flat electronic processing cap | Facilities |
Kansas KS | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 65-4971 Kansas Department of Labor publishes annual schedule adjustments. | 30 Calendar Days | $18.97 base + $0.63/pg (1-250), $0.45/pg thereafter | Direct actual cost of digital retrieval | Facilities |
Kentucky KY | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 422.317 Kentucky law guarantees one free complete medical chart to patients. | Within 30 Calendar Days | One free copy to patient; third party: $1.00/pg | Direct actual cost of digital media | Facilities |
Louisiana LA | La. Stat. Ann. § 40:1165.1 15 calendar day deadline. Strict $100 ceiling on electronic charts. | 15 Calendar Days | $1.00/pg (1-25), $0.50/pg (26-500), $0.25/pg thereafter + $25 handling | Capped at $100 total for electronic records | Facilities |
Maine ME | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 22, § 1711-A Low base administrative allowance with standard page increment. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $10.00 base (1-10 pgs) + $0.35/pg thereafter | Actual direct cost of media and postage | Facilities |
Maryland MD | Md. Code Ann., Health-Gen. § 4-304 21 calendar day statutory turnaround enforced by Maryland law. | 21 Calendar Days | $22.88 preparation fee + $0.76/pg | Preparation fee + direct electronic media cost | Facilities |
Massachusetts MA | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 111, § 70 Base administrative fee and sliding scale adjusted by public health council. | 30 Calendar Days | $26.54 base fee + $0.90/pg (1-100), $0.46/pg thereafter | Actual cost of digital media or EHR download | Facilities |
Michigan MI | Mich. Comp. Laws § 333.26269 Annual statutory fee update issued by Michigan Department of Health. | 30 Calendar Days | $27.84 initial fee + $1.39/pg (1-20), $0.69/pg (21-50), $0.28/pg thereafter | Standard handling + direct actual media costs | Facilities |
Minnesota MN | Minn. Stat. § 144.292 Maximum fees set by Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $10.59 retrieval fee + $1.41/pg | Free if patient access under HIPAA; direct media cost for third parties | Facilities |
Mississippi MS | Miss. Code Ann. § 11-1-52 Third party fee schedule with $20 baseline retrieval charge. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $20.00 base (1-20 pgs) + $1.00/pg (21-100), $0.50/pg thereafter | Actual reasonable cost of electronic storage device | Facilities |
Missouri MO | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 191.227 Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts updates rates annually. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $28.32 handling + $0.65/pg | $28.32 handling + direct electronic storage device cost | Facilities |
Montana MT | Mont. Code Ann. § 50-16-540 Uniform statutory administrative ceiling across healthcare entities. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $15.00 admin fee + $0.50/pg | $15.00 admin fee + actual media costs | Facilities |
Nebraska NE | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 71-8404 Uniform administrative handling cap applied across all licensed providers. | 30 Calendar Days | $20.00 handling fee + $0.50/pg | $20.00 handling fee + actual electronic media cost | Facilities |
Nevada NV | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 629.061 Strict $0.60/pg cap. Prohibits separate administrative handling charges. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $0.60/pg maximum reproduction charge | Actual direct cost of electronic device / transfer | Facilities |
New Hampshire NH | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 332-I:1 State law includes initial 30 pages within base charge. | 30 Calendar Days | $15.00 base (first 30 pgs) + $0.50/pg thereafter | Actual direct media cost or EHR export fee | Facilities |
New Jersey NJ | N.J. Admin. Code § 13:35-6.5 Strict $200 overall maximum cap on standard medical charts. | 30 Calendar Days | $1.00/pg (1-100), $0.25/pg thereafter (max $200) | Actual cost of digital media or PDF export | Facilities |
New Mexico NM | N.M. Admin. Code § 16.10.8.9 New Mexico Medical Board regulates practitioner copy charges. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $2.00/pg (first 10 pgs) + $0.20/pg thereafter | Reasonable direct media cost | Facilities |
New York NY | N.Y. Pub. Health Law § 17 Fastest statutory turnaround in the US (10 calendar days). $0.75/pg ceiling. | 10 Calendar Days | $0.75/pg maximum cap across all facilities | Reasonable cost, capped at $0.75/pg or direct electronic media cost | Facilities |
North Carolina NC | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-411 Sliding scale with $10 minimum fee allowance. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $0.75/pg (1-25), $0.50/pg (26-100), $0.25/pg thereafter ($10 min) | Reasonable direct cost of electronic reproduction | Facilities |
North Dakota ND | N.D. Cent. Code § 23-12-14 Standard $20 initial fee including first 25 pages. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $20.00 base (1-25 pgs) + $0.75/pg thereafter | $20.00 base + direct electronic media cost | Facilities |
Ohio OH | Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3701.741 Department of Health issues annual CPI adjustments on fee limits. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $3.76/pg (1-10), $0.77/pg (11-50), $0.31/pg thereafter + $23.15 records fee | $2.51/pg (1-10), $0.52/pg (11-50), $0.25/pg thereafter (or $250 max) | Facilities |
Oklahoma OK | Okla. Stat. tit. 76, § 19 Oklahoma statute explicitly differentiates electronic vs. paper rates. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $1.00 for first page, $0.50/pg thereafter + $10 base fee | $0.30/pg for digital records provided on disk or electronically | Facilities |
Oregon OR | Or. Rev. Stat. § 192.563 State health authority updates maximum fee benchmarks. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $30.00 base (1-10 pgs) + $0.50/pg (11-50), $0.25/pg thereafter | $30.00 base + actual cost of digital media | Facilities |
Pennsylvania PA | 28 Pa. Code § 115.29 Pennsylvania Department of Health issues annual rate notices. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $1.83/pg (1-20), $1.36/pg (21-60), $0.47/pg thereafter + $27.14 search fee | Flat electronic fee or 50% of paper rate calculation | Facilities |
Rhode Island RI | R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-19.1 Direct page rate without additional administrative handling markup. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $0.50/pg (1-100), $0.30/pg thereafter | Direct actual cost of electronic media | Facilities |
South Carolina SC | S.C. Code Ann. § 44-7-325 Statutory maximum cap of $200 for paper and $150 for digital production. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $0.65/pg (1-30), $0.50/pg thereafter + $15.00 search fee ($200 max) | Capped at $150 total for digital records | Facilities |
South Dakota SD | S.D. Codified Laws § 34-12-15 Low statutory reproduction cap set by state legislature. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $10.00 search fee + $0.25/pg | $10.00 search fee + direct electronic media cost | Facilities |
Tennessee TN | Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-11-304 Prompt turnaround required by state law. $20 flat rate for digital records. | 10–15 Business Days | $20.00 base (1-5 pgs) + $0.50/pg thereafter | $20.00 flat fee for electronic delivery | Facilities |
Texas TX | Tex. Health & Safety Code § 241.154 & 25 TAC § 165.2 Strict 15 business day turnaround. Strict $25.00 cap for digital records. | 15 Business Days | $53.53 base (1-10 pgs) + $1.78/pg (11-60), $0.59/pg thereafter | $25.00 flat retrieval fee for electronic records | Facilities |
Utah UT | Utah Code Ann. § 78B-5-618 Utah Judicial Code standardizes medical records subpoena & copy fees. | 30 Calendar Days | $30.00 search/handling + $0.50/pg | $30.00 flat fee for electronic records on disk/portal | Facilities |
Vermont VT | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 18, § 9419 Low baseline charge with strict reasonable cost limitation. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $5.00 base (1-10 pgs) + $0.50/pg thereafter | Direct actual cost of digital reproduction | Facilities |
Virginia VA | Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-413 Fast 15 calendar day deadline. $150 statutory cap on electronic records. | 15 Calendar Days | $20.00 handling + $0.50/pg (1-50), $0.25/pg thereafter | $20.00 handling + $0.37/pg (or $150 total maximum) | Facilities |
Washington WA | Wash. Rev. Code § 70.02.010 & WAC 246-08-400 15 business day window. $75 maximum limit on electronic record exports. | 15 Business Days | $28.00 clerical fee + $1.24/pg (1-30), $0.94/pg thereafter | $28.00 clerical fee + $0.25/pg (max $75 total for digital) | Facilities |
West Virginia WV | W. Va. Code § 16-29-2 Search fee permitted with sliding scale page reproduction limits. | Within 30 Calendar Days | $20.00 search fee + $0.50/pg (1-50), $0.25/pg thereafter | Reasonable cost not exceeding paper schedule | Facilities |
Wisconsin WI | Wis. Stat. § 146.83 Wisconsin guarantees one free copy to patients or representatives. | 30 Calendar Days | Patient: free first copy; Third party: $1.00/pg (1-25), $0.75/pg (26-50), $0.50/pg thereafter | Actual direct cost of electronic media | Facilities |
Wyoming WY | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 35-2-611 Reasonable cost standard administered under Wyoming hospital code. | Within 30 Calendar Days | Reasonable cost, typically $0.50/pg + actual postage | Direct actual cost of digital reproduction | Facilities |
District of Columbia DC | D.C. Code § 3-1205.14 & HIPAA DC Department of Health enforces federal reasonable cost standards. | Within 30 Calendar Days | Reasonable cost-based reproduction fee (typically $0.50/pg) | Actual labor cost of digital export | Facilities |
Statutory Medical Records FAQ
What is the federal HIPAA deadline for medical records fulfillment?
Under 45 CFR § 164.524(b)(2), healthcare providers must fulfill valid records requests within 30 calendar days. If records are stored offsite, a single 30-day extension is allowable if the provider notifies the requester in writing within the initial period.
When does state turnaround time override the federal 30-day rule?
Under HIPAA preemption rules, state laws that grant greater patient access or mandate faster turnaround times supersede federal regulations. For instance, California Health & Safety Code § 123110 enforces a strict 15-calendar-day deadline, Texas mandates 15 business days, and New York Public Health Law § 17 requires release within 10 calendar days.
Are third-party copy services permitted to charge fees above statutory state caps?
No. Third-party release-of-information (ROI) fulfillment vendors act as agents of the covered entity and are bound by the statutory fee caps enacted by the state where the provider is licensed. Requesters are entitled to challenge and demand itemized refunds for any invoices that exceed statutory maximums.