Office of Open Records
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersHarrisburg, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Office of Open Records firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Office of Open Records
- Legal name
- Pennsylvania Office of Open Records
- Website
- https://openrecords.pa.gov
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Office of Open Records is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Harrisburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Office of Open Records business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Funding: Funded through Pennsylvania state government appropriations as a regulatory agency.
- Fee Collection for Record Duplication: Agencies collect fees for copying records per OOR's official fee schedule. The OOR does not retain these fees; they go to the respective agencies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Black & White Copies - first 1,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Black & White Copies - beyond 1,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Color Copies |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Records via Email/Electronic Delivery |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CD/DVD |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Certification |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Redaction |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Postage |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Prepayment Threshold |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Office of Open Records product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR) is a state government agency that adjudicates appeals filed under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law (RTKL). It reviews denials of public records requests by government agencies, issues legally binding Final Determinations within statutory deadlines, mediates disputes between requesters and agencies, and issues Advisory Opinions to clarify the application of the RTKL. The OOR also delivers training programs and educational materials to both citizens and government entities to promote compliance with public-records obligations.
Product overview
The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR) operates as a quasi-judicial agency administering the state's Right-to-Know Law (RTKL). The organization provides a centralized platform for citizens to request government records and appeal denials. Core offerings include the Appeal E-File Portal for electronic appeal submission, the Standard RTKL Request Form for record requests, an Agency Open Records Officer (AORO) Database for finding the correct agency contacts, and a Docket Search for reviewing case decisions. Supporting services include a Mediation Program for dispute resolution, Training Videos and Presentations for compliance education, the Citizens' Guide to the RTKL for requester guidance, Agency Guides including the AORO Guidebook, Advisory Opinions on RTKL interpretation, and a comprehensive Forms Library with sample responses, attestations, and specialty forms like the Law Enforcement Recording Request Form under Act 22 of 2017.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Appeal E-File Portal Online portal that allows Pennsylvania citizens and requesters to electronically file appeals when their Right-to-Know Law requests have been denied by a government agency, and to track the status of their appeals.
Quantifiable outcome
- Final Determinations issued within 30 calendar days of receiving appeals
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Office of Open Records
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Office of Open Records technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Office of Open Records partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Office of Open Records competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- MuckRock: A technology platform that helps journalists and researchers file, track, and share FOIA and state open-records requests, with a public document archive. Adjacent in mission and intersecting heavily with OOR's requester base, though not a government adjudicatory body.
- FOIA Machine (now Documenters / MuckRock ecosystem): An open-source platform for filing and managing public-records requests across jurisdictions. Adjacent to OOR's E-File Portal in functionality, but community-driven rather than a state statutory authority, illustrating potential technology competitors or partners for OOR's portal.
Direct peers
- Illinois Public Access Counselor (Office of the Attorney General): Within the Illinois Attorney General's office, the Public Access Counselor reviews FOIA denials, issues binding opinions, and trains local governments. Mirrors OOR's appellate-review and advisory-opinion function under a state open-records regime.
- Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council: Virginia's statutory advisory council that issues FOIA opinions, drafts legislative changes, and trains public officials on the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Closely parallel to OOR's advisory opinions, training, and quasi-judicial interpretive role.
- Kentucky Office of Open Records: Kentucky's centralized agency that processes open records appeals, issues determinations, and trains agencies under the Kentucky Open Records Act. Operates a near-identical mandate to Pennsylvania's OOR, including a Final Determination process and statewide agency training.
- Texas Office of the Attorney General – Open Records Division: The Texas AG's Open Records Division renders binding decisions on Public Information Act appeals and provides training/resources to public entities. Closely comparable to OOR's appellate-adjudication and training mandate at the state level.
- New York State Committee on Open Government: New York's statewide advisory and review body for Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, providing guidance, training, and informal opinions. It is the most direct functional analog to Pennsylvania's OOR, operating at the same state level on an analogous open-records statute.
Others
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: A nonprofit that provides legal support, hotlines, and resources to journalists using state and federal open-records laws. Functions as an ecosystem participant that both feeds demand to OOR (via journalists filing RTKL requests) and parallel-advocates on transparency policy.
- Government Accountability Project: A nonprofit that supports whistleblowers and advocates for government transparency. Operates in the same transparency ecosystem as OOR, often intersecting with open-records disclosures, though focused on whistleblower channels rather than records adjudication.
Broad incumbents
- National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC): A national membership and advocacy network supporting state FOIA/open-records programs and officials, including through training, research, and legislative assistance. Operates as a broader-incumbent support layer over the same open-government domain OOR serves at the state level.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Office of Open Records social profiles
Digital presenceOffice of Open Records financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Office of Open Records leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Office of Open Records funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Office of Open Records M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Office of Open Records
What does Office of Open Records do?
The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR) is a state government agency that adjudicates appeals filed under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law (RTKL). It reviews denials of public records requests by government agencies, issues legally binding Final Determinations within statutory deadlines, mediates disputes between requesters and agencies, and issues Advisory Opinions to clarify the application of the RTKL. The OOR also delivers training programs and educational materials to both citizens and government entities to promote compliance with public-records obligations.
Is Office of Open Records a public or private company?
Office of Open Records is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Office of Open Records founded?
Office of Open Records was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Office of Open Records based?
Office of Open Records is headquartered in Harrisburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does Office of Open Records make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are fee Collection for Record Duplication.
Who are Office of Open Records's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are MuckRock and FOIA Machine (now Documenters / MuckRock ecosystem). Direct peers are Illinois Public Access Counselor (Office of the Attorney General), Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council, Kentucky Office of Open Records, Texas Office of the Attorney General – Open Records Division and New York State Committee on Open Government. Others are Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Government Accountability Project. National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Office of Open Records have an API?
No public API is recorded for Office of Open Records.