Please be advised that pursuant to long-standing Law & Public Safety policy and practice, submission of requests for access to government records by e-mail is not permitted. This restriction is supported by New Jersey case law. In 2009, the Appellate Division stated in Renna v. County of Union, 407 N.J. Super. 230 (App. Div. 2009), “the primary objective of the statutory construct is that the requester set forth in writing, and in a cogent and clear manner, the nature of the request and the other information required by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(f).” On the same day, the Appellate Division held in Paff v. City of East Orange, 407 N.J. Super. 221 (App. Div. 2009):

“We conclude that the authority N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5 (f) (1) confers upon a custodian of government records to adopt a form for requesting access to a government record, which includes ‘specific directions and procedures for requesting a record,’ authorizes a custodian to direct that a request for a government record must be transmitted only by methods specified in the form, which need not include every method of transmission mentioned in N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(g).”
The records request form for the Department of Law and Public Safety, in relevant part, states:

1. State Law requires that in order to request access to government records, you must complete, sign and date a written request for access and deliver it in person or by mail during regular business hours to the appropriate custodian of the record requested. You may also complete and submit a web enabled version of this request form at www.nj.gov/opra. L&PS will not accept submission of a written request for access by fax or email. Your request is not considered filed until the written request has been received by the appropriate custodian of the record requested.

2. If you a) submit a request for access to government records to someone other than the appropriate custodian; or b) do not complete a written request containing the information required in this form; or c) make a request for access by telephone, email or fax, the Open Public Records Act and its deadlines, restrictions and remedies will not apply to your request.

For these reasons, I am not able to accept your submission as a valid request for access to government records.

If you wish to submit a request for government records in the manner described above, please be sure to provide as much information as possible to help us locate the record(s) you seek . Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Megan M. Timmins
Assistant OAG Custodian of Records
Office of the Attorney General
Department of Law and Public Safety
Hughes Justice Complex
25 Market Street, 3rd Floor W
Trenton, New Jersey 08625
P: (609) 984-6998
F: (609) 292-4162

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Your request was denied by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) because it was submitted via methods prohibited by Department regulations. Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 13:1E-2.4, requests for records must be submitted via the online request platform, located at https://www-njlib.state.nj.us/NJ_OPRA/de..., or via hard copy correspondence. Requests submitted via email or fax will not be accepted.

Additionally, the records you have requested would not be made, maintained, or received by OAG. The records, to the extent they exist, may be in the possession of a separate division with the Department of Law & Public Safety, the Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA). You may wish to submit your request for records directly to DCA. However, please note that DCA is also subject to the regulation cited above and may only accept requests properly submitted via hard copy correspondence or via the official online platform.

Ivonnely Colon-Fung
Deputy Attorney General
L&PS Custodian of Records
State of New Jersey
Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 081
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0081
Phone: (609) 984-6998
Fax: (609) 984-5949
[email address]

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